My first recipe - American Amber Ale

[Will_the-new-brewer]

So, I've recently hit my one year mark in homebrewing and want to try my hand at building a recipe. I use an AG kit recipe as a starting point, but I'd like to get some feedback on what I have so far.

First...this will be for a summer BBQ on the beach so looking for something easy to drink (light and refreshing).

10 lb.........Pale Malt
1.5 lbs.......Crystal 15
1.0 lb........Crystal 60
0.8 oz.......Magnum (60 min)
1.0 oz.......Willamette (5 min)
1.0 oz.......Willamette (1 min)
US05 or 1056 for yeast (haven't decided yet)

to get this up to 11 SRM, I added the Crystal 15...was afraid to add much more Crystal 60.

Thanks ahead of time for the feedback.

 

[RPh_Guy]

As a general suggestion I'd say don't get too caught up on color. Try to get the right flavor instead.
In other words, that may be too much crystal. I've never used that much.

What's the IBU?

I brewed a beer very similar to this with some smoked malt:

1 gallon:
1.62lb (78.6%) Briess 2-row malt
0.28lb (13.6%) Briess Crystal 60L malt
0.16lb (7.8%) Briess Cherrywood Smoked malt

Magnum @ 30 min
4.25g Willamette @ 15 min
5.67g Willamette @ 1 min
(30 IBU)

US-05 yeast
OG 1.053
FG 1.011

Flavor was good; I'd brew it again.

 

[morbster]

I agree on dropping the crystal down a bit to around a max of 15% of your grain bill for them.

 

[FatDragon]

I'm on the "too much crystal" team here. I'd drop the C15 by half to three quarters of a pound. Too much is going to make the beer overly sweet and cloying, which is not particularly compatible with the light and refreshing goal you've set. An ounce or two of roasted barley in the sparge would give you a decent color contribution to get into the amber range without a significant flavor contribution. What temp are you intending to mash at?

 

[HTH1975]

If you halved your crystal malt additions, that would still give 6.7% C15 and 4.4% C60. That’s still a good chunk of crystal malts in a small’ish beer. I’d say that’s the upper limit for the beer you’re making.

I’d leave out the C60 and use Amber malt along with C15 innthe percentages above.

 

[HTH1975]

.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

You could cut the crystal 15 completely and replace it with a smaller amount of a darker crystal. Crystal 15 will give body, sweetness and caramel, which doesn't really suit beachy easy drinking. Replacing it with about 5oz of 120L crystal means you're reducing the sweetness, keeping the colour (or somewhere close) and introducing some mild dark-fruit flavours that work well in amber ales.

 

[Will_the-new-brewer]

What's the IBU?

Sitting at 48 (BeerSmith), but I'd prefer it in the 30s.

 

[Will_the-new-brewer]

What temp are you intending to mash at?

154F

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Hops first: I like the combination of Magnum (bittering) and Willamette (late addition).

As for the malt bill, I'll agree with @RPh_Guy: build the recipe for the flavor that you want, then add appropriate coloring malts to get the color you want.

Mosher's "Mastering Homebrew" talks about 'flavor blocks' - building a desired flavor from combinations of specialty malts. Individual crystal/caramel malts are an option for getting those desired flavors with a single malt. My experience with crystal/caramel malts (of the same color range) is that the flavors vary between the maltsters. If you choose to go down the C120 path, I find that I get 'burnt grains' flavors with some crystal malts.

Crystal 60, with just enough debittered black malt to adjust the color, is always an interesting option. Clone recipes for Full Sail Amber Ale use a blend of C80 and Chocolate Malt. @FatDragon mentioned using Roasted Barley and this would be an interesting variation as well.

I'm surprised that someone from "team Cara-Red" hasn't show up yet (too busy brewing great amber ales?!? ). Simplified Amber is an example recipe. Waldo Lake Amber uses the same grain bill, but different hops (Cascasde/Magnum for bittering and Amarillo at flame-out).

 

[Will_the-new-brewer]

Thanks all...seems like consensus is too much crystal. I dropped the C15 and lowered the C60. IBUs are at 39.

10 lb.........Pale Malt
0.75 lb......Crystal 60
0.8 oz.......Magnum (60 min)
1.0 oz.......Willamette (5 min)
1.0 oz.......Willamette (1 min)
US05 or 1056 for yeast (haven't decided yet)

Because this is my first real recipe, I am still trying to figure out what malt puts out what flavor and how much it puts out.

 

[morbster]

What are your expected OG and FG?

Personally, I think your IBUs are in a good spot, but feel free to drop closer to half an ounce of magnum to get lower. In my experience sharing beer at gatherings, bitterness has been the only factor that turns people off (nothing about color, ABV, grain bill, or even carbonation). Then again, I’m brewing for some very casual beer drinkers.

 

[mongoose33]

Thanks all...seems like consensus is too much crystal. I dropped the C15 and lowered the C60. IBUs are at 39.

10 lb.........Pale Malt
0.75 lb......Crystal 60
0.8 oz.......Magnum (60 min)
1.0 oz.......Willamette (5 min)
1.0 oz.......Willamette (1 min)
US05 or 1056 for yeast (haven't decided yet)

Because this is my first real recipe, I am still trying to figure out what malt puts out what flavor and how much it puts out.

My amber recipe is somewhat different.....

9.5# Maris Otter
.5# Munich
.75# Crystal 40
.25# Crystal 120

Horizon .5oz 60 minutes 11.5 aa
Amarillo .25oz 10 minutes 7.0 aa
Centennial .25oz 10 minutes 9.3 aa
Amarillo .25oz 0 minutes 7.0 aa
Centennial .25oz 0 minutes 9.3 aa

WLP001 in a starter (Same strain as US05). I note the alpha acids for the hops as well, though the late additions won't matter that much in terms of bitterness.

I concur with everyone above, too much crystal in yours.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

Your recipe looks quite good now, but is more like a pale ale than an Amber Ale. If that's what you want, then leave it as it is - it should be quite tasty. IMO, for an amber ale, you've dropped the crystal too far (others will probably disagree). The best ambers I've brewed have all had 10 to 15% crystal. A blend of different colours gives some complexety. Also, 39IBU is at the high end for an Amber - again, that's OK if it's what you want (it's your beer) but will give a beer that drinks more like an APA. It looks like your OG is going to be at the high end as well (maybe 1.055ish, but without knowing your efficiency), which doesn't quite match with an easy drinking beach barbecue beer. Again, if higher OG and alcohol is what you're looking for, then leave it as is.

 

[morbster]

I don't disagree with @Gnomebrewer's assessment. The original grain bill had 20% crystal malt, which seems too high; I agree that 10-15% is a good target range.

I don't have it on me at the moment, but Brewing Classic Styles is always a good starting point for my recipes that I want to craft. According to the internet, the American Amber Ale has the following stats:

- 25.2 IBUs
- 13.1 SRM
- 5.9% ABV (1.060 OG, 1.014 FG)

Grain Bill:
- 77% Maris Otter
- 8% Munich Malt
- 6% Crystal 40L
- 4% Crystal 120L
- 4% Victory Malt

 

[Will_the-new-brewer]

which doesn't quite match with an easy drinking beach barbecue beer. .

I thought of doing a blonde first to meet this intent, but I haven't brewed any blondes as kits...not sure I want to try developing a recipe for it. I guess I would look there too.

I will probably end up developing two recipes and decided before brew day. I still have a couple of months.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

According to the internet ...

 

[morbster]

Finally found my book this evening. Here are the specs for the amber ale in Brewing Classic Styles (it is somewhat close to the recipe mongoose shared above). I hope this will help give you a starting point for a solid beer. Good luck!

Batch size: 5 gal
1.052 OG
1.013 FG
35 IBU
13 SRM

Grain Bill
9.25# British pale malt
1# Munich malt
.75# crystal 40L
.5# crystal 120L
.5# victory malt

Mash at 154F

Hop Schedule
.6oz Horizon (13% AA) - 60 min
.25oz Cascade (6% AA) - 10 min
.25oz Centennial (9% AA) - 10 min
.25oz Cascade (6% AA) - 0 min
.25oz Centennial (9% AA) - 0 min

Yeast
WLP001, 1056, or US05

 

[z-bob]

Thanks all...seems like consensus is too much crystal. I dropped the C15 and lowered the C60. IBUs are at 39.

10 lb.........Pale Malt
0.75 lb......Crystal 60
0.8 oz.......Magnum (60 min)
1.0 oz.......Willamette (5 min)
1.0 oz.......Willamette (1 min)
US05 or 1056 for yeast (haven't decided yet)

Because this is my first real recipe, I am still trying to figure out what malt puts out what flavor and how much it puts out.

I have no idea whether that's a proper Amber or not, but it looks like a good drinkable beer. IBU's might be just a little high.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

For those that don't like the resinous (piney or 'sticky') or citrusy aspects of classic "C" hops, Willamette is likely to be a good choice. The above recipe (with Willamette hops) probably wouldn't score well as a 2015 BJCP American Amber Ale, but I agree with @z-bob, it looks like a good beer.

 

[RPh_Guy]

For those that don't like the resinous (piney or 'sticky') or citrusy aspects of classic "C" hops, Willamette is likely to be a good choice. The above recipe (with Willamette hops) probably wouldn't score well as a 2015 BJCP American Amber Ale, but I agree with @z-bob, it looks like a good beer.

I've never competed but I don't see a problem.

From BJCP:
"Low to moderate hop aroma with characteristics typical of American or New World hop varieties (citrus, floral, pine, resinous, spicy, tropical fruit, stone fruit, berry, or melon). A citrusy hop character is common, but not required."

Willamette: fruity, spicy, herbal, floral.

Would judges find "herbal" off style and tank the score? That's one reason I don't compete.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

... The above recipe (with Willamette hops) probably wouldn't score well as a 2015 BJCP American Amber Ale. ...

I've never competed but I don't see a problem.

From BJCP:
"Low to moderate hop aroma with characteristics typical of American or New World hop varieties (citrus, floral, pine, resinous, spicy, tropical fruit, stone fruit, berry, or melon). A citrusy hop character is common, but not required."

Willamette: fruity, spicy, herbal, floral.

Would judges find "herbal" off style and tank the score? That's one reason I don't compete.

I see you point. The judges I know would not "tank the score" over herbal. Beyond that, my use of 'score well' is loose enough to support a number of opinions as to how it might progress to mini-BOS and/or best of show.

That being said, the recipe still reads like an Amber Ale that I would enjoy.