Wednesday, March 5, 2008

My Latest Homebrew - Rye Amber Ale

Today I enjoyed my most recent completed homebrew - a Rye Amber ale. I had purchased some rye malt, with the idea of trying it, so here's the result. After being in the fermenter for a month, carbonating in the bottle for two weeks, and a week in the fridge, my father-in-law and I tasted my newest creation. Another success! After a pair of unfortunate experiments with flavorings and extracts, I have now had two in a row that are great. I'll save my disappointing recipes for a future post. This ale poured a beautiful amber color, with a nice creamy head. The mouthfeel is as creamy as the head. The rye added a unique flavor that I don't know how to describe. The ale has a spicy character to it, which may be the rye, or may be the yeast. The hops come through nicely, without being overbearing. My only concern is that it is a little fruitier than I expected, probably due to the temps we have here in Florida. Damn this Florida weather! I've found that the fruitiness mellows out as it ages, so it will probably be perfect as I drink the last bottle. This will be a nice light flavored ale for the spring and summer, if it lasts that long! Here's the recipe I created:
3.3 lbs Briess Amber LME
6 Oz 50l Crystal Malt
5 Oz Biscuit Malt
5 Oz Rye Malt
1/2 Oz East Kent Goldings boiled for an hour
1/2 Oz Styrian Goldings boiled for 10 Minutes
Fermentis Safbrew T-58 Yeast
Corn Sugar for carbonation

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