Simple American Amber Ale

[Slowfro]

Hey everyone, I'm getting geared up for fall here, and thinking about getting an Amber bubbling away. Just threw this quick and simple recipe together, looking for constructive (or destructive...your choice) criticism. If you have a tried and true wonderfully delicious recipe you'd recommend I'm all ears too...

5 gallon batch
9# American 2-Row
1# Crystal 60L
1# Vienna

Mash @ 154

1oz Saaz 60 minutes
1/2oz Willamette 30 minutes
1/2oz Willamette 20 minutes
1oz Liberty 5 minutes
(Hops schedule to change...I'd aim for about 30IBU)

1056 yeast (w/ starter)

Thanks in advance for the beatings...I mean advice!

 

[jmarshall]

That sounds like a delicious late summer/early fall beer. I'd definitely keep the willamette in the mix. I've never worked with liberty, what kind of characteristics is it supposed to add?

 

[BrewerinBR]

Strange similar to the one I was throwing together:
5 Gal Batch

5# American 2 row
3# Victory
2# Crystal 40L
1# Carapils

1/2 oz Northern Brewer at 60
3/4 oz Northern Brewer at 30
1/2 oz Fuggle at 15

about 31 IBU

Safale-05

I kind of like yours a little better ...

 

[beergolf]

I do one with a mix of Crystal 40 (12oz) and Crystal 80 (12oz) and use Cascade and Fuggles to about 34 IBU's qnd an OG of about 1.055. I think it has a little more depth than just using C60. I chose the Cascade Fuggles mix because that is what Bell's Amber supposedly uses.

 

[Slowfro]

I do one with a mix of Crystal 40 (12oz) and Crystal 80 (12oz) and use Cascade and Fuggles to about 34 IBU's qnd an OG of about 1.055. I think it has a little more depth than just using C60. I chose the Cascade Fuggles mix because that is what Bell's Amber supposedly uses.

Beergolf how much cascades vs fuggles do you use to hit your 34IBU? I like cascades a lot, never used them in an amber before. I like splitting the 60 into some 40 & 80 approach, I do that quite a bit with other beers, and that can usually vary depending on what the LHBS has in stock.

jmarshall, the liberty should add a little spicy note to the beer, I think kind of help it be a little more rounded out overall. I've used it before in a couple of beers but not in probably at least a year, so I thought I'd throw it in again and get my bearings with it again.

 

[beergolf]

Beergolf how much cascades vs fuggles do you use to hit your 34IBU? I like cascades a lot, never used them in an amber before. I like splitting the 60 into some 40 & 80 approach, I do that quite a bit with other beers, and that can usually vary depending on what the LHBS has in stock.

jmarshall, the liberty should add a little spicy note to the beer, I think kind of help it be a little more rounded out overall. I've used it before in a couple of beers but not in probably at least a year, so I thought I'd throw it in again and get my bearings with it again.

I just looked at my recipe and I split the Cascades and Fuggles equally. I did a bittering addition ( I actually used centenial for bittering) for about 20IBU's and then additions at 15, 5 and flameout for the rest splitting the hops almost equally.

 

[Slowfro]

What do you guys think about splitting the American 2 row into equal parts 2-row and marris otter? I'm not sure I've ever mixed them together in the same beer before, could be interesting.

 

[jfr1111]

The recipe looks good as is. I'm not sure I'd use MO in such a beer if I wanted to stay in the style guidelines, but it sure would make for a tasty pint nonetheless. The double crystal idea is a good one, but I'd personally try to keep the crystal to a pound or a pound and a half maximum for a first brew.

The cascade is also nice in such a beer, but why are you bittering with Saaz ?

 

[Slowfro]

The recipe looks good as is. I'm not sure I'd use MO in such a beer if I wanted to stay in the style guidelines, but it sure would make for a tasty pint nonetheless. The double crystal idea is a good one, but I'd personally try to keep the crystal to a pound or a pound and a half maximum for a first brew.

The cascade is also nice in such a beer, but why are you bittering with Saaz ?

To me style guidelines are just that...guidelines, not rules. I cross lines a lot, with APA's going too high on IBU's, stuff like that. I'm just spit-balling ideas, I think maybe I'll stick with just 2-row on this batch, then follow up soon after with a mix of 2-row and MO.

I think the real question is why not bitter with saaz? No, just kidding, I kind of figured that would lend a nice touch to the beer without over powering the malts. What would you recommend instead?

 

[jfr1111]

To me style guidelines are just that...guidelines, not rules. I cross lines a lot, with APA's going too high on IBU's, stuff like that. I'm just spit-balling ideas, I think maybe I'll stick with just 2-row on this batch, then follow up soon after with a mix of 2-row and MO.

I think the real question is why not bitter with saaz? No, just kidding, I kind of figured that would lend a nice touch to the beer without over powering the malts. What would you recommend instead?

Any clean high alpha bittering hop will do. Centennial would also do, as would fuggles. Cascade I'm not a huge fan of as a bittering addition since it can be harsh... I learned that the hard way.

I was asking because Saaz is a low alpha noble hop that's mainly used as a flavour/aroma addition or as a standalone bittering charge in Belgian/German beers. It's not that you can't bitter bitter with it, it's just that it is somewhat wasteful to do so. I don't think that you'll be able to pick up it's flavour and aroma after a 60 minute boil when you'll have fuggles and cascade up the wazzoo (a good thing) in the late boil.

Plus saaz tastes like soap to me

 

[Slowfro]

If you had your mouth washed out with soap as much as I did as a kid you'd be OK with it then! Hahaha.

You make some good points, I was trying to avoid using Cascade or Centennial as I use them in a lot of APAs and IPAs which is the primary types of beers I brew, so I wanted a little contrast. Maybe I'll toss some Fuggles in for fun and see where I end up. What the fuggle right? OK, horrible joke, sorry.

 

[jfr1111]

If you had your mouth washed out with soap as much as I did as a kid you'd be OK with it then! Hahaha.

You make some good points, I was trying to avoid using Cascade or Centennial as I use them in a lot of APAs and IPAs which is the primary types of beers I brew, so I wanted a little contrast. Maybe I'll toss some Fuggles in for fun and see where I end up. What the fuggle right? OK, horrible joke, sorry.

Fuggle /Willamette would also be, oh so right.

40g Fuggles [4,5%] 60 min (25 IBU)
15g Fuggles [4,5%] and Willamette [5,5%] 20 min 7 IBU
15g Fuggles and Willamette @ flameout

 

[Slowfro]

Fuggle /Willamette would also be, oh so right.

40g Fuggles [4,5%] 60 min (25 IBU)
15g Fuggles [4,5%] and Willamette [5,5%] 20 min 7 IBU
15g Fuggles and Willamette @ flameout

Sold. I'll be heading to the LHBS on my lunch break today, happy to have this settled.

EDIT: LHBS was out of a few things, so what I brew will be a little different than what I expected to brew. The first thing missing was Fuggles. All out, new shipment coming in next week. I plan to modify my bittering with 1/2oz Nugget (12.2%AA). I think I'm also going to stagger the Williamette for flavor and aroma, and use some Liberty for aroma at the very end. It'll be an experiment for sure.

Oh, and the store was also completely out of 2-row, so MO will be my substitute today.