Critique my recipe please

[aidan]

Based on my supplies at hand I've come up with this recipe for my next batch:

Batch Size: 25L (6.6 US gal)
Boil Size: 10L (2.6 US gal)

Fermentables:
Steeped Medium Crystal - 0.375 kg (0.83 lb)
Amber Liquid Malt Extract - 3.75 kg (8.3 lb)
Dextrose - 0.25 kg (0.55 lb)

Hops:
Nelson Sauvin (12.6%) - 10g (0.35 oz) @ 30 mins
Summit (15.9%) - 10g @ 30 mins
Nelson Sauvin - 10g @ 15 mins
Summit - 10g @ 15 mins
Nelson Sauvin - 10g @ 0 mins
Summit - 10g @ 0 mins
Nelson Sauvin - 10g dryhop
Summit - 10g dryhop

Yeast: US-05

According to my recipe calculator should give:
IBU: 35
OG: 1.053
FG: 1.013
ABV: 5.5% (incl priming)

How do you think this recipe would work?
What style would you call it? American Amber Ale?
Any ideas to improve it? (Note that I also have simcoe hops available but no other hops varieties, I only have the amber malt to work with and the US-05 yeast)

Thanks in advance,
Aidan

 

[dirty_martini]

with amber extract, you dont need the crystal...otherwise i love summits and nelsons...

also, i know a lot of people love the hop bursting technique...but i believe even the smallest bittering charge at 60...sometimes even as small as 7g makes all the difference. i find that with hop bursting, once the aroma starts to fade it lacks the bitterness to balance....even if you hit the IBU total you want with all late additions...even something as simple as splitting your 30min addition between 5g at 60 and 5g at 30...but thats just my experience

 

[aidan]

with amber extract, you dont need the crystal...otherwise i love summits and nelsons...

also, i know a lot of people love the hop bursting technique...but i believe even the smallest bittering charge at 60...sometimes even as small as 7g makes all the difference. i find that with hop bursting, once the aroma starts to fade it lacks the bitterness to balance....even if you hit the IBU total you want with all late additions...even something as simple as splitting your 30min addition between 5g at 60 and 5g at 30...but thats just my experience

hop bursting - new term on me - is that starting with a 30min addition instead of a 60min addition? Quite frankly I was just playing with a recipe calculator, started with a 60min boil but it was showing the bitterness on the high side for an American Amber Ale so instead of reducing hops I reduced boil time. But thanks for letting me know that having even a small addition at 60 mins would improve it.

I was thinking the crystal would add a bit extra dimension to it - and I have some that I'd like to use up. Do you think it would make the beer too sweet or something?

 

[dirty_martini]

hop bursting - new term on me - is that starting with a 30min addition instead of a 60min addition? Quite frankly I was just playing with a recipe calculator, started with a 60min boil but it was showing the bitterness on the high side for an American Amber Ale so instead of reducing hops I reduced boil time. But thanks for letting me know that having even a small addition at 60 mins would improve it.

I was thinking the crystal would add a bit extra dimension to it - and I have some that I'd like to use up. Do you think it would make the beer too sweet or something?

well, amber extract already has crystal in it...by adding more you could end up with an underattenuated, sweet beer. if you were using pale extract, id say use the crystal.

if you are worried about the bitterness, back off on the earlier additions all total. if you want more hop flavor, you can add them to your late addition and dry hop. something like this

5g each at 60
5g each at 30
5g each at 15
15g each at KO
10g each dryhop

myself, i usually only go 60, 30, KO...so I would move around the 15 addition to get same bitterness and get more into that KO addition or dry hop...however, do what you want. im sure it will turn out good.

 

[aidan]

well, amber extract already has crystal in it...by adding more you could end up with an underattenuated, sweet beer. if you were using pale extract, id say use the crystal.

Ah, ok. Would adding even a smaller amount do anything positive for the beer?

if you are worried about the bitterness, back off on the earlier additions all total. if you want more hop flavor, you can add them to your late addition and dry hop. something like this

5g each at 60
5g each at 30
5g each at 15
15g each at KO
10g each dryhop

myself, i usually only go 60, 30, KO...so I would move around the 15 addition to get same bitterness and get more into that KO addition or dry hop...however, do what you want. im sure it will turn out good.

I'm not particularly worried about the bitterness, I was just adjusting it to fall within the range of an American Amber Ale (according to my calculator), but I'm not concerned with fitting a style as long as the beer is good. If I upped the bitterness would that make it more in the style of an IPA? Would it make it a better tasting beer?