All-grain · 20 L (5.3 gal)
American Amber Ale Recipe
BJCP 19A · American Amber Ale
Coppery amber, with a base of caramel and toasted bread and a citrusy American hop that balances without burying the malt.
American Amber Ale recipe by the numbers
- Batch size
- 20 L (5.3 gal)
- Original gravity
- 1.058
- Final gravity
- 1.013
- ABV
- 5.9%
- Bitterness
- 31 IBU
- Color
- 11 SRM (21 EBC)
- Mash
- 67 °C (153 °F) for 60 minutes
- Boil
- 60 minutes
- Fermentation
- 19 °C (66 °F) for 14 days
- Bottling
- 6 g of sugar per liter (0.8 oz/gal)
About 180 kcal per 330 ml (11 oz) bottle, worked out from its original and final gravity.
American Amber Ale recipe: ingredients and steps
Batch size
Recipe for 20 liters (5.3 US gallons) into the fermenter.
Malts
| Malt | Amount | % |
|---|---|---|
| Pale ale malt6 EBC (3 °L) | 4.20 kg (9.26 lb) | 79.2% |
| Munich malt15 EBC (6 °L) | 0.40 kg (0.88 lb) | 7.5% |
| Crystal (caramel) malt120 EBC (46 °L) | 0.50 kg (1.10 lb) | 9.4% |
| Light crystal malt60 EBC (23 °L) | 0.20 kg (0.44 lb) | 3.8% |
Hops
| Hop | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| Magnum13% alpha acids | 16 g (0.56 oz) | 60 minBittering |
| Centennial10% alpha acids | 25 g (0.88 oz) | 10 minFlavor |
| Cascade5.5% alpha acids | 30 g (1.06 oz) | Flameout, 15 min hop standAroma |
You will also need
Yeast: Dry American ale yeast, such as US-05: one 11.5 g (0.4 oz) packet.
Water: About 29.5 L (7.8 gal): 16 L (4.2 gal) for the mash and 13.5 L (3.6 gal) for the sparge.
Priming sugar: 6 g of table sugar per liter of beer bottled (0.8 oz/gal), about 110 g (3.9 oz) for 19 L (5.0 gal), or 7 g per liter (0.9 oz/gal) of dextrose.
Hops: pellets, kept in the freezer until brew day.
Step by step
- Heat 16 L (4.2 gal) of water to 73 °C (163 °F), add the crushed malts and stir until there are no dough balls. It should settle at about 67 °C (153 °F): hold that temperature for 60 minutes, covered. Mashing a little higher leaves more body to carry the caramel.
- Lift out the grain and sparge it with 13.5 L (3.6 gal) of water at 76 °C (169 °F). You should collect about 24 L (6.3 gal) of wort at 1.050–1.051.
- Bring to a boil and boil for 60 minutes, uncovered. Add the 16 g (0.6 oz) of Magnum when the boil starts, and 25 g (0.9 oz) of Centennial with 10 minutes left.
- Turn off the heat, add 30 g (1.1 oz) of Cascade and let it stand for 15 minutes before chilling.
- Chill to 19 °C (66 °F), transfer about 20 L (5.3 gal) to the sanitized fermenter and take a gravity reading: it should be around 1.058. Shake the wort well to aerate it.
- Pitch the yeast and ferment at 19 °C (66 °F) for about two weeks.
- Once the gravity holds at 1.013 for three days in a row, bottle with the sugar dissolved in a little boiled water and let it carbonate for two weeks at room temperature.
The color and caramel come from the dark crystal: past half a kilo (1.1 lb) it turns cloying, so if you want it redder, add 30–40 g (1.1–1.4 oz) of roasted barley instead of more crystal.
If your Magnum isn't 13% alpha acids, use 16 × 13 ÷ your percentage to get the grams and keep the 31 IBU. The Cascade in the hop stand adds some bitterness the formula doesn't count.
The style: American Amber Ale (BJCP 19A), with its history, its numbers and other ways to brew it.
Different setup? Recalculate with the water calculator, the IBU calculator and the priming sugar calculator.
Rating recipes and keeping a brew log need an account, which is only available in Spanish for now. English accounts are coming soon.
Frequently asked questions
How strong will this American Amber Ale be?
About 5.9% ABV: it starts at 1.058 and finishes at 1.013, and (OG − FG) × 131.25 gives that percentage.
How long until it is ready?
One brew day, fermentation at 19 °C (66 °F) for 14 days and about two weeks in the bottle: give it a little over a month.
Can I use a different bittering hop?
Yes. What matters is keeping the bitterness: if you use another hop instead of Magnum at 13% alpha acids, work out the grams from its alpha acids (or with the IBU calculator) to stay at about 31 IBUs.
What if my system does not get 72% efficiency?
Your gravity will come out different. Scale the base malt up or down (or add a little dry malt extract to the boil if you fall short) and recalculate the water with the calculator.
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Reference style: American Amber Ale in the BJCP guidelines, 2021 edition. Original recipe by Hacer Cerveza Casera, designed for a homebrew setup.