Any Thoughts On My Amber to Bring It From Good to Great

[cshrode21]

Extract Recipe

6 lbs Extra Light Dry Extract 77.42 %
12.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L 9.68 %
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine 6.45 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L 6.45 %

0.75 oz Galena [13.00 %] - 60 min 28.1 IBU
1.00 oz Glacier [5.60 %] - 12 min 6.8 IBU
1.00 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] - 2 min 1.1 IBU

1 Pkgs American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) Yeast-Ale

 

[E-Mursed]

Condition it four weeks longer than you usually do and it will be great.

After eight weeks it will be awesome. :rockin:

 

[arturo7]

What are you doing for fermentation temp control?

 

[cshrode21]

Wet T-Shirt + fan method in a dark spare bedroom. Fermented for 3 weeks at 67 degrees. Don't get me wrong I like the beer...it's just not knock your socks off good like I was hopin for. Everything in the malt and hop profile look good?

 

[Yooper]

What's "wrong" with it? I'm not a fuggles fan, but if you are that's great. I'm just wondering what you're looking for. More hops punch? More malt flavor? More (or less) sweetness?

If we know what you're hoping to acheive, we can help you perfect it.

 

[GlenF]

Dry hop w/ 1oz Cascade, 1oz Centennial, and 1oz Amarillo. That will create a great beer every time.

 

[cshrode21]

It just doesnt taste like there's very much complexity to it. I don't wanna say lack of flavor but just not alot to it. You think I should put more hops on the back end? I was thinking maybe substitute the carapils with some chocolate.

 

[Yooper]

It just doesnt taste like there's very much complexity to it. I don't wanna say lack of flavor but just not alot to it. You think I should put more hops on the back end? I was thinking maybe substitute the carapils with some chocolate.

Well, galena and fuggles and glacier are relatively flavorless hops. Fuggles is earthy, galena is neutral (I like it for bittering, though, so I'd keep it) while glacier is ok for aroma but I'm not a huge fan of the flavor. I'd probably want to revamp the hops, unless you really like them.

I'd probably cut a bit of the crystal (over 20% is a lot) and instead use Munich malt or even some victory malt for complexity. A pound of Munch malt and .75 pound of victory malt would be very interesting, and provide some malt backbone. Biscuit malt (instead of victory) would be good, too.

 

[BeerLogic]

Homemade caramel syrup in place of some the crystal might be an interesting touch. I'm planning on trying that in my next amber. Check out this recipe: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/caramel-amber-ale-167880/

 

[cshrode21]

Thanks for the help. I've done alot of beers with cascade so I was wanting to do something different. You have any suggestions for fuggles or glacier replacements?

 

[Yooper]

Thanks for the help. I've done alot of beers with cascade so I was wanting to do something different. You have any suggestions for fuggles or glacier replacements?

I like willamette in an amber. It's got some of the same "earthiness" that fuggles has, but without the "dirt" taste. I also like other hops that you don't normally think of- like northern brewer or liberty or crystal.

I don't think you should change everything, though! Those are just some suggestions. I have a beer that I like that uses this:

1 lbs Biscuit Malt (23.0 SRM) Grain 8.33 %
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 8.33 %
0.25 oz Centennial [8.50 %] (60 min) Hops 6.2 IBU
1.00 oz Centennial [7.70 %] (60 min) Hops 22.6 IBU
1.00 oz Liberty [4.50 %] (30 min) Hops 10.1 IBU
1.00 oz Crystal [3.30 %] (2 min) Hops 0.8 IBU
1 Pkgs American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) Yeast-Ale

88% of the grain bill is marris otter, but you could use a light extract instead to make it an extract batch (6 pounds DME). It turned out really well, more like a "Fat Tire" type amber than the big hoppy ambers that you often see.

This one was my attempt at a Bell's amber clone:
7 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 62.22 % (you could easily sub DME- 4 pounds)
2 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 17.78 %
1 lbs 4.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 11.11 %
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 8.89 %
1.50 oz Williamette [4.80 %] (60 min) (First Wort Hop) Hops 27.9 IBU
1.00 oz Williamette [4.80 %] (10 min) Hops 6.1 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.40 %] (5 min) Hops 1.9 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.40 %] (1 min) Hops 0.4 IBU
0.50 oz Williamette [4.80 %] (0 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops -

This came out really good, if you wanted to go back and dabble with cascades. I like the malt in that one, and I would use it again with another amber.

 

[beergolf]

My amber that I have done several times and tweaked to my liking

12 oz C 40
12 oz C 80
steep at 155 for 30 minutes.

5 1/2 lb. light DME (3lbs at 60, 21/2 at 20)

1oz Centenial @60
1oz Cascade @ 15
1 oz Fuggle @ 15
. 5 Cascade @ 5
.5 Fuggle @ 5
. 5 Cascade @ flameout
.5 Fuggle @ flameout

Us-05


mmmmmmmm

 

[Boy]

I like a little bit of victory and munich. For hops I FWH nugget and then add a mix of nugget, cascade, and glacier at 15 and 1 minute.

 

[lumpher]

you might want to try a cascade/willamette blend. as yooper says, willamette is tastier than fuggle. i like fuggle, but in my hop order, i always get willamette instead of fuggle

 

[cshrode21]

thanks for all the help. I think I'm gonna throw some willamette in there and maybe a little cascade