Assistance Converting a Recipe to All Grain from Extract

[psymonkey]

I have a recipe for an American Amber that is an absolute smash hit. I love it, my friends love it, my family loves it, everyone who has tasted it absolutely loves it. I've recently switched to All grain and am torn between just continuing to brew this using extract and trying to AG it. I've brewed it four times with extract.

I've tried converting it using beersmith and am really not sure if that's working correctly or not because it makes me choose a base malt and seems to drop the Amber. I just don't know enough about the various malts, or beersmith for that matter.

Anyway, I realize LME's are closely guarded secrets but would one of the many experts around here mind taking a crack at it? Or, should I just continue to brew the extract version since I've had such great success with it?

Malts: (EDIT: I believe my LHBS uses Breiss, btw)

5.5 lbs light LME

1.5 lbs Amber LME

6 oz Munich Malt

1/4 lb Victory Malt

3 0z Biscuit Malt

Hops:

1/2 oz Columbus – 60

1/4 oz Cascade – 15

1/4 oz Cascade – 01

Yeast:

WLP008 – White Labs East Coast Ale Yeast

 

[Schnitzengiggle]

I will take a crack at it, but i will also say if it ain't broke don't fix it, gold medal beers can be made with extract.

FWIW, your color comes out to 7.1, but the bottom of the style range is 11.0, but everything else is within style range.

Hope this helps.


Style: American Amber Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 7.57 gal
Post Boil Volume: 6.24 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.053 SG
Estimated Color: 7.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 26.5 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 90.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
8 lbs 10.1 oz Pale Ale Malt 2-Row (Briess) (3.5 SRM) Grain 1 88.3 %
9.8 oz Victory Malt (biscuit) (Briess) (28.0 SR Grain 2 6.3 %
8.5 oz Munich 20L (Briess) (20.0 SRM) Grain 3 5.4 %
0.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Boil 60. Hop 4 23.7 IBUs
0.25 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 5 2.3 IBUs
0.25 oz Admiral [14.75 %] - Boil 1.0 min Hop 6 0.5 IBUs
1.0 pkg East Coast Ale (White Labs #WLP008) [35. Yeast 7 -


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 9 lbs 12.4 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 12.32 qt of water at 163.6 F 152.0 F 60 min

Sparge: Batch sparge with 3 steps (Drain mash tun, , 2.85gal, 2.85gal) of 168.0 F water

 

[psymonkey]

Thanks so much Schnitzengiggle! Great name btw

Oddly, when I enter the recipe in as extract I get a very low SRM as well, but here's a picture of the beer - it's gorgeous

Thanks for the advice on the conversion from extract. Not only is it not broke, but I can brew it in a third the time of AG

I think maybe I'll try your recipe from above and then the extract version on the cake after that.

 

[Schnitzengiggle]

I think maybe I'll try your recipe from above and then the extract version on the cake after that.

Good idea, I know that Briess uses different specialty malts in their LME and DME, and I think the white papers can be found on their website as to what proportion they use, but I don't know if BeerSmith 2.0 takes into account the different specialty malts when converting from extract to AG. That may be why the SRM is so low.

 

[Yooper]

I would guess that the amber LME has crystal malt in it, and especially since I see the picture I would guess that it's a crystal 60L type of malt.

I'd leave all of the specialty grains, add a pound of crystal 60L, and use a tad bit more Munich.

Like this:

8 pounds two-row
1 lbs Munich malt
1/4 lb Victory Malt
3 0z Biscuit Malt
1 pound crystal 60L

 

[psymonkey]

Thanks Yooper! I'm heading out to the LHBS shortly and have messed around with both of your suggestions in Beersmith and came up with this, which brought the color up nicely and has maintained the OG and ABV.

Style: American Amber Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 6.46 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.46 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 4.60 gal
Estimated OG: 1.051 SG
Estimated Color: 13.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 30.0 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 75.6 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
7 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 70.4 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 2 15.1 %
1 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 3 10.1 %
4.0 oz Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 4 2.5 %
3.0 oz Biscuit Malt (23.0 SRM) Grain 5 1.9 %
0.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Boil 60. Hop 6 27.2 IBUs
0.25 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 7 2.6 IBUs
0.25 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 1.0 min Hop 8 0.2 IBUs
1.0 pkg California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [35. Yeast 9 -


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out
Total Grain Weight: 9 lbs 15.0 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 13.42 qt of water at 162.7 F 150.0 F 75 min

Sparge: Fly sparge with 4.55 gal water at 168.0 F