In this video Andy shows us the basics of how to homebrew and walks us through the recipe and process of how to make an American amber ale. Tapping into his years of experience, troche
he breaks down the seemingly complex process of brewing beer into a series of easy-to-follow steps. Part 2 of 2. More great videos are coming that will help you learn about beer brewing.
As promised, health system
here is the recipe from the video:
American Amber Ale
Base Grain: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract
Specialty Grain: 1.0 pound 60L Crystal Malt (milled)
Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade Hops (pellets)
Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade Hops (pellets)
Yeast: 1 packet freeze-dried ale yeast
The American pale ale is light in color, buy cialis medium bodied, more about
and has a distinct hop flavor and aroma.
Ingredients:
Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract (two 3.3 pound cans)
Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)
Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)
Yeast: Ale Yeast
Directions:
Put about two gallons of water in a large kettle and heat the water until boiling. At the same time, purchase
let the cans of extract sit in hot tap water so they will be easy to pour.
Add the warmed syrup to the boiling water, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
Bring the kettle back to a boil and add 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes.
Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.
Cool the brew pot by placing it in a sink full of ice. Do not add ice directly to the wort.
Pour the cooled wort into your sanitized fermenter, top up to five gallons, and when it has reached 75 degrees or cooler, pitch the yeast.
pilule
helvetica, cialis sale
sans-serif;”>For our first style post of RealHombrew.com, healing
I think it would be very appropriate to discuss the America’s biggest contribution to the beer world (at least in my opinion), the American Ale. It is safe to say that the majority of beer enthusiasts have enjoyed an ale at one time or another. In general, beers are classified into to main categories: ales and lagers. Both ales and lagers run the entire course of particular flavors. They both can vary in a wide range of colors, bitterness, aroma, and maltiness. Ales can range from Pale Ale to a Stout. The main difference between lagers and ales (though there are more than a few) lies in the fermentation. Ales are fermented with top fermenting yeast which, as you can imagine, hang around the top of the fermentor. Ales are generally fermented at warmer temperatures for shorter periods and are very simple to make. Lagers, on the other hand, are fermented at cooler temperatures for longer periods of time. The yeast used in fermenting lagers is different as well. Lagers use bottom fermenting yeast, which contrary to its ale relatives, hang out at the bottom of the fermentor. The result of this cooler, longer fermentation and bottom fermenting yeast is generally a crisper, clearer style of lager beer. For all-grain enthusiasts, ales are general made from 2-row malt where lagers are made from 6-row malt. In the modern world, pretty much all beers are fall into either the lager or ale category, or a hybrid of the two.
Despite the commercial popularity of pilsners in America, the craft brew community has brought about a rebirth of the American-style ale. American ales are generally a bit more hoppy than their cousins from across the pond and often have a bit higher percent alcohol by volume (ABV). A great deal of the unique hoppiness is due to the floral and citrus characteristics of the hops grown in the United States, especially those developed in California and the Pacific Northwest. In addition to the increased hop characteristics, American ales are generally medium bodied with a lighter malt flavor than than European-style ales. Some of the more notable American ale styles are the American pale, amber, brown, and IPA.
Let’s get brewing! All the below basic styles are for a five gallon batch using liquid malt extract and hop pellets. Remember, American ales have slightly more hop characteristics than their European counterparts therefore the hops are important in setting the American ale apart. Look for U.S. domestically grown hops for your American ales. Though I use domestic hops as a guide, their use is not by any means a hard rule. Feel free to substitute the hops with other hop varieties with similar Alpha Acid Units (AAU) to meet you personal taste or hops availabilty. You can use any ale yeast of your choice for fermentation. For the below styles, I recommend fermenting for at least two weeks before bottling or kegging, though fermenting for longer periods is often preferred.
American Pale Ale. The American pale ale is light in color, medium bodied, and has a distinct hop flavor and aroma.
Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract
Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)
Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)
Use two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract. Boil 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes. Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil. This will give you a classic American Pale Ale style.
American Amber Ale. The American amber ale flavor is very close to the American pale ale and, as its name implies, has an amber color. The American amber ale has a bit more toasty flavor which can be accomplished by using a darker malt extract and/or adding about a pound of 60L crystal malt as a specialty grain.
Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract
Specialty Grain: 1 pound 60L Crystal malt
Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)
Finishing Hops: 1 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)
Start with two cans of 3.3 pound amber malt extract. Steep 0.75 to 1.0 pound of milled 60L Crystal malt for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the wort. Boil 2.0 oz Cascade hops for 60 minutes and add 1.0 oz Cascade hops in the last five minutes of the boil.
American Brown Ale. The American brown ale should have a bit more toasty and nutty notes than the lighter American ales. It should have a brown to dark brown color. The nutty flavor and darker color is achieved by adding specialty grains to the boil. It still keeps to the American Ale style by having higher hop characteristics than a brown ale you would find in England.
Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract
Specialty Grain: 0.5 pounds 80L Crystal malt, 0.5 pounds Chocolate malt
Bittering Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade, 1.0 ounce Liberty (60 minutes)
Flavoring Hops: 0.5 ounces Liberty (10 minutes)
Finishing Hops: 0.5 ounces Cascade (2 minutes)
Start with two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract. For the specialty grains, steep 0.5 pounds milled 80L Crystal malt and 0.5 pounds milled Chocolate malt for about 20 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add them to the boil. For bittering hops, add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and 1.0 ounce Liberty hops for 60 minutes. For flavoring hops, add 0.5 ounces of Liberty hops for the last 10 minutes of the boil and finish with 0.5 ounces of Cascade hops in the last two minutes of the boil.
American Indian Pale Ale. I am a hops lover and the American adaptation of this British classic is one of my favorites. For this style, think back to the American pale and make it hoppier and stronger. IPA’s in general are action packed with hops, American IPAs even more so. They also tend to have a bit higher percent ABV than the other American ale styles and have just a slightly heavier body. A bit of warning, this style has very high hop flavor and aroma!
Malt Extract: 7.5 pounds light malt extract
Specialty Grain: 1.0 pound 40L Crystal malt
Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Centennial (60 minutes)
Flavoring Hops: 1.0 ounces Cascade (20 minutes)
Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce (5 minutes)
For the American IPA, you will want to start with 7 to 7.5 pounds light liquid malt extract. Steep 1.0 pound milled 40L Crystal malt for 15 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the boil. For bittering hops add 2.0 ounces Centennial hops. Add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops for flavoring hops in the last 20 minutes of the boil and finish with 1.0 ounce Liberty hops in the last 5 minutes. Indian Pale Ales tend to turn out better with longer fermentation periods. Try fermenting your American IPA for a month or primary ferment for two weeks and then move to a secondary fermentor for an additional two weeks.
If you are worried at all about clarity in any of the above styles, try adding 1 teaspoon of Irish Moss to the last 10 minutes of the boil.
The American Ale styles are easily adaptable to your particular tastes. The American pale and amber ales can also serve as a great base to develop various seasonal and fruit beers. For instance, try reducing the bittering hops in the American Pale Ale recipe to 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and adding 10 pounds of well washed and chopped strawberries to the fermentor for a nice strawberry ale! Enjoy your personal style of American Ale!
Happy brewing!
Andy
The American pale ale is light in color, this
medium bodied, and has a distinct hop flavor and aroma.
Ingredients:
Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract (two 3.3 pound cans)
Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)
Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)
Yeast: Ale Yeast
Directions:
Put about two gallons of water in a large kettle and heat the water until boiling. At the same time, let the cans of extract sit in hot tap water so they will be easy to pour.
Add the warmed syrup to the boiling water, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
Bring the kettle back to a boil and add 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes.
Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.
Cool the brew pot by placing it in a sink full of ice. Do not add ice directly to the wort.
Pour the cooled wort into your sanitized fermenter, top up to five gallons, and when it has reached 75 degrees or cooler, pitch the yeast.
The American amber ale flavor is very close to the American pale ale and, for sale as its name implies, has an amber color. It uses malt extract and some specialty grains, so this is a relatively easy homebrew recipe. The American amber ale has a bit more toasty flavor which can be accomplished by using a darker malt extract and/or adding about a pound of 60L crystal malt as a specialty grain. The real trick to mastering a homebrew recipe is to start the process by opening up a bottle from your last batch so you can keep cool while slaving over a boiling kettle.
Ingredients:
Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds amber malt extract (two 3.3-pound cans)
Specialty Grain: 1 pound 60L Crystal malt
Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)
Finishing Hops: 1 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)
Directions:
Steep 0.75 to 1.0 pound of milled 60L Crystal malt in two gallons of water for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees Fahrenheit. When the time is up, pour the liquid through a sieve to remove the grain and hulls. If these are boiled they can leach tannins into the wort, which will produce undesired flavors in your beer. Discard the grain or compost it.
Bring the wort to a boil. At the same time, let the cans of extract sit in hot tap water so they will be easy to pour.
Add the warmed syrup to the boiling water, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
Bring the kettle back to a boil and add 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes.
Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.
Cool the brew pot by placing it in a sink full of ice. Do not add ice directly to the wort.
Pour the cooled wort into your sanitized fermenter, top up to five gallons, and when it has reached 75 degrees or cooler, pitch the yeast.
This homebrew recipe makes an American brown ale, nurse
which has more toasty and nutty notes than the lighter American ales, with a brown to dark brown color. The nutty flavor and darker color is achieved by adding specialty grains to the boil. It still keeps to the American Ale style by having higher hop characteristics than a brown ale you would find in England.
Ingredients:
Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract
Specialty Grain: 0.5 pounds 80L Crystal malt, 0.5 pounds Chocolate malt
Bittering Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade, 1.0 ounce Liberty (60 minutes)
Flavoring Hops: 0.5 ounces Liberty (10 minutes)
Finishing Hops: 0.5 ounces Cascade (2 minutes)
Directions:
Steep 0.5 pounds milled 80L Crystal malt and 0.5 pounds milled Chocolate malt in two gallons of water for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees Fahrenheit. When the time is up, pour the liquid through a sieve to remove the grain and hulls. If these are boiled they can leach tannins into the wort, which will produce undesired flavors in your beer. Discard the grain or compost it.
Bring the wort to a boil. At the same time, let the cans of extract sit in hot tap water so they will be easy to pour.
Add the warmed syrup to the boiling water, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
Bring the kettle back to a boil and add 1.0 ounce Cascade and 1.0 ounce of Liberty hops in the wort for 60 minutes.
Add 0.5 ounce of Liberty hops for flavoring at the last ten minutes.
Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.
Cool the brew pot by placing it in a sink full of ice. Do not add ice directly to the wort.
Pour the cooled wort into your sanitized fermenter, top up to five gallons, and when it has reached 75 degrees or cooler, pitch the yeast.
life
helvetica,sans-serif;”>The American amber ale flavor is very close to the American pale ale and, as its name implies, has an amber color. The American amber ale has a bit more toasty flavor which can be accomplished by using a darker malt extract and/or adding about a pound of 60L crystal malt as a specialty grain.
Ingredients:
Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds amber malt extract
Specialty Grain: 1 pound 60L Crystal malt
Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)
Finishing Hops: 1 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)
Directions:
Start with two 3.3-pound cans of amber malt extract. Boil 2.0 oz Cascade hops for 60 minutes and add 1.0 oz Cascade hops in the last five minutes of the boil.
Directions:
Steep 0.75 to 1.0 pound of milled 60L Crystal malt in two gallons of water for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees fahrenheit. When the time is up, pour the liquid through a sieve to remove the grain and hulls. If these are boiled they can leach tanins into the wort, which will produce undesired flavors in your beer. Discard the grain or compost it.
Bring the wort to a boil. At the same time, let the cans of extract sit in hot tap water so they will be easy to pour.
Add the warmed syrup to the boiling water, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
Bring the kettle back to a boil and add 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes.
Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.
Cool the brew pot by placing it in a sink full of ice. Do not add ice directly to the wort.
Pour the cooled wort into your sanitized fermenter, top up to five gallons, and when it has reached 75 degrees or cooler, pitch the yeast.
This is the easiest homebrew beer recipe ever. Use a can of Munton's Irish Stout, view
which is prehopped and has everything in it you will need, ampoule add a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of corn sugar, mix in hot water to dissolve everything, and fill up to six gallons with cold water. Add the yeast, and you are done.
drug
helvetica, drugs
sans-serif;”>The American amber ale flavor is very close to the American pale ale and, web
as its name implies, has an amber color. The American amber ale has a bit more toasty flavor which can be accomplished by using a darker malt extract and/or adding about a pound of 60L crystal malt as a specialty grain.
Ingredients:
Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds amber malt extract
Specialty Grain: 1 pound 60L Crystal malt
Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)
Finishing Hops: 1 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)
Directions:
Start with two 3.3-pound cans of amber malt extract. Boil 2.0 oz Cascade hops for 60 minutes and add 1.0 oz Cascade hops in the last five minutes of the boil.
Directions:
Steep 0.75 to 1.0 pound of milled 60L Crystal malt in two gallons of water for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees fahrenheit. When the time is up, pour the liquid through a sieve to remove the grain and hulls. If these are boiled they can leach tanins into the wort, which will produce undesired flavors in your beer. Discard the grain or compost it.
Bring the wort to a boil. At the same time, let the cans of extract sit in hot tap water so they will be easy to pour.
Add the warmed syrup to the boiling water, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
Bring the kettle back to a boil and add 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes.
Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.
Cool the brew pot by placing it in a sink full of ice. Do not add ice directly to the wort.
Pour the cooled wort into your sanitized fermenter, top up to five gallons, and when it has reached 75 degrees or cooler, pitch the yeast.
I am a hops lover and the American adaptation of this British classic is probably my favorite homebrew recipe. For this style, viagra
think back to the American pale and make it hoppier and stronger. IPA’s in general are action-packed with hops, there
and American IPA's even more so. They also tend to have a bit higher percent ABV than the other American ale styles and have just a slightly heavier body. A bit of warning, this homebrew recipe has very high hop flavor and aroma!
Ingredients:
Malt Extract: 7.5 pounds light malt extract
Specialty Grain: 1.0 pound 40L Crystal malt
Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Centennial (60 minutes)
Flavoring Hops: 1.0 ounces Cascade (20 minutes)
Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce (5 minutes)
Directions:
Steep 1.0 pound milled 40L Crystal malt in two gallons of water for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees fahrenheit. When the time is up, pour the liquid through a sieve to remove the grain and hulls. If these are boiled they can leach tanins into the wort, which will produce undesired flavors in your beer. Discard the grain or compost it.
Bring the wort to a boil. At the same time, let the cans of extract sit in hot tap water so they will be easy to pour.
Add the warmed syrup to the boiling water, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
Bring the kettle back to a boil and add 2.0 ounces of Centennial hops in the wort for 60 minutes.
Add 1.0 ounce of Cascade hops for flavoring at the last 20 minutes.
Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.
Cool the brew pot by placing it in a sink full of ice. Do not add ice directly to the wort.
Pour the cooled wort into your sanitized fermenter, top up to five gallons, and when it has reached 75 degrees or cooler, pitch the yeast.
An American brown ale should have a bit more toasty and nutty notes than the lighter American ales. It should have a brown to dark brown color. The nutty flavor and darker color is achieved by adding specialty grains to the boil. It still keeps to the American Ale style by having higher hop characteristics than a brown ale you would find in England.
Ingredients:
Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract
Specialty Grain: 0.5 pounds 80L Crystal malt, Hemophilia
0.5 pounds Chocolate malt
Bittering Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade, esophagitis
1.0 ounce Liberty (60 minutes)
Flavoring Hops: 0.5 ounces Liberty (10 minutes)
Finishing Hops: 0.5 ounces Cascade (2 minutes)
Start with two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract. For the specialty grains, resuscitator
steep 0.5 pounds milled 80L Crystal malt and 0.5 pounds milled Chocolate malt for about 20 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add them to the boil. For bittering hops, add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and 1.0 ounce Liberty hops for 60 minutes. For flavoring hops, add 0.5 ounces of Liberty hops for the last 10 minutes of the boil and finish with 0.5 ounces of Cascade hops in the last two minutes of the boil.
Directions:
Steep 0.5 pounds milled 80L Crystal malt and 0.5 pounds milled Chocolate malt in two gallons of water for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees fahrenheit. When the time is up, pour the liquid through a sieve to remove the grain and hulls. If these are boiled they can leach tanins into the wort, which will produce undesired flavors in your beer. Discard the grain or compost it.
Bring the wort to a boil. At the same time, let the cans of extract sit in hot tap water so they will be easy to pour.
Add the warmed syrup to the boiling water, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
Bring the kettle back to a boil and add 1.0 ounce Cascade and 1.0 ounce of Liberty hops in the wort for 60 minutes.
Add 0.5 ounce of Liberty hops for flavoring at the last ten minutes.
Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.
Cool the brew pot by placing it in a sink full of ice. Do not add ice directly to the wort.
Pour the cooled wort into your sanitized fermenter, top up to five gallons, and when it has reached 75 degrees or cooler, pitch the yeast.
An American brown ale should have a bit more toasty and nutty notes than the lighter American ales. It should have a brown to dark brown color. The nutty flavor and darker color is achieved by adding specialty grains to the boil. It still keeps to the American Ale style by having higher hop characteristics than a brown ale you would find in England.
Ingredients:
Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract
Specialty Grain: 0.5 pounds 80L Crystal malt, sildenafil
0.5 pounds Chocolate malt
Bittering Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade, 1.0 ounce Liberty (60 minutes)
Flavoring Hops: 0.5 ounces Liberty (10 minutes)
Finishing Hops: 0.5 ounces Cascade (2 minutes)
Start with two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract. For the specialty grains, steep 0.5 pounds milled 80L Crystal malt and 0.5 pounds milled Chocolate malt for about 20 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add them to the boil. For bittering hops, add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and 1.0 ounce Liberty hops for 60 minutes. For flavoring hops, add 0.5 ounces of Liberty hops for the last 10 minutes of the boil and finish with 0.5 ounces of Cascade hops in the last two minutes of the boil.
Directions:
Steep 0.5 pounds milled 80L Crystal malt and 0.5 pounds milled Chocolate malt in two gallons of water for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees fahrenheit. When the time is up, pour the liquid through a sieve to remove the grain and hulls. If these are boiled they can leach tanins into the wort, which will produce undesired flavors in your beer. Discard the grain or compost it.
Bring the wort to a boil. At the same time, let the cans of extract sit in hot tap water so they will be easy to pour.
Add the warmed syrup to the boiling water, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
Bring the kettle back to a boil and add 1.0 ounce Cascade and 1.0 ounce of Liberty hops in the wort for 60 minutes.
Add 0.5 ounce of Liberty hops for flavoring at the last ten minutes.
Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.
Cool the brew pot by placing it in a sink full of ice. Do not add ice directly to the wort.
Pour the cooled wort into your sanitized fermenter, top up to five gallons, and when it has reached 75 degrees or cooler, pitch the yeast.
I am a hops lover and the American adaptation of this British classic is one of my favorites. For this style, neurologist
think back to the American pale and make it hoppier and stronger. IPA’s in general are action-packed with hops, health and American IPA's even more so. They also tend to have a bit higher percent ABV than the other American ale styles and have just a slightly heavier body. A bit of warning, this style has very high hop flavor and aroma!
Ingredients:
Malt Extract: 7.5 pounds light malt extract
Specialty Grain: 1.0 pound 40L Crystal malt
Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Centennial (60 minutes)
Flavoring Hops: 1.0 ounces Cascade (20 minutes)
Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce (5 minutes)
Directions:
Steep 1.0 pound milled 40L Crystal malt in two gallons of water for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees fahrenheit. When the time is up, pour the liquid through a sieve to remove the grain and hulls. If these are boiled they can leach tanins into the wort, which will produce undesired flavors in your beer. Discard the grain or compost it.
Bring the wort to a boil. At the same time, let the cans of extract sit in hot tap water so they will be easy to pour.
Add the warmed syrup to the boiling water, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
Bring the kettle back to a boil and add 2.0 ounces of Centennial hops in the wort for 60 minutes.
Add 1.0 ounce of Cascade hops for flavoring at the last 20 minutes.
Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.
Cool the brew pot by placing it in a sink full of ice. Do not add ice directly to the wort.
Pour the cooled wort into your sanitized fermenter, top up to five gallons, and when it has reached 75 degrees or cooler, pitch the yeast.
sale helvetica, physician
sans-serif;”>For our first style post of RealHombrew.com, I think it would be very appropriate to discuss the America’s biggest contribution to the beer world (at least in my opinion), the American Ale. It is safe to say that the majority of beer enthusiasts have enjoyed an ale at one time or another. In general, beers are classified into to main categories: ales and lagers. Both ales and lagers run the entire course of particular flavors. They both can vary in a wide range of colors, bitterness, aroma, and maltiness. Ales can range from Pale Ale to a Stout. The main difference between lagers and ales (though there are more than a few) lies in the fermentation. Ales are fermented with top fermenting yeast which, as you can imagine, hang around the top of the fermentor. Ales are generally fermented at warmer temperatures for shorter periods and are very simple to make. Lagers, on the other hand, are fermented at cooler temperatures for longer periods of time. The yeast used in fermenting lagers is different as well. Lagers use bottom fermenting yeast, which contrary to its ale relatives, hang out at the bottom of the fermentor. The result of this cooler, longer fermentation and bottom fermenting yeast is generally a crisper, clearer style of lager beer. For all-grain enthusiasts, ales are general made from 2-row malt where lagers are made from 6-row malt. In the modern world, pretty much all beers are fall into either the lager or ale category, or a hybrid of the two.
Despite the commercial popularity of pilsners in America, the craft brew community has brought about a rebirth of the American-style ale. American ales are generally a bit more hoppy than their cousins from across the pond and often have a bit higher percent alcohol by volume (ABV). A great deal of the unique hoppiness is due to the floral and citrus characteristics of the hops grown in the United States, especially those developed in California and the Pacific Northwest. In addition to the increased hop characteristics, American ales are generally medium bodied with a lighter malt flavor than than European-style ales. Some of the more notable American ale styles are the American pale, amber, brown, and IPA.
Let’s get brewing! All the below basic styles are for a five gallon batch using liquid malt extract and hop pellets. Remember, American ales have slightly more hop characteristics than their European counterparts therefore the hops are important in setting the American ale apart. Look for U.S. domestically grown hops for your American ales. Though I use domestic hops as a guide, their use is not by any means a hard rule. Feel free to substitute the hops with other hop varieties with similar Alpha Acid Units (AAU) to meet you personal taste or hops availabilty. You can use any ale yeast of your choice for fermentation. For the below styles, I recommend fermenting for at least two weeks before bottling or kegging, though fermenting for longer periods is often preferred.
American Pale Ale. The American pale ale is light in color, medium bodied, and has a distinct hop flavor and aroma.
Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract
Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)
Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)
Use two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract. Boil 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes. Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil. This will give you a classic American Pale Ale style.
American Amber Ale. The American amber ale flavor is very close to the American pale ale and, as its name implies, has an amber color. The American amber ale has a bit more toasty flavor which can be accomplished by using a darker malt extract and/or adding about a pound of 60L crystal malt as a specialty grain.
Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract
Specialty Grain: 1 pound 60L Crystal malt
Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)
Finishing Hops: 1 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)
Start with two cans of 3.3 pound amber malt extract. Steep 0.75 to 1.0 pound of milled 60L Crystal malt for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the wort. Boil 2.0 oz Cascade hops for 60 minutes and add 1.0 oz Cascade hops in the last five minutes of the boil.
American Brown Ale. The American brown ale should have a bit more toasty and nutty notes than the lighter American ales. It should have a brown to dark brown color. The nutty flavor and darker color is achieved by adding specialty grains to the boil. It still keeps to the American Ale style by having higher hop characteristics than a brown ale you would find in England.
Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract
Specialty Grain: 0.5 pounds 80L Crystal malt, 0.5 pounds Chocolate malt
Bittering Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade, 1.0 ounce Liberty (60 minutes)
Flavoring Hops: 0.5 ounces Liberty (10 minutes)
Finishing Hops: 0.5 ounces Cascade (2 minutes)
Start with two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract. For the specialty grains, steep 0.5 pounds milled 80L Crystal malt and 0.5 pounds milled Chocolate malt for about 20 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add them to the boil. For bittering hops, add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and 1.0 ounce Liberty hops for 60 minutes. For flavoring hops, add 0.5 ounces of Liberty hops for the last 10 minutes of the boil and finish with 0.5 ounces of Cascade hops in the last two minutes of the boil.
American Indian Pale Ale. I am a hops lover and the American adaptation of this British classic is one of my favorites. For this style, think back to the American pale and make it hoppier and stronger. IPA’s in general are action packed with hops, American IPAs even more so. They also tend to have a bit higher percent ABV than the other American ale styles and have just a slightly heavier body. A bit of warning, this style has very high hop flavor and aroma!
Malt Extract: 7.5 pounds light malt extract
Specialty Grain: 1.0 pound 40L Crystal malt
Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Centennial (60 minutes)
Flavoring Hops: 1.0 ounces Cascade (20 minutes)
Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce (5 minutes)
For the American IPA, you will want to start with 7 to 7.5 pounds light liquid malt extract. Steep 1.0 pound milled 40L Crystal malt for 15 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the boil. For bittering hops add 2.0 ounces Centennial hops. Add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops for flavoring hops in the last 20 minutes of the boil and finish with 1.0 ounce Liberty hops in the last 5 minutes. Indian Pale Ales tend to turn out better with longer fermentation periods. Try fermenting your American IPA for a month or primary ferment for two weeks and then move to a secondary fermentor for an additional two weeks.
If you are worried at all about clarity in any of the above styles, try adding 1 teaspoon of Irish Moss to the last 10 minutes of the boil.
The American Ale styles are easily adaptable to your particular tastes. The American pale and amber ales can also serve as a great base to develop various seasonal and fruit beers. For instance, try reducing the bittering hops in the American Pale Ale recipe to 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and adding 10 pounds of well washed and chopped strawberries to the fermentor for a nice strawberry ale! Enjoy your personal style of American Ale!
Happy brewing!
Andy
meningitis
on Flickr”>
In general, beer can be classified into two main categories: ales and lagers. Both ales and lagers run the entire course of particular flavors. They both vary in a wide range of colors, bitterness, aroma, and maltiness. The main difference between lagers and ales, though there are more than a few, lies in the fermentation.
Two big differences are the type of yeast used and the fermenting temperature. Ales are fermented with top fermenting yeast which, as you can imagine from the name, hang around the top of the fermentor. Ales are generally fermented at warmer temperatures (about 65-75 degrees) for short periods and are very simple to make. Lagers, on the other hand, are fermented at cooler temperatures (about 50-55 degrees) for longer periods of time. Lagers use bottom fermenting yeast, which contrary to its ale relatives, hang out at the bottom of the fermentor. The result of this cooler, longer fermentation and bottom fermenting yeast is generally a crisper, clearer appearance many of us associate with lager beer.
This longer fermentation time plays into the very name "lager." The word comes from germanic roots, meaning "storehouse," referring to a place, often a cool place, where a person might keep food and drink for extended periods. It is thought that lagering may have actually been done by mistake as far back as the Dark Ages, when people would store their beers in cool plaes for later use. These beers happened to have airborne lager yeast float into them, and thus by dumb luck, lagers were invented.
Other differences exist as well. Beer-Faq has a good breakdown of this in chart form. Ale is an older style of beer than lager. Ales were first made in the days of yore, whenever those were, by brewers who knew that fermentation would happen if they left the tanks open at room temperature. It was only in the second half of the nineteenth century that Louis Pasteur figured out that yeast was responsible for fermentation. After that, people figured out how to culture yeast and make beers and wines with different characteristics. Since then there has been a new set of possibilities available for styles based on yeast differences, rather than other ingredients. People isolated and grew the yeasts that perform well at lower temperatures and used them in their best envornments.
Another difference is that ales can have stronger, more pronounced, and even aggressive flavors, while lagers are often a bit more subdued. In addition, lagers are normally served at a cooler temperature than their ale counterparts. The proper temperature range for a lager might be in the low 40's, while ales are usually served about ten degrees warmer, in the lower 50's.
Try doing a taste test between your favorite ales and lagers to see what other differences you note.