Thoughts on recipe

[Tarks]

I have 18 AG brews under my belt and I decided I should try creating my own recipe. I brewed this amber ale up today, what are your thoughts? I tried to keep it simple.

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 7.77 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.98 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.053 SG
Estimated Color: 12.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 29.7 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 81.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 84.7 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
8 lbs Malteurop American 2-Row Pale Malt (2.4 Grain 1 77.1 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 2 14.5 %
12.0 oz Crystal Dark - 77L (Crisp) (75.0 SRM) Grain 3 7.2 %
2.0 oz Chocolate Pale (250.0 SRM) Grain 4 1.2 %
0.50 oz Chinook [13.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 23.6 IBUs
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 6 6.1 IBUs
1.00 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 7 0.0 IBUs
1.0 pkg SafAle English Ale (DCL/Fermentis #S-04) Yeast 8 -


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, No Mash Out
Total Grain Weight: 10 lbs 6.0 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 13.97 qt of water at 164.4 F 150.0 F 60 min

Sparge: Fly sparge with 5.78 gal water at 168.0 F

 

[BigEd]

I have 18 AG brews under my belt and I decided I should try creating my own recipe. I brewed this amber ale up today, what are your thoughts? I tried to keep it simple.

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 7.77 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.98 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.053 SG
Estimated Color: 12.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 29.7 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 81.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 84.7 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
8 lbs Malteurop American 2-Row Pale Malt (2.4 Grain 1 77.1 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 2 14.5 %
12.0 oz Crystal Dark - 77L (Crisp) (75.0 SRM) Grain 3 7.2 %
2.0 oz Chocolate Pale (250.0 SRM) Grain 4 1.2 %
0.50 oz Chinook [13.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 23.6 IBUs
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 6 6.1 IBUs
1.00 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 7 0.0 IBUs
1.0 pkg SafAle English Ale (DCL/Fermentis #S-04) Yeast 8 -


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, No Mash Out
Total Grain Weight: 10 lbs 6.0 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 13.97 qt of water at 164.4 F 150.0 F 60 min

Sparge: Fly sparge with 5.78 gal water at 168.0 F

I would suggest simplifying even further. That seems like way too much crystal malt (almost 22%) to me and may wind up under-attenuated, flabby and too sweet. I do admit I'm neither an amber brewer or drinker but you are also on the high end of IBUs. I'd suggest using some darker base malt in the mix, German 10L Munich, cut out the 10L crystal, cut back on the 77L crystal and drop the chocolate back to one ounce.

75% pale
20% German Munich 10L
5% Crystal 77L
1 ounce chocolate malt

 

[Yooper]

I would suggest simplifying even further. That seems like way too much crystal malt (almost 22%) to me and may wind up under-attenuated, flabby and too sweet.

A very good amber can be made with up to 15% crystal malt, but I agree that this recipe has too much. I like the "layered" crystal malts with some dark and light crystal as that gives depth to the flavor, but the quantity is too much.

 

[Tarks]

Thanks for the advise Yooper/BigEd. I have already brewed this one up but I do plan on taking the advise for my next brew and then taking a side by side comparison of the beers.

Hoping this beer isn't too sweet. Cheers.