i am trying to put together an amber ale recipe that meets the style guidelines and need some help confirming that the grain bill and hop schedule looks good. i am open to feedback on hop schedules and hop selection that will work better for this style. any assistance would be greatly appreciated. https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1191895/american-amber-ale
Just my own opinions. Would lower mash temp a few degrees. Cut whirl pool hops in half, maybe more. Amber should be malty not crazy hoppy. Would add 1lb carared, adds that ossum red color you want in an amber. Make sure your water chemistry is right. Chloride/sulfide ratio should be towards malty
Your recipe looks OK to me. Give it a go, see how you like it. You could make a smaller batch as a test. In my own, I use Pale Ale Malt as my base, and Carapils instead of Carafoam. I aim for a balanced profile using RO water. As for hops, I do Simcoe at 60 minutes, Centennial at 20 and Cascade at 0. This makes an enjoyable beer, one that I have brewed 7 times now.
if i add 1lb of carared would you suggest substituting that in for something already in the grain bill or reduce anything else?
carapils vs carafoam do you still get decent head retention? pale ale malt as a base malt makes sense as well.
My opinion only! With the Carafoam, crystal and honey to nearly 30%, I think this will be too sweet, though to be fair I’m not sure what the Carafoam brings…I’m just assuming “Cara” imparts some sweetness. But I’m very anti malty/sweet so again, this is just my opinion. A firm bitterness will help to balance any sweetness so I might up the IBU’s to 45-50 or so. Good luck!
