Brew Advice

[Mark Kessell]

the next WellyBC is imperial style beers, i'm going for an American Amber Ale as the base style. and not having brewed one before, not 100% sure how to tie it all together.

style is a mix of malt and hop flavours, balanced to the malt side of things.
any advice on the recipe appriciated.

btw - i'm after a full bodied, toffee malt flavour (not 100% sure which malt to use for that), with a light citrus flavour, and a nice piney/grassy aroma.

this is what i have so far:

Type: All Grain

Batch Size: 20.00 L

Boil Size: 28 L

Boil Time: 60 min

Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0

Amount	Item	Type	% or IBU
6.00 kg	.Pale Malt, Maris Otter (Bairds) (3.2 SRM)	Grain	80.00 %
0.50 kg	.Amber Malt (Bairds) (43.1 SRM)	Grain	6.67 %
0.50 kg	.Cara Malt (Bairds) (17.8 SRM)	Grain	6.67 %
0.50 kg	.Crystal, Medium (Bairds) (76.1 SRM)	Grain	6.67 %
20.00 gm	.Rakau [10.50 %] (60 min)	Hops	21.7 IBU
50.00 gm	Simcoe [13.00 %] (Dry Hop 4 days)	Hops	-
30.00 gm	.Motueka [7.80 %] (Dry Hop 4 days)	Hops	-
25.00 gm	.Motueka [7.80 %] (20 min)	Hops	12.2 IBU
30.00 gm	.Rakau [10.50 %] (20 min)	Hops	19.7 IBU
25.00 gm	.Amarillo [8.40 %] (10 min)	Hops	7.9 IBU
25.00 gm	.Motueka [7.80 %] (10 min)	Hops	7.3 IBU
25.00 gm	.Amarillo [8.40 %] (0 min)	Hops	-
25.00 gm	Simcoe [13.00 %] (0 min)	Hops	-

Est Original Gravity: 1.075 SG	Measured Original Gravity: 0.000 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.019 SG	Measured Final Gravity: 0.000 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 7.33 %	Actual Alcohol by Vol: 0.00 %
Bitterness: 68.8 IBU	Calories: 0 cal/l

Mash Name: Single Infusion, Full Body	Total Grain Weight: 7.50 kg
Sparge Water: 0.00 L	Grain Temperature: 22.2 C
Sparge Temperature: 75.6 C	TunTemperature: 22.2 C
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE	Mash PH: 5.4 PH
Single Infusion, Full Body Step Time Name Description Step Temp 45 min Mash In Add 18.75 L of water at 72.7 C 66.0 C 10 min Fly Sparge Add 18.50 L of water at 74.7 C 70.0 C

[Mark Kessell]

like i said. this is why i'm here.
i use the internet recipes as a base and work forward from there.

given the 7.5kg grist i have planned, i'll drop my speccies to 10% and work from there. i'll work along the lines of:
90% MO
5% caramalt
3% medium crystal
2% Thomas Fawcett (heard lots of good things about it, or might mix 1% this with 1% dark crystal for a more mixed flavour base)

i still gotta go over the reading on the american hops.

[JoKing]

Malts like Munich, Victory, Buscuit, Special Roast etc aren't Crystal.

That first recipe has 11% crystal in it, the 2nd one has about 13% and the last one has 10% in it.

Out of those 3, I'd brew the last one (Jamil's one) as this one has won more awards in home brew comps than you've had cold beers.

To imperialise it, I wouldn't even bother upping the percentages. Just up the base malt to give you the SG that you want, and up the bittering addition to counter your higher FG... and if you feel like it add a bit more late hop to couter the additional alcohol flavour.

[Mike Neilson]

Buscuit?

That has to be a Kiwi Malt that one!!! Is it Beached with the Whale bro? Just Having you on!!!

[Mark]

I'm brewing one of these this weekend, so am thinking a lot about the recipe too. Personally I can't stand Bairds amber malt, at least in anything other than tiny quantities, it's got a really intense flavour. I'll be using crystal malts, possibly a good dose of TF dark crystal.

Southern Cross and (the often overlooked) Pacific Jade are good kiwi bittering hops. Personally I love Pacific Jade, it's high alpha, gives loads of citrus, is cheap, has low cohumulone levels and can be used throughout the boil. Dunno why no one seems to use it much.

[Matthew]

Maybe we should switch the WBC to Imperial Amber. This is the style my mind had wandered towards as well...

I've just switched to Pacific Jade for bittering. Loved it. Nice clean bitterness.

[Reviled]

Good point, ive never used Pacific Jade, maybe I should give it a shot, I know its cheap as chips!

[Mark Kessell]

Jade is good. 13 AA, and 24% cohumulone of AA's.
it's a very strong, yet not over powering bitterness.

i use a lot in PA's, IPA's...

[Mark]

It goes really well with Riwaka and Mot, not sure how it sits with the American varieties.

Maybe I should've kept my mouth shut, if demand pushes price up I'll be forced to use Sticklebract!

[James P]

You'll be making Canterbury Draught in no time with Pac Jade, add a little Pac Gem and you're set! :)

[Mark Kessell]

WASH YOUR MOUTH!!!!

[Mike Neilson]

Hey Steph training wheels had a shed load of Pacific Jade in it and all at the end of the Boil, it was one of the major flavours along with Motueka, all the other hops were back up's for it!!