American Amber Ale Much Better Amber Ale

[msa8967]

I've thought about trying this with boosting a hops a bit and dry-hopping. Anyone ever dry-hopped this with some cascade?

I currently have this hoppier on tap and it came out just a bit thin for my wife's taste. I did use some cascade to dry hop in the keg but had to add some dissolved malto-dextrine powder to increase the body.

 

[Clonefan94]

I currently have this hoppier on tap and it came out just a bit thin for my wife's taste. I did use some cascade to dry hop in the keg but had to add some dissolved malto-dextrine powder to increase the body.

I just noticed on my recipe, I forgot to put in the 8 oz of Carapils I always put in this recipe as well. (don't know why I missed it copied it from Beersmith, probably why I didn't do well in school)

Anyways, Yeah, I noticed your recipe could come out a little thin. It looked like you actually reduced the caramel malts. I always add a little carapils to every recipe. Definitely helps with head, which probably adds a little to the body as well.

I think next time, I might do everything the same, only add 1oz. Cascade at 10, 1 oz of Cascade at 5 and then dry hop with another ounce of Cascade and see how that turns out. I definitely don't want to overdue this and turn it into an IPA, but I am interested to see what the hop boost does to this recipe. I think if I keep the malts the same, maybe push the mash to 156 or so, it might go well with the little extra hop boost.

Don't get me wrong though. even if I boost this, the regular will still be on tap. I find myself comparing this to every Amber I have now. I have yet to find one I enjoy as much as this. In fact, just poured another one.

 

[millie]

Im tring this one. What do ya ll think about adding peaches to seconday after primary? Im thinkin 7 days primary and 14 days secondary. Feedback would be very helpful. Thxs fellow brewers!!

 

[nexy_sm]

Can I substitute amber malt with biscuit or abbey malt from castle malting? Castle malting is the only brand I can purchase.

 

[msa8967]

Can I substitute amber malt with biscuit or abbey malt from castle malting? Castle malting is the only brand I can purchase.

The amber malt is going to be a bit darker and stronger tasting than biscuit but I think it would be fine to try. I sometimes just leave the amber out if I don't have any. I am not sure about abbey malt since I have not used it but I would love to hear of your results once this is done.

 

[Likefully]

Can I substitute amber malt with biscuit or abbey malt from castle malting? Castle malting is the only brand I can purchase.

I have subbed the Amber with Biscuit and it comes out really really ... really good.

 

[msa8967]

I have made two batches in which i slightly adapted the original recipe and both have been awesome.

I have just bottled the third batch, but instead of using crystal malt I used Munich (supply issues). Also I replaced the half the biscuit malt with Melanoidin Malt (supply issues too). The mash was long and thin (long story) before doing a hotter sparge.

I am not entirely sure if this still qualifies as an american amber, but it is so ridiculously nice I had to share it!

I made this with your substitutions and brought it to a party. After 4 hours the 5 gallon keg was drained. I got the compliment that I brew pretty good for a yankee.

 

[Likefully]

Anyone brewed this with S 04? I wonder if its worth trying to get a more malty flavour ... not that recipe really needs any tweaking!

 

[msa8967]

I have not tried using s-04 but I would love to know how this affects the outcome. Recently I made this again where I added 4 oz of aromatic malt to help bring out the malt flavor. I also added 2 oz of black patent malt to increase the SRM and it has a stronger amber color. I'll repost the results in 6 weeks.

 

[Likefully]

I have not tried using s-04 but I would love to know how this affects the outcome. Recently I made this again where I added 4 oz of aromatic malt to help bring out the malt flavor. I also added 2 oz of black patent malt to increase the SRM and it has a stronger amber color. I'll repost the results in 6 weeks.

I am surprised this thread has gone so quiet!

I made a beer that is similar to the original recipe on this thread, but is definitely different - pale malt, carmunich, crystal, (a lot of) biscuit, malenoidon. I mash hopped with some South African hops and late hopped with Amarillo and Chinook.

The end result is very drinkable, although it probably should have been hopped a bit more.

Anyway - the point is I split the batch and used S04 in one fermenter and S05 in the other.

The S04 has come out a bit sweeter and the hop flavour tends to come on quite late and linger around a bit at the end. The S05 version is not particularly dry, but definitely drier and the hop flavour is upfront and doesn't linger (not as much). So the S04 lets you taste the malt before the hops arrive, whereas with the S05 the balance is there all the way.

It is not an in your face kind of difference but I definitely prefer the S05 version. The S04 version is a full 1% ABV lighter than the S05 (which is 7%)....the grain bill was generous.

I tried the same thing with an american brown ale, to which I added honey to try get the OG up. I don't think I boiled it for long enough as both batches ended up at 6.4% - which i thought was strange given that I got such different results with the AAA. With this style I can't really decide which I prefer, although I think the S04 would not be judged well at a BJCP event if entered as an american (or english) brown ale, whereas I think the S05 version would probably do quite well. The difference with this batch is similar as to what i describe above, but I think S04 works better with a darker beer than it does with the amber.

 

[msa8967]

I am planning on doing the original recipe again in the fall but this time I am going to use cascade hops that I have grown for the aroma additions and I will some for dry-hopping to try to make this into more of a harvest ale. This has been popular enough with my friends that I now include the grains for this recipe to give away with equipment I sell that help brewers get into all grain brewing.

 

[nutty_gnome]

I now include the grains for this recipe to give away with equipment I sell that help brewers get into all grain brewing.

What recipe did you decide on? I understand that the recipe has been through a few iterations. I liked the version I brewed based on one of your iterations a few years back and am thinking of doing another.

 

[msa8967]

What recipe did you decide on? I understand that the recipe has been through a few iterations. I liked the version I brewed based on one of your iterations a few years back and am thinking of doing another.

I am going to slightly alter my original recipe.

7 lbs 2-Row Brewers Malt
2 lbs Munich
2 lbs Vienna
1.5 lbs Crystal 60L
4 oz Amber Malt (optional if you want to add a bisquit flavor and darker color)
1.0 oz Centennial ( first wort hop prior to 60 min)
0.5 oz Cascade (10 min)
0.5 oz Cascade (5 min)
1 oz home grown Cascade hops for dry hopping 7 days
Wyeast 1056 American Ale yeast or US-05 dry yeast

 

[MarkZ56]

I do believe this will be the first all grain recipe I attempt!

 

[msa8967]

I do believe this will be the first all grain recipe I attempt!

It was my first all grain recipe that I had created on my own. My wife thought it was "much better" than doing past kits of extract or all grain. Hence the name of the recipe. Hope your first all grain brew goes well.