Iron Dice American Amber

In a world where almost everything seems to be a pale and/or juicy IPA, this is one of my go-to recipes for a change of pace; there are a lot of fun malt and hop flavors, and it’s patently American without being overly citrusy.

ALL-GRAIN

Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters) Brewhouse efficiency: 72%

OG: 1.062 FG: 1.015 IBUS: 35 ABV: 6.2%

MALT/GRAIN BILL

8.5 lb (3.9 kg) Maris Otter

1 lb (454 g) Munich

1 lb (454 g) British crystal 45L 1 lb (454 g) Briess Extra Special Roast 2 oz (57 g) pale chocolate malt

HOPS SCHEDULE

1 oz (28 g) Citra [10% AA] at 20 minutes

1 oz (28 g) Amarillo [10% AA] at 10 minutes 1 oz (28 g) Equinox at flame-out or whirlpool for

10 minutes

YEAST

Wyeast 1007 German Ale

DIRECTIONS

Mill the grains and mash at 152°F (67°C) for 60 minutes. Vorlauf until the runnings are clear, then lauter and sparge as necessary to get about 6.5 gallons (25 liters) of wort—or more, depending on your evaporation rate. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops according to the schedule; add Equinox hops at flame-out or, optionally, whirlpool for 10 minutes at 170°F (77°C). Chill to about 64°F (18°C), aerate well, and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 65°F (18°C) for 7–10 days, then allow the temperature to rise to 70°F (21°C) over the next 4 days. When fermentation is complete, crash to 35°F (2°C), then package and carbonate to about 2.25 volumes.

EXTRACT

Substitute 8.6 lb (3.9 kg) of pale liquid malt extract (LME) and 1.1 lb (499 g) of amber LME for the

Maris Otter and Munich malts. Bring 6 gallons (23 liters) of water to about 162°F (72°C) and hold. Using a mesh grain bag, steep 12 oz (340 g) of British crystal 45L, 12 oz (340 g) of Extra Special Roast, and 2 oz (57 g) of pale chocolate malt for 15 minutes, then remove the bag and allow it to drain into the wort. Add the LME while stirring and stir until completely dissolved. Boil for 60 minutes, following the hops schedule. After the boil, chill, aerate, and ferment according to the directions above.