Looking for thoughts on an American Amber Ale featuring Chinook hops

[jeramieb]

Looking for some feedback on this recipe. Basically I have a bunch of Chinook hops I need to use up. I'm looking at making an American Amber Ale featuring those Chinook hops.

I'm considering 2 different options with only a minor differnce. The first one is listed as Option 1 and the second listed below as Option 2. The only change is without the 10min hop addition. Any thoughts are appreciated.

I'm looking for any and all feedback you may have with this simple recipe, not just limited to the hops differences shown below.



****************
*** OPTION 1 ***
****************


GRAIN:
9 lbs Pale Malt (US 2 Row) Grain 1 75.0 %
2 lbs Crystal Malt - 60L Grain 2 16.7 %
1 lbs Crystal Malt - 40L Grain 3 8.3 %

HOPS:
0.50 oz Chinook - Boil 60.0 min Hop 22.8 IBUs
0.25 oz Chinook - Boil 30.0 min Hop 8.8 IBUs
0.25 oz Chinook - Boil 10.0 min Hop 4.1 IBUs
0.25 oz Chinook - Boil 5.0 min Hop 2.3 IBUs


YEAST:
California Ale (White Labs #WLP001)



Est OG: 1.059 SG
Est FG: 1.013 SG
Estimated AbV: 6.0 %
Bitterness: 38.0 IBUs
Est Color: 16.2 SRM

****************


and of course...


****************
*** OPTION 2 ***
****************

GRAIN:
9 lbs Pale Malt (US 2 Row) Grain 1 75.0 %
2 lbs Crystal Malt - 60L Grain 2 16.7 %
1 lbs Crystal Malt - 40L Grain 3 8.3 %

HOPS:
0.50 oz Chinook - Boil 60.0 min Hop 22.8 IBUs
0.25 oz Chinook - Boil 30.0 min Hop 8.8 IBUs
0.25 oz Chinook - Boil 5.0 min Hop 2.3 IBUs


YEAST:
California Ale (White Labs #WLP001)



Est OG: 1.059 SG
Est FG: 1.013 SG
Estimated AbV: 6.0 %
Bitterness: 33.8 IBUs
Est Color: 16.2 SRM

****************


Thanks.

 

[Yooper]

WAY too much crystal! 15% is an absolute max in an amber and only if you've got enough bittering to balance it. and instead of 60 and 40l, go with 1 pound of 40 or 60l and .25 pound of 120 or 90l to 'layer' the flavor.

 

[slym2none]

I'd move the 30-minute hops additions to 20 minutes.

Oh, and what Yooper said.

 

[jeramieb]

Something more like this Yooper?

GRAIN:
9 lbs Pale Malt (US 2 Row) Grain 87.8 %
1 lbs Crystal Malt - 60L Grain 9.8 %
0.25 lbs Caramel Malt - 120L Grain 2.4 %

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Hop heaven where Ive gotten some hops.Told me one of his favorite recipes is 1 oz per gallon all chinook at flameout.Wish I could remember the grain bill. Lots of people say they don't care for the bittering addition of chinook..Subscribed as I have a pound Im trying to figure out what to do with

 

[jeramieb]

Subscribed as I have a pound Im trying to figure out what to do with

I'm in the same boat. I'm tempted to just start throwing different recipes at it until I find something that sticks

 

[jeramieb]

Still too much here?

10 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row)
1.5 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L
.25 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 120L
0.50 oz Chinook - Boil 60.0 min
0.25 oz Chinook - Boil 30.0 min
0.25 oz Chinook - Boil 10.0 min
0.25 oz Chinook - Boil 5.0 min

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

I plan on doing an American Amber Ale as my next (4th ever) so I am very curious as to what people say about your plan. Yours and mine differ in that I am using Centennial for bittering and flavor additions and then Chinook for dry hop. I am doing a partial mash with Munich and 5% Carapils for mouthfeel and head retention. I tossed in a pinch of black malt to red it up a bit.

 

[rlmiller10]

Go look at Yoopers House Ale but use Chinook for the hops. That makes one of my favorite beers.

 

[beergolf]

I do one that I like.

iT is similar to your recipe.

I use
8lb 2-row
2 lb Munich
12 oz C40
12 oz C 80

Replacing a couple of lbs of 2-row with Munich adds a nice touch.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Just because I love Yoopers 60 min,color mouthfeel,Everything.I think I may just do a simple grain bill.I might keep the warrior @60 and go all chinook.Maybe dryhop with a chinook/cascade mix..What to do
What to do

13 Pounds 2-row (US)
6 ounces Thomas Fawcett amber malt.

.75 Warrior hops 16.4% AA (60 minutes) SEE NOTES ON HOPPING!
.50 Amarillo Gold 8.5% (35 minutes)
.50 Simcoe 12% (30 minutes)
.50 Simcoe 12% Dry hop
1.00 Amarillo Gold Dry hop
Irish Moss ( 1 tsp with 15 minutes left in the boil)

60 minute recipe.

 

[Yooper]

Still too much here?

10 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row)
1.5 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L
.25 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 120L
0.50 oz Chinook - Boil 60.0 min
0.25 oz Chinook - Boil 30.0 min
0.25 oz Chinook - Boil 10.0 min
0.25 oz Chinook - Boil 5.0 min

You're at 15% crystal there, and you do have some bittering that might make it work. What are the IBUs and your projected SG? If you're going to go with that much crystal malt, you will want to have a pretty high IBU/SG ratio, like .800 or more.

.25 ounce of chinook is not much. If you're looking for hops flavor and aroma, you'll want to increase those but you can take out the 30 minute hops and add those to either the 10 or 5 minute additions to increase those.

Beer is all about balance, that's why it's important to know your percentages of the grain and the IBUs and the SG. Two pounds of crystal may not be much in a 1.090 OG batch, but it's way way too much in a 1.040 beer, so that's why the percentages are looked at in a recipe, if that makes sense.

 

[jeramieb]

Thanks for all the feedback Yooper, it is much appreciated!

After all the feedback and some reading I have moved to something I hope works better. This is what I have as of right now...

*************

9 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
1.25 lbs Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM)
0.25 lbs Special B Malt (180.0 SRM)
0.5 oz Chinook - Boil 60 min
0.2 oz Chinook - Boil 30 min
0.5 oz Chinook - Boil 5 min

California Ale (White Labs #WLP001)

Color: 13.6 SRM
Bitterness: 38.0 IBUs
Est OG: 1.051
Est FG: 1.010
ABV: 5.5%

*************


I've seen mention on Munich adding a little something that works out nicely. Is this something I should be considering?

 

[rhys333]

I like to do around 12% crystal and 30 - 35 IBUs. My recipe uses all C80, which comes across complex and raisiny without being sweet. I also like to add around 5% melanoidin, but aromatic could work well too.

AMBER ALE
78% MO
12% C75
5% Wheat
5% Melanoidin

I usually go with centennial at 10 & 0, but Chinook sounds interesting and I might try that next time.

 

[rhys333]

Thanks for all the feedback Yooper, it is much appreciated!

After all the feedback and some reading I have moved to something I hope works better. This is what I have as of right now...

*************

9 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
1.25 lbs Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM)
0.25 lbs Special B Malt (180.0 SRM)
0.5 oz Chinook - Boil 60 min
0.2 oz Chinook - Boil 30 min
0.5 oz Chinook - Boil 5 min

California Ale (White Labs #WLP001)

Color: 13.6 SRM
Bitterness: 38.0 IBUs
Est OG: 1.051
Est FG: 1.010
ABV: 5.5%

*************


I've seen mention on Munich adding a little something that works out nicely. Is this something I should be considering?

I agree with Yooper on moving the 30 minute chinook to 10 and 0. I would at least double those late addition amounts too.

 

[npray]

I recently made an amber that came out great.
10lbs 2 row
12oz special b
With all summit in the hop bill