Input on american amber ale recipe

[Brew2Be]

Hi.

I'm trying my hand soon at an amber ale recipe. I've arrived at something but I am mostly unsure about the hop addition times and amounts.

I am also in doubt as to how to get it a bit darker? It is currently 10 SRM which is quite light and just on the lower end of things according to the bjcp for american amber ales. How do I get it to be darker? I have some black patent malt, but I'm afraid it will "taint" the taste of the brew. Would more crystal 65 become too sweet?

I have included the recipe below.

Malt:

Pale Malt 0.6 kg 88% Mash 2 °L
Crystal 65L 0.15 kg 11% Mash 65 °L

Hops:

Centennial (US) 5.0 g 60 min Boil Pellet 10.5%
Centennial (US) 5.0 g 10 min Boil Pellet 10.5%
Centennial (US) 5.0 g 5 min Boil Pellet 10.5%

Yeast:

Safale US-05

Batch statistics:

Batch size: 6L (1.6 gallons)
1.055 OG
1.016 FG
34 IBU
5.0% ABV
10 SRM
0.64 IBU/OG (bitter)


Thanks in advance for your input

 

[Glynn]

I'v been drinking this one currently. Its a version of west coast blaster from brewing classic styles. to get more color id use a combination of 40L, 120L and pale choc. this version is consideratly higher in ibu and abv

12 lbs 4.0 oz Pale Malt (2-Row) Canadian Malting Co (2.0 SRM) Grain 6 77.8 %
1 lbs Caramel Malt - 40L (Briess) (40.0 SRM) Grain 7 6.3 %
1 lbs Munich 10L (Briess) (10.0 SRM) Grain 8 6.3 %
8.0 oz Caramel Malt - 120L (Briess) (120.0 SRM) Grain 9 3.2 %
8.0 oz Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 10 3.2 %
4.0 oz Acid Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 11 1.6 %
4.0 oz Chocolate Malt Pale (Thomas Fawcett) (250.0 SRM) Grain 12 1.6 %
1.00 oz Horizon [10.50 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 13 33.2 IBUs
1.10 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 14 -
1.00 oz Cascade pellet [6.20 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 15 8.8 IBUs
1.00 oz Centennial pellet [9.20 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 16 13.1 IBUs
1.00 oz Cascade pellet [6.20 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 17 3.6 IBUs
1.00 oz Centennial [8.40 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 18 4.8 IBUs
1.00 oz Cascade pellet [6.20 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 15.0 min Hop 19 4.4 IBUs
1.00 oz Centennial pellet [9.20 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 15.0 min Hop 20 6.6 IBUs
1.0 pkg Northwest Ale (Wyeast Labs #1332) [124.21 ml]

 

[Brew2Be]

I'v been drinking this one currently. Its a version of west coast blaster from brewing classic styles. to get more color id use a combination of 40L, 120L and pale choc. this version is consideratly higher in ibu and abv

12 lbs 4.0 oz Pale Malt (2-Row) Canadian Malting Co (2.0 SRM) Grain 6 77.8 %
1 lbs Caramel Malt - 40L (Briess) (40.0 SRM) Grain 7 6.3 %
1 lbs Munich 10L (Briess) (10.0 SRM) Grain 8 6.3 %
8.0 oz Caramel Malt - 120L (Briess) (120.0 SRM) Grain 9 3.2 %
8.0 oz Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 10 3.2 %
4.0 oz Acid Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 11 1.6 %
4.0 oz Chocolate Malt Pale (Thomas Fawcett) (250.0 SRM) Grain 12 1.6 %
1.00 oz Horizon [10.50 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 13 33.2 IBUs
1.10 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 14 -
1.00 oz Cascade pellet [6.20 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 15 8.8 IBUs
1.00 oz Centennial pellet [9.20 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 16 13.1 IBUs
1.00 oz Cascade pellet [6.20 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 17 3.6 IBUs
1.00 oz Centennial [8.40 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 18 4.8 IBUs
1.00 oz Cascade pellet [6.20 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 15.0 min Hop 19 4.4 IBUs
1.00 oz Centennial pellet [9.20 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 15.0 min Hop 20 6.6 IBUs
1.0 pkg Northwest Ale (Wyeast Labs #1332) [124.21 ml]

Thanks for the recipe and input. I am, however trying to make a beer from a recipe that is a bit more simple beer that is pleasant to drink (I am not that experienced in recipe making yet but think its great fun to make my own). The malts I have at my disposal are Pale Malt, Maris Otter, Crystal 65, Chocolate malt (not pale) and Black malt.

 

[Odin_Brews]

I really would get some C120 and replace 3% of your total crystal with that. If picking up some is not an option then a touch of chocolate would be fine, a couple ounces for a 5 gallon batch should change the color but flavor would be relatively subdued and un-noticeable.

 

[Brew2Be]

I really would get some C120 and replace 3% of your total crystal with that. If picking up some is not an option then a touch of chocolate would be fine, a couple ounces for a 5 gallon batch should change the color but flavor would be relatively subdued and un-noticeable.

Okay thanks for the alternatives! I don't have a local homebrew store so everything I havde to get is ordered and then shipped to me, so I will probably go with the chocolate-option. How is the hopping looking in my recipe?

 

[Odin_Brews]

Hopping looks fine, Im assuming you're doing a 1 gallon batch? I'm drinking an amber right now that I find delicious, If I recall did a fwh with centennial, then I had 2.5 oz cent./cascade (for 6 gallon) spaced out in similar additions to you. I tried a hydro sample at two weeks and decided it needed another 1 oz dry hop. REally it depends on how hoppy you're looking for, if hoppy then I'd add another addition at 20 and check for dry hop or not after primary fermentation.

Careful how much chocolate you use, I did 3 oz roasted barley in my latest which made it 25 EBC and it's pushing brown unless you hold it right up to the light.

 

[dangerbrew]

Just 1/10 lb. of Roasted Barley or Black Malt will do the trick for color, if that's what you're really looking for. Won't contribute hardly anything to the flavor, but it will darken it up enough.

 

[Brew2Be]

Hopping looks fine, Im assuming you're doing a 1 gallon batch? I'm drinking an amber right now that I find delicious, If I recall did a fwh with centennial, then I had 2.5 oz cent./cascade (for 6 gallon) spaced out in similar additions to you. I tried a hydro sample at two weeks and decided it needed another 1 oz dry hop. REally it depends on how hoppy you're looking for, if hoppy then I'd add another addition at 20 and check for dry hop or not after primary fermentation.

Careful how much chocolate you use, I did 3 oz roasted barley in my latest which made it 25 EBC and it's pushing brown unless you hold it right up to the light.

Sorry, I forgot to put the batch size, doh! Batch size is 6L so thats around 1.6 gallons. Thanks for the tips about the chocolate. Wouldn't it become IPA-Ish with both an addition at 20 and dry hopping?

 

[Odin_Brews]

Wouldn't it become IPA-Ish with both an addition at 20 and dry hopping?

meh, maybe

depends on your taste really. I just checked my actual notes and I used an oz at 10, 0.5@5 and 1 @0 then dry hop because I decided to based on the sample. THere's no right or wrong, what you have there will make a tasty beer Im sure. Let's face it, how much hops and when is pretty subjective. I have about double that amount in my IPA so the amber isn't at my IPA territory, but it may well be pushing it for someone else.

 

[Brew2Be]

meh, maybe

depends on your taste really. I just checked my actual notes and I used an oz at 10, 0.5@5 and 1 @0 then dry hop because I decided to based on the sample. THere's no right or wrong, what you have there will make a tasty beer Im sure. Let's face it, how much hops and when is pretty subjective. I have about double that amount in my IPA so the amber isn't at my IPA territory, but it may well be pushing it for someone else.

I get your point. Sometimes it annoys, but also delights me that beer is such a subjective matter he he he. Only way to know is to brew it I guess Thanks for taking the time to check your notes and to reply to my question