We've had a couple of cracks at brewing an American Amber Ale, but still felt like we hadn't quite nailed the style. So we're back for round three with American Cliché. As the name suggests, we're deliberately aiming for a classic, by-the-book American Amber Ale that ticks all the BJCP boxes - caramel malt, citrus-forward American hops, balanced bitterness and plenty of drinkability. If all goes well, this one will be making its way into a few competitions. The name is also a tip of the hat to one of our favourite songs by Filter.
Recipe Rationale
As mentioned above, and as the name suggests, the goal with American Cliché is to create a textbook American Amber Ale that sits comfortably within style guidelines. We wanted a beer that showcases the classic hallmarks of the style - a rich amber colour, moderate caramel malt character, balanced bitterness, and unmistakable American hop flavour and aroma.
One of the challenges we've encountered with previous attempts at brewing the style is finding the right balance between malt and hops. Too much crystal malt and the beer can become overly sweet and heavy. Push the hopping too far and it starts to resemble an American Pale Ale rather than an Amber Ale. For this iteration we've deliberately aimed for the middle ground, targeting a beer that's flavourful and characterful, whilst remaining highly drinkable.
Grain Bill
The grain bill was designed to provide complexity without becoming overly complicated. The majority of the fermentables come from Gladfield American Ale Malt, providing a clean and neutral malt backbone that allows the specialty malts and hops to shine.
Simpsons Medium Crystal contributes the classic caramel and toffee notes expected in the style, whilst also helping to establish the deep amber colour. Weyermann Munich I adds a subtle bread crust and toasted malt character that helps fill out the palate and provides additional depth without becoming overly malty.
Gladfield Shepherd's Delight was included to add another layer of malt complexity. As a melanoidin-style malt it contributes rich malt flavours, slight sweetness and additional colour, helping to create a more rounded and robust malt profile than crystal malt alone.
Finally, a small addition of Gladfield Light Chocolate Malt provides a final colour adjustment and a subtle drying effect on the finish. At only one percent of the grist it should remain firmly in the background, helping to prevent the beer from finishing overly sweet without contributing any noticeable roast flavours.
Hops
The hop selection is unapologetically American, featuring Amarillo, Cascade and Centennial. Together they represent some of the most recognisable hop varieties in American craft brewing and should contribute the citrus-forward character that defines the style.
Warrior is used exclusively as a bittering hop, providing a firm but clean bitterness without adding unnecessary flavour contributions. This establishes the bitterness foundation whilst allowing the later hop additions to take centre stage.
Amarillo is added late in the boil to contribute flavours of orange and sweet citrus, whilst the Cascade and Centennial whirlpool addition helps build hop flavour and aroma without significantly increasing bitterness. Conducting the whirlpool at 80°C allows us to capture more hop oils whilst minimising harshness and preserving drinkability.
The dry hop rate has deliberately been kept restrained. Whilst modern American hop-forward styles often benefit from aggressive dry hopping, American Amber Ale relies on balance. The modest dry hop addition is intended to enhance hop aroma and freshness whilst ensuring the malt profile remains an equal partner rather than being overwhelmed.
Water Profile
The water profile was built with balance in mind. Calcium is maintained at a moderate level to support yeast health, flocculation and overall beer stability.
Chloride and sulphate have been kept relatively close together, though with a slight lean towards sulphate. The intent is to provide enough sulphate to sharpen hop character and create a slightly drier finish, whilst retaining enough chloride to support the malt character and mouthfeel expected in an amber ale.
The result should be a beer that drinks crisp and clean without becoming thin or overly hop-accentuated.
Yeast
For this batch we'll be using Mogwai Labs MOG-103 Golden State Ale yeast. This strain is intended to deliver a clean fermentation profile with minimal ester production, allowing the malt and hop character to remain the focus of the beer.
A clean American-style yeast was considered essential for achieving the desired flavour profile, as the style generally benefits from restrained fermentation character and clear expression of both malt and hops.
For brewers looking to recreate this recipe, White Labs WLP001 Dry Yeast would be an excellent substitute and was the strain originally selected during recipe development. Both strains should produce a similarly clean and neutral fermentation profile that helps highlight the balance between caramel malt flavours and classic American citrus hop character.
All Grain Recipe
Vitals
- Batch Volume: 23L
- Boil Time: 60 minutes
- Brewhouse Efficiency: 75%
- Original Gravity: 1.051
- Final Gravity: 1.011
- IBU (Tinseth): 31
- BU/GU: 0.6
- Colour: 35 EBC
- Expected ABV: 5.3%
Mash
- Mash In: 67°C - 60 minutes
- Mash Out: 75°C - 10 minutes
Fermentables
- 4.2kg Gladfield American Ale Malt (80%)
- 0.4kg Simpsons Medium Crystal (7.6%)
- 0.4kg Weyermann Munich I (7.6%)
- 0.2kg Gladfield Shepherds Delight (3.8%)
- 0.05kg Gladfield Light Chocolate Malt (1%)
Hops
Boil Hops
- 60 mins - Warrior - 16 IBU
- 10 mins - Amarillo - 8 IBU
Hopstand/Whirlpool - 80°C
- 15 mins - Cascade (3 IBU)
- 15 mins - Centennial (3.5 IBU)
Dry Hop
- Day 4 - Amarillo - 15g
- Day 4 - Cascade - 15g
- Day 4 - Centennial - 15g
Yeast
- Mogwai Labs - MOG-103 Golden State OR
- Dry yeast alternative - White Labs WLP001
Fermentation
- 20°C
Carbonation
- 2.4 CO2-vol
Water Profile
- Ca2+ (Calcium): 50
- Mg2+ (Magnesium): 4
- Na+ (Sodium): 25
- Cl- (Chloride): 55
- SO42- (Sulfate): 79
- HCO3- (Bicarbonate): 30
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