October 29, 2016: Amber Ale

We are attempting to replicate our success from out last Amber Ale brew.

Grain bill:

• 10 lbs 2-row domestic (Hops and Berries, Fort Collins, CO)
• 1 lbs 2-row pale
• 1 lbs Crystal 75L

Hops (Pellet):

• 2 oz Magnum 12.4% alpha acids, pellets
• 2 oz Amarillo 8.2% alpha acids, pellets
• 2 oz Cascade 6.5% alpha acids, pellets

Yeast:

• Wyeast 1272 American Ale II (#1001271, mfg 9/27/2016)

Stats:

• Starting gravity: 1.070
• Brewhouse efficiency: 73%
• Final gravity: 1.002
• Approximate %ABV: 8.798
• Approximate IBUs: 108.1 (Rager)/109.5 (Tinseth)/11.4(Daniels) as determined using the Hopsteiner and Homebrewing.com IBU calculators.

Procedure Highlights: We transferred our strike water to the mash tun using a silicon hose and lost less heat than we had anticipated. The end result was we mashed in at 73 degrees Celsius. We quickly added ice and brought the temperature down to 67 degrees Celsius, which was lower than our target of 69 degrees Celsius.

The wort was oxygenated for 45 seconds prior to pitching the yeast slurry. The yeast starter culture was cold crashed after approximately 18 hours of growth in 10% DME (w/v) media. The cold crash was to arrest metabolism and settle the yeast so excess liquid could be decanted.

After a week in the primary fermenter (Spiedel), the beer was transferred to a metal conical bottom fermenter and kept at approximately 19 degrees Celsius (ambient temperature) for 48 hours. The beer was sampled and no acetaldehyde character was detected. The fermenter was then transferred to -2 degrees Celsius freezer for the cold crash.

Comments:

• A vigorous boil resulted in a lower volume of sweet wort.
• Our efficiency was similar to the last time we brewed our Amber Ale.
• The lower volume of sweet wort resulted in a slightly higher original gravity (1.070 vs 1.065). This resulted in an approximately 0.7% increase in ABV.