Amber Ale recipe help

[Tazzster]

I was looking to brew this Amber this weekend.

How does the recipe look? Any ideas or thoughts?

9.5 lb 2 row
1.5 lb Caramel Crystal 80L
1 lb Carapils

1oz Cascade - 60
1oz Citra - 15
1oz Citra - 0
1oz Citra - secondary

California Ale Yeast White Labs WLP001

 

[chickypad]

You might consider splitting the crystal into a couple different L's, I like to do something like 2/3 c-40 or C-60 and 1/3 of a darker crystal. Up to you but I also don't think you need the carapils with the rest of that crystal. Some munich/vienna in ambers is nice for a little more complexity/malt character, especially if that is american 2- row.

Good luck with it!

 

[kh54s10]

You might consider splitting the crystal into a couple different L's, I like to do something like 2/3 c-40 or C-60 and 1/3 of a darker crystal. Up to you but I also don't think you need the carapils with the rest of that crystal. Some munich/vienna in ambers is nice for a little more complexity/malt character, especially if that is american 2- row.

Good luck with it!

I agree with this....

 

[YeastMode]

You might consider splitting the crystal into a couple different L's, I like to do something like 2/3 c-40 or C-60 and 1/3 of a darker crystal. Up to you but I also don't think you need the carapils with the rest of that crystal. Some munich/vienna in ambers is nice for a little more complexity/malt character, especially if that is american 2- row.

Good luck with it!

+1.

I usually use a 60/90 split in mine, and I would sub vienna for the carapils as was mentioned. As for the hop schedule, I have been playing around with an amber recipe using Citra, Cascade and Simcoe (like the Sierra Nevada Flipside Red IPA) and have noticed that my results seem to produce a more "floral" flavor, but not as "bright" as I expected, which may or may not be the style you are looking for. If you are seeking a more "classic" amber profile, consider using some Hallertau or Centennial as the bittering addition.

 

[Tutsbrew]

I agree with adding some complexity to the base grains. No doubt you'll end up with great beer, a beer you can be proud of if...

...sanitation practices, the water profile, mash techniques, yeast handling, fermentation temps, etc, are properly executed - no matter the grain bill or hop schedule.

Enjoy your beer!

 

[Tazzster]

You might consider splitting the crystal into a couple different L's, I like to do something like 2/3 c-40 or C-60 and 1/3 of a darker crystal. Up to you but I also don't think you need the carapils with the rest of that crystal. Some munich/vienna in ambers is nice for a little more complexity/malt character, especially if that is american 2- row.

Good luck with it!

Thanks Chicky!

I took your advice and brewed it up yesterday. Its in the pantry bubbling away, but I had some questions. I am still new to this and was wondering what the driving force is behind the suggestions.

Is splitting up the crystal just to add complexity?

And what does the crystal give me that I would no longer need carapils?


And why I am asking questions... Is there certain stuff you should always add to a beer? For example, I was getting in the habit of adding carapils for body and head retention. Is this a good idea?

guidance needed

 

[Yooper]

Thanks Chicky!

I took your advice and brewed it up yesterday. Its in the pantry bubbling away, but I had some questions. I am still new to this and was wondering what the driving force is behind the suggestions.

Is splitting up the crystal just to add complexity?

And what does the crystal give me that I would no longer need carapils?


And why I am asking questions... Is there certain stuff you should always add to a beer? For example, I was getting in the habit of adding carapils for body and head retention. Is this a good idea?

guidance needed

Splitting up the crystal malt adds complexity, but it's a flavor thing. Just like with cooking- you may add chili powder and onions to your chili, for more flavor. Well, brewing is the same way.

Lighter crystal malts simply taste different than the darker ones. Lighter ones are more caramel sweet, while the darker ones taste raisiny. So, mixing it up is good, kind of like adding both salt and pepper to a dish. Salt and pepper and not the same thing, but both are spices anyway. Caramel/crystal malt in different colors is the same way- both crystal malts (spices) but not the same.

Carapils is a crystal malt, and so in recipes already with a good proportion of crystal malt, it's not necessary.

actually, it's not "necessary" in any beers. I don't even have any on hand. The only time I use it is in some very light beers, like a pilsner, where I want to keep the beer mostly base malt and then I'll use a bit of carapils (since it doesn't add color or flavor) for head retention.

 

[chickypad]

Yooper explained things nicely as usual. I think of it as rounding out the flavors with the different crystals. I have a base amber recipe that I tried experimenting with different crystals to get the ratios I like best. Like Yooper said the darker crystals, especially 120L and up, taste rasiny. A little of that is nice for me but I found if I use too much it dominates the flavor. So I settled on my 2/3 to 1/3 ratio, purely preference. I encourage you to experiment for yourself. The munich or vienna is to add some malty backbone, I don't get a lot of flavor from American 2-row on it's own. Alternatively you could also try different base malts like American pale ale malt or a British pale malt like Maris otter. Some victory can be nice too for a little toasty flavor. I don't in general advocate an "everything but the kitchen sink" approach but ambers are one of those styles where I tend to use a bit more complicated grainbill.

 

[Tazzster]

Splitting up the crystal malt adds complexity, but it's a flavor thing. Just like with cooking- you may add chili powder and onions to your chili, for more flavor. Well, brewing is the same way.

Lighter crystal malts simply taste different than the darker ones. Lighter ones are more caramel sweet, while the darker ones taste raisiny. So, mixing it up is good, kind of like adding both salt and pepper to a dish. Salt and pepper and not the same thing, but both are spices anyway. Caramel/crystal malt in different colors is the same way- both crystal malts (spices) but not the same.

Carapils is a crystal malt, and so in recipes already with a good proportion of crystal malt, it's not necessary.

actually, it's not "necessary" in any beers. I don't even have any on hand. The only time I use it is in some very light beers, like a pilsner, where I want to keep the beer mostly base malt and then I'll use a bit of carapils (since it doesn't add color or flavor) for head retention.

So, is there a good guide out there for grains and what they do?

The best I have been able to find is the grain guide on byo.com.

 

[chickypad]

The BYO charts are decent. Here are a couple other resources I know:

HBT wiki

How to brew

If you're wanting to learn more about formulating your own recipes I recommend Ray Daniels' Designing Great Beers (older but a classic), and Brewing Classic Styles by Jamil and Palmer. If you're into Belgians, Brew Like a Monk is also a good one.

 

[beerme70]

This is my recipe, and it always comes out purty darn tasty.


8.0 oz Rice Hulls
8 lbs Rahr Pale Malt (2 Row) US (1.7 SRM)
1 lbs Briess Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM)
1 lbs Dingeman's Biscuit Malt (23.0 SRM)
1 lbs Honey
1.00 oz Cascade [6.50 %] - Boil 45.0 min
1.00 oz Willamette [4.70 %] - Boil 30.0 min
0.50 oz Willamette [4.70 %] - Boil 10.0 min
1.0 pkg American Ale II (Wyeast Labs #1272)

...and this is the result: