looking for a few good amber ales

[Knittycat]

My hubby is not a big beer drinker. So when he put in a request, I was all over it. He wants a good German (preferably Austrian, the snob) amber ale. He rather disdains ales from England and the Isles, but that seems to be about all I can find in kit form (except for one from midwest, which I intend to order).
He says he likes Fischer's, but I can't find it anywhere within a 50 mile radius of me. I'd really like to try it so I can make some comparisons, does anybody know of some comparable commercial brews? Is there a clone recipe out there somewhere?
Thank you in advance!

 

[flars]

You may have the best chance of finding selections of amber ales from internet stores. Check out their online stock and then look for clone recipes.

Won't work though if Texas does not allow shipments of beer via online purchases.

 

[flars]

Had some time. Found this site of online stores and can ship to states/cannot ship to states. List may be out of date. Query the seller if TX is listed or not listed for shipping.

 

[JPrather]

Here's a dark horse pick: Brew an altbier! Pretty much all of the traditional styles in Germany/Austria are lagers, so that's what you'll find most of out there in kit form.

Both the Northern Brewer and Midwest Alt kits seem to get good reviews, and that's the closest you'll find to a true "Amber Ale" in kit form that part of the world. Think somewhere in between an Oktoberfest and a clean Pale Ale tastewise (roughly).

Of course, if you can brew a lager, that might be what you're really looking for here, an Oktoberfest or Vienna Lager for example.

A third option (if you can't lager) is to brew something like an Oktoberfest with a clean ale yeast. A lot of home brew stores sell "Mocktoberfest" beers like that, or you can just use something like US-05 with any Oktoberfest kit. Good luck!

 

[Darth_Beer]

How does this one look to your hubby? My amber is the one on the left, compared to Mirrorpond ale

 

[Knittycat]

Flars, thanks for looking that up. I'm not seeing s link though. Maybe that's because I'm on my friends phone though. I'll have to make a trip to the library.
Jprather, I suggested an altbier and it's already on the list. He is, however, definitely looking for an Amber ale. He worked for a fancy shmancy liquor store years ago, he knows what he's after.
Darth beer, he thinks your beer looks great!

 

[JPrather]

He is, however, definitely looking for an Amber ale. He worked for a fancy shmancy liquor store years ago, he knows what he's after.

Well, (and please don't take this with any disrespect) I'm not sure that he does. He says he's after a German/Austrian Amber Ale, and such a thing doesn't really exist as a style. He says he likes "Fischer's", which is neither German, Austrian, or an Ale (it's a French Lager).

Fischer's is, as far as I can tell, considered either a "Euro Dark Lager" or a "Vienna Lager" depending on where you look. I couldn't find any specifics on the recipe, however. Reading reviews it sounds a little too "caramelly" for a true Vienna Lager.

If you actually want an "Amber Ale", an Altbier is as close as you're going to get for a "German/Austrian" style. But I suspect he really wants a Vienna Lager/Oktoberfest type beer.

So, if you're capable of fermenting at lager temps, I really think that's your best bet. If not, my earlier suggestion of an Oktoberfest/Marzen beer brewed with an Ale yeast sounds like the way to go.

One other thing: The only reason I'm speaking in terms of known styles is that you seem to be looking for pre-made kits, which tend to be restricted to known styles. It's entirely possible to make a "German Amber Ale" by making an Amber Ale with German ingredients, etc., but that requires you putting together your own recipe.

FWIW, places like Brewmasters Warehouse allow you to put together any recipe you want on their site and purchase it, so that kind of thing is always an option. You could take any recipe from the recipe section of this site, and buy it from them, with any changes you want to make (like swapping out a lager yeast for an ale yeast, etc.).

For example: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f63/biermunchers-oktoberfast-ale-ag-39021/

Hope some of that is useful!

 

[Knittycat]

Ah well, he's a goober I suppose. I'm only going on what he's tellin' me anyhow. I like a good doppelbock or imperial stout any day of the week. He's so freaking picky, sometimes it's like he's 3! LOL
Thank you for your help though! I am indeed looking for kits for the time being. I've got a cream stout brewing, it's only my second brew (my first brew was an unmitigated disaster of my own making, so this will be the first beer I've made myself that I can actually drink. As an aside, always make sure your valves are in the 'off' position unless you feel like polishing your floor with beer. I suppose that should be common knowledge...)
I made mead several years ago, and I'm kicking myself for getting rid of that carboy when I moved.

 

[Darth_Beer]

Knittycat, here is my recipe... https://www.brewtoad.com/recipes/ambition-amber-ale-1

 

[jtratcliff]

I've made Kaiser's Dusseldorfer Alt from the recipe section here... Very tasty. And approved as authentic tasting by German house guests who were from near Dusseldorf.

 

[Weezy]

1. Buy a local craft beer of the right color,
2. Buy a German beer with a foil label and German writing that we can't read,
3. Remove labels by soaking in soapy water, careful not to damage the foil German label,
4. Glue German label to local craft beer,
5. Profit

:rockin:


Maybe try Negra Modelo? It's a Mexican beer but arguably the best example of a Vienna Lager out there.

 

[how1]

How about an Octoberfest? They are fairly popular. I love hoppy amber ales....like Jamil's West Coast Hop Blaster or Yooper"s Hoppy Amber. Of course, an Octoberfest is not an Ale.

 

[how1]

But Octoberfest is not an Ale

 

[jtratcliff]

Of course, an Octoberfest is not an Ale.

But Biermuncher's OktoberFAST *is* an ale!

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f63/biermunchers-oktoberfast-ale-ag-39021/