1st recipe + 1st late addition try

[jauntyjoe]

Hi everyone!

I am fairly new to brewing, I only have about 5 batches under my belt. So far, I have used recipes from my LHBS, and one I found online. My last brew I modified the scotch ale recipe from my LHBS a little, and I'm eagerly awaiting bottling (gravity samples tasted excellent!)! This time, after much consideration regarding late addition, I decided to try it out with my first attempt at creating a recipe. I am hoping for a maple amber ~5.5abv, low but noticeable hops.

Here goes:

7lbs Amber LME
1lb Crystal 40L
8oz Crystal 60L
4oz Biscuit Malt
32oz Grade B Maple Syrup (16 at end of boil, 16 at bottling)
2oz Cascade hops total
Irish moss / gypsum
Wyeast London or American Smack Pack (Can't remember numbers offhand)


Steep the crystal 40, 60, and biscuit malts @ 155 for 30minutes. Pull out bag, rinse with 1gal 170 degree water, bring to boil, add 1oz cascade @60min. Add 7lbs Amber LME @ 15min. Add 1oz Cascade and 16oz Maple Syrup @ 2 minutes. Chill wort, add to water in primary fermenter, pitch yeast @ 75degrees. Leave in primary for 14 days, secondary for 7 days. Then, bottle with 3/4cup corn syrup and 16oz of maple syrup.

What do you guys think? I've never used maple syrup before either, did a little reading on it.

 

[yancydc]

I'd cut the crystal way down 1) since Amber LME already has crystal in it, and 2) 1.5 total lbs of crystal is a lot even with pale extract. You also won't get much hop flavor with a 2 minute addition, especially with all the sweetness you have going on.

Also, maple syrup is fermentable, so if you bottle with corn syrup AND maple syrup, you'll have some bombs on your hand.

I'd cut down on the crystal, move the second hop addition to 15, and pick a syrup for bottling.

 

[jauntyjoe]

Thanks for the response! I didn't know Amber LME had crystal in it >< Should have figured