Quick Amber. Is it possible?

[bstacy1974]

I had a keg kick on me yesterday, but it's going to be another 4 weeks before my other keg, a lager, is ready. Poor planning (maybe a touch of laziness) on my part.
I'd like to go grain to glass in 2 weeks with some type of Amber.
This is the recipe I'm considering. I put it together with ingredients I have on hand. I don't really know what style this would fit into. Maybe a Bitter or American Ale.

6 lbsPale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM)
2 lbs 8.0 ozMunich Malt - 15L (15.0 SRM)
3.2 ozRoasted Barley (300.0 SRM)
1.9 ozBlack Barley (Stout) (500.0 SRM)
0.7 ozGalena [13.2%] - Boil 60 min
1.0 ozCascade [5.5%] - Boil 0 min
1 pkgsSafAle English Ale (DCL/Fermentis #S-04)

5.50 gallon batch. Mash at 150. Ferment at 65 for a week then force carb for a week.
OG should be around 1.042ish.
I'll plan on using gelatin to clarify.
Any suggestions or things I may be overlooking?

 

[doug293cz]

I had a keg kick on me yesterday, but it's going to be another 4 weeks before my other keg, a lager, is ready. Poor planning (maybe a touch of laziness) on my part.
I'd like to go grain to glass in 2 weeks with some type of Amber.
This is the recipe I'm considering. I put it together with ingredients I have on hand. I don't really know what style this would fit into. Maybe a Bitter or American Ale.

6 lbsPale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM)
2 lbs 8.0 ozMunich Malt - 15L (15.0 SRM)
3.2 ozRoasted Barley (300.0 SRM)
1.9 ozBlack Barley (Stout) (500.0 SRM)
0.7 ozGalena [13.2%] - Boil 60 min
1.0 ozCascade [5.5%] - Boil 0 min
1 pkgsSafAle English Ale (DCL/Fermentis #S-04)

5.50 gallon batch. Mash at 150. Ferment at 65 for a week then force carb for a week.
OG should be around 1.042ish.
I'll plan on using gelatin to clarify.
Any suggestions or things I may be overlooking?

You could keg as soon as you reach stable SG, and then force carbonate at room temp for about 3 days to allow a minimal amount of "aging." You could set the pressure at 50 psi (my kegs are rated for 100 psi) for about 24 - 36 hrs, and then drop back to 29 psi for the rest of the 3 days. 29 psi @ 70°F is equivalent carb level (2.5 vols) to 12 psi at 40°F. The 50 psi is an attempt to do what people do with 30 psi @ 40°F for accelerating carbonation. After 3 days, put the keg in the cooler. Disconnect from gas, and wait until keg is at serving temp before adding gelatin & reconnecting it at 12 psi. I see this as the best way to get the "least green" beer in two weeks.

Brew on

 

[boganll]

I had a keg kick on me yesterday, but it's going to be another 4 weeks before my other keg, a lager, is ready. Poor planning (maybe a touch of laziness) on my part.
I'd like to go grain to glass in 2 weeks with some type of Amber.
This is the recipe I'm considering. I put it together with ingredients I have on hand. I don't really know what style this would fit into. Maybe a Bitter or American Ale.

6 lbsPale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM)
2 lbs 8.0 ozMunich Malt - 15L (15.0 SRM)
3.2 ozRoasted Barley (300.0 SRM)
1.9 ozBlack Barley (Stout) (500.0 SRM)
0.7 ozGalena [13.2%] - Boil 60 min
1.0 ozCascade [5.5%] - Boil 0 min
1 pkgsSafAle English Ale (DCL/Fermentis #S-04)

5.50 gallon batch. Mash at 150. Ferment at 65 for a week then force carb for a week.
OG should be around 1.042ish.
I'll plan on using gelatin to clarify.
Any suggestions or things I may be overlooking?

Most beers (if handled properly) can go from grain to glass in a 2 or 3 weeks easily, but as homebrewers we have the leisure of taking things at whatever pace we like without needing to concern ourselves with how quickly we can get through the whole process.

That said, it all depends on how healthy your fermentation is. You're not going to attenuate fully and reach terminal gravity in a week without a proper pitching rate and a fresh, healthy yeast culture. Don't be lazy when preparing your starter!

As for carbonation, I'm always hesitant to crank pressure up super high for faster results as you risk over carbonating and/or ending up with carbonic bite. I've got a carbonation stone and a dedicated "brite tank" keg I use for carbonating that has a lengthened "gas in" tube with the stone on the end, a pressure release valve, and a slightly shortened dip tube for excluding fallout from transfers. I carbonate at around 35*F which with the stone can be done in a day or so if you constantly agitate the beer. Regardless of how you carbonate, if you're wanting to eliminate "green" flavors you'll need to let it sit at that low temperature for at least a week to allow as many solids to fall out as possible. I've never found a post-fermentation addition of gelatin or isinglass necessary.

I got the carbonation stone on amazon for 4 or 5 bucks and if you use ball lock kegs you've probably already got a pressure release valve. I use pin lock kegs so I had to buy a new lid with one added to it.

 

[Yooper]

Most beers are ready in 10 days or so. I'd probably use a more traditional amber recipe, without the black barley and roasted barley which can be harsh, and it should be easily drinkable in two weeks.

 

[bstacy1974]

Most beers are ready in 10 days or so. I'd probably use a more traditional amber recipe, without the black barley and roasted barley which can be harsh, and it should be easily drinkable in two weeks.

Thanks. I'll replace the roasted malts with Crystal 120. Should be able to brew this tonight.

 

[Yooper]

Thanks. I'll replace the roasted malts with Crystal 120. Should be able to brew this tonight.

If you want an American amber, I'd use more 40L and just a little 120L for color. The crystal really seems to help out with smoothness in an amber, but too much 120L is very raisiny and might need a bit more time than using 40L and 80L for the crystal malts.

 

[JKaranka]

Looks a bit like an American take on a mild! Another thing you can do is rack into cask when there are a couple of points left to ferment and not prime (or prime very lightly). You sort of get the knack of it.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

in my experience the longer the beer ages the better it is except for extremely hoppy beer. but I've also brewed and drank good beer in 7 days, fully carbed so it is possible, especially with that recipe. The thing to avoid is a medium to low Flocculation yeast like 05 or chico, it takes longer for that yeast to clean up than say Nottinham since it drops to the bottom very quick and ferments faster