Home Brew Forum

Got this one on Saturday.
So it might not be quiet a style but I couldnt bring myself to brew a sub 4% beer, I dont know it might even be porterish, or just ale.
It's just my way of learning I guess, I need to try Amber malt and it smells pretty good all ready, through the airlock!


Pale Malt 5 EBC 2500 grams 46.7%
Lager Malt 2.5 EBC 1000 grams 18.7%
Munich Malt 20 EBC 1000 grams 18.7%
Amber Malt 60 EBC 500 grams 9.3%
Crystal Malt 130 EBC 250 grams 4.7%
Chocolate Malt 1050 EBC 100 grams 1.9%


Target Whole 11.4 % 60 mins 20 grams 30.8%
Challenger Whole 7.6 % 20 mins 25 grams 38.5%
Cascade Whole 5.7 % 5 mins 20 grams 30.8%

Final Volume: 25 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.047
Final Gravity: 1.012
Alcohol Content: 4.5% ABV
Total Liquor: 35.9 Litres
Mash Liquor: 13.4 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 75 %
Bitterness: 35 EBU
Colour: 61 EBC

Yeast S-04 bubbling like a bubbly thing within 6 hrs!
Was a low with OG at 1.045

Bit late for Christmas but it was the 1st chance I've got in weeks to get a brew on, hope to do another 2 in the next 1-2 weeks to build up stocks again!

The not so mild mild

No point in having style guidelines if you dont go outside them, is there?

Maybe it's a Wild

ha ha ha

Perhaps re-name it Extra Wild Mild

I like it Dave, make it so!

Nice combo on the hops, it does look like a porter. What sort of temp will it run at ? Going high and it could be ready for boxing day. Snap on the sub 4%.

Side note: Doing a steam amber larger as we speek, looks like yours but no choc. Ummm, on we go..

Yeah I've used Target and challanger together before to really good effect, I reckon cascade late can only add ggo things to this.
I have her in the fridge at 21deg and by the looks of things it very nearly done.
I'll bottle mid week next week and I think at that it'll be good to go for the festive season.

Never had a steam beer, but I'm intregued by them, would like to tyr one, is it something you've done before?

Hummm, right off to get some Target and Cascade . Think I will give them a go with burton on trent yeast in a pale malt base with Caramunich and Smoked Malts and a bit off .

I will start a feash thred on steam beer, (it's really a lager). Don't wont to hijack yours. Check for "Amber alliance" AA for short .

Bottled this evening at 1.012.
Had fermented in a fridge at 21 deg for 7 days and then left out in the shed for 2 days at around 2-3 deg.
I never bottled beer that was as clear, but was a bit concerned to much yeast had dropped out.
During bottling however the lids started dancing
Had a little tester and I reckon Christmas is looking good.

This one made my Christmas, on the beer front anyway
An easy drinker that you can get a few of them in to you no bother.
Good and malty, plenty of flavour.
I'm thinking next time a little roast barley maybe instead of the choclate or as well.
I'd like just a slight roast flavour with whats there and I reckon it almost perfect

How did you find the amber malt? I've found that it can take a while for it settle down to allow the other flavours to come through.

I really like it.
Part of my theory on brewing at this point is to figure out what's, what.
This brew was mostly about Amber, to see where I stood on it.
Part of the research ( ) is also to drink from young to see how things progress.
From 3 days in the bottle I was taking samples. A bit in your face to start with, but defnitly not unplesant.
I'd read that it can be very harsh unless well aged
It's more rounded now all right but still only 4 weeks old, as it's my first amber brew I dont know what to expect and it may develop further.
As I said above I think the beer could do with a little roast ( although now I'm thinking a toasty note would be best) but I guess this may develop given a bit more time, from what you are saying.

I allways put a few bottles away for 5-6 months and revisit them so it'll be interesting to see.
After reading back on that it sounds a bit pretentious and if I know what I'm talking about but they're my thoughts anyway

Second most of your points here. The amber can be a bit full on. And yes takes an age to clear and again age. I kown this because of the amber steam beer I am still doing. Still not bottled after 4 weeks in the second racking (been very ill the last week and it not from beer).

If you like Amber malt in a Mild (or Porter) you might try 6oz or so in a Pale Ale or IPA, it really works out well. Of course, you can also goof around and add some to brown ales or even stouts just to make your beer a little different. I really like it and I think it adds alot, especially in brown porters like Fuller London Porter, one of my favorite beers of all time.