First Attempt Noob recipe- On the right track?

[jlpred55]

I have read a lot and hopefully gleaned some wisdom from all of you. So here goes my second attempt at all grain. My first attempt went well, got a little over 75% eff but ended up short on the boil but I know what I did wrong- simple measuring error. That first recipe was a copy off of here for a blonde ale, hydro tastes great. Anyway here goes my first try at a recipe:

American Amber Ale:

OG:1.054
FG 1.014
IBU: 44
SRM: 14
Boil 7.0 gal
Batch 5.5 gal

Grains:
8.5lbs AM. 2 Row
1lbs Munich (light)
1lbs Crystal 60L
8oz Crystal 120L

Hops:

60mins- Cascade- 1oz
20mins- Cascade- .50 oz
10mins- Cascade- .25oz
5mins- Cascade- .25oz

Yeast- US-05

I know what I like in the malts- esp the crystal(since I have used them in my extracts) and hope that they all mix well. Again this is my first attempt so be as brutally honest as you can be. I am a glutton for punishment...giggidy giggidy!

 

[JMSetzler]

The recipe looks fine, and I'm also a novice at all-grain brewing, having done only one batch so far. I have spent a lot of time reading about all the various grains that can be used in beer, which has led me to a couple conclusions so far. The first of those conclusions is that I probably want to use a little cara-pils in each batch for improvement of head and head retention. It also improves the body of the beer, so if you are looking for a lighter bodied beer, just a very small addition might be beneficial.

 

[Pangea]

Looks almost like an amber pale ale to me. I'd drink it. if you want a more smooth malt profile, replace light munich with vienna. Also, if you like hoppiness and hop aromas, consider moving the last hop addition to 0 minutes instead of 5. I've started doing that with my cascade brews and its an improvement, because cascades have a great citrusy smell.

 

[jlpred55]

Isn't that was American Ambers are, a pale ale with higher lovibond crystal malts? Or at least that is the way I understood them to be, perhaps I am off on my understanding?

 

[Pangea]

Yes, you're right. Dont get me wrong, I think the beer will be a fine amber ale. The style guidelines list american amber IBUs at 25 to 48, so you're at the upper end, and the recipe struck me as being on the hoppy side of things. According to the style guidelines, ambers differ from pale ales in the reasons you stated, plus they are supposed to be more balanced between malt and bitterness than pale ales. In terms of numbers you meet the style guidelines.

 

[macabra11]

Yeah, I agree with Pangea about the hops. If it were me, I would try...
1 oz Cascade 60min
0.5 oz Cascade 15min
0.5 oz Cascade at flame out (0min)
Then if you have hops, dry hop in the secondary for a week. Your grains look fine for an amber. I would drink it!

 

[jlpred55]

Awesome thanks guys. I may try toning down the hops a little. I want to aim for balance and I thought the 40 or so IBUS would do it with all those crystal malts in there. I will shoot for 30 IBUs and let you all know the results. I have plenty of cascades, actually I need to get using them. The next one is going to be a APA with all cascades should have about 6oz left...finally...LOL

 

[petep1980]

Your beer has more pale characteristics than amber ale it seems. Not that it matters one bit, but it'd be a near flawless APA if you swapped out the 60L for 20L.

 

[jlpred55]

What would gvie it more amber characteristics? I am looking for a amber similar to American Amber by Rogue minus the pacman yeast obviously. Do I need more malty flavor? Should I dump a pound of 2 row for another pound of munich?

 

[macabra11]

You could swap the entire pale for maris otter malt. It is a tad darker (3º rather than 1º pale) and should give you a more maltier feel. By no means is it munich or vienna, but it IS a different base grain. I am trying it out in a couple days on an amber I'm brewing.

 

[BrewBrain]

If an American Amber Ale is what you want, you are very close to an excellent one. Simply drop the IBU's down to about 33 - 35 and you are right in there. As-is, it'll be a bit hoppier than MY standard, but still looks very good to me.

I would also guard against getting too low on hops with that much crystal or you'll end up with a cloyingly sweet beer. A tad too much hops would be better than a tad too little IMO. Thinking about it a bit more, you're at about 13.6% crystal in your grain bill. 40 IBU's would be towards the top end for me, but I don't think it would be out of line.

Whatever you decide, after you taste it you can tweak the recipe for next time. You'll likely find something you want to improve no matter what you brew this time.