Using Harvested Hops

[levin_ae92]

Thanks to the generous Gulf, I'll be in possesion of about 100g of freshly picked cascade flowers!! Yum!! So to celebrate I thought what better than to use them in an American Amber Ale!! Recipe I'm thinking is as follows, bittered with Simcoe to roughly 35IBU, then I'll use my BIAB bag as a sort of hop back and soak the flowers in the wort for a little while before chilling and fermenting.

American Amber Ale 20 Litres

Original Gravity (OG): 1.054
Colour (SRM): 14.2
Bitterness (IBU): 36.8

28.85% Liquid Malt Extract - Light (1.5kg)
15.38% Wheat Malt (0.8kg)
11.54% Munich II (0.6kg)
5.77% Caramalt (0.25kg)
38.46% Amber Malt (2kg)

1 g/l Simcoe (12.2% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil) (20g)
2.8 g/l Cascade (7.8% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes (Aroma) (56g)

Single step Infusion at 66C for 60 Minutes. Boil for 60 Minutes

Fermented at 20c with Safale US-05
Recipe Generated with BrewMate

Comments? Criticisims?

If its good I'll tweak it for the AMB Case Swap

Cheers, Colby

 

[Ross]

Surprisingly Amber malt is not a usual ingredient in an Amber Ale & I'd personally drop completely as it gives a dry biscuit flavour.
Maybe add 10% medium crystal, up the malt extract or add some base malt.

cheers Ross

 

[T.D.]

Is it Amber grain though? Seriously high % if it is, WAY too high. But if its Amber malt extract its not so much of a big deal. As I recall Amber malt extract is made more with crystal malts rather than biscuit malt. EIther way, 38% is maybe a little high, if its malt extract probably half that would be sufficient for an AAA.

 

[levin_ae92]

Thanks guys, didnt know that Okay hows this? (same hop schedule as before)

Extract
1.5kg Pale Malt Extract

Mash
2kg Trad Ale Malt
0.8kg Wheat Malt
0.5kg Munich II
0.3kg dark crystal

Gives 12.7 SRM
OG 1.055
FG 1.014
IBU 36.6

 

[Ross]

Looks much better, but I wouldn't drop the caramalt, just add into the current recipe.

cheers Ross

 

[levin_ae92]

Thanks Ross!