Crazy Mountain Brewing Co.’s Crazy Mountain Amber Ale clone

Crazy Mountain Brewing Co.’s Crazy Mountain Amber Ale clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.052 FG = 1.012
IBU = 25 SRM = 11 ABV = 5.3%

This amber ale is somewhat of a hybrid between a hops-forward American pale ale with a big-time floral nose and flavor, and a roasty/malty American brown ale.

Ingredients
7 lbs. (3.2 kg) 2-row pale malt
1.5 lbs. (0.7 kg) light Munich malt
1.25 lbs. (0.6 kg) torrified wheat
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) crystal malt (60 °L)
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) biscuit malt
1 oz. (28 g) chocolate malt
12 AAU Cascade hops (10 min.) (1.5 oz./43 g at 8% alpha acids)
12 AAU Cascade hops (5 min.) (1.5 oz./43 g at 8% alpha acids)
Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Safale US-05 yeast
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Mill the grains and mix with 3.6 gallons (13.6 L) of 165 °F (74 °C) strike water to reach a mash temperature of 154 °F (68 °C). Hold this temperature for 60 minutes. Vorlauf until your runnings are clear, and then lauter. Sparge the grains with 3.6 gallons (13.6 L) of 170 °F (77 °C) water and top up as necessary to obtain 6 gallons (23 L) of wort. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops according to the ingredient list and Irish moss if desired.

After the boil, chill the wort to slightly below fermentation temperature, about 65 °F (18 °C). Aerate the wort with pure oxygen or filtered air and pitch yeast. Ferment at 66 °F (19 °C) until the completion of primary fermentation. Once the beer completes fermentation, reduce temperature to 32 °F (0 °C), then bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.25 volumes.

Crazy Mountain Brewing Co.’s Crazy Mountain Amber Ale clone

(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.051 FG = 1.012
IBU = 25 SRM = 11 ABV = 5.2%

Ingredients
4.5 lbs. (2 kg) pale liquid malt extract
1.5 lbs. (0.7 kg) light Munich malt
1.25 lbs. (0.6 kg) torrified wheat
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) crystal malt (60 °L)
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) biscuit malt
1 oz. (28 g) chocolate malt
12 AAU Cascade hops (10 min.) (1.5 oz./43 g at 8% alpha acids)
12 AAU Cascade hops (5 min.) (1.5 oz./43 g at 8% alpha acids)
Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Safale US-05 yeast
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Place the crushed grains into one large, or several smaller, grain bags. Bring 1.3 gallons (5 L) of water to approximately 165 °F (74 °C) then submerge all the grains into the water. The mash temperature should stabilize at 154 °F (68 °C) and hold there for 60 minutes. Remove the grain bags, and let drain fully. Add liquid extract while stirring, and top up as necessary to obtain 6 gallons (23 L) of wort. Stir until the liquid extract is completely dissolved before adding heat to the kettle. Bring the wort to a boil. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops according to the ingredient list and Irish moss as desired.

After the boil, chill the wort to slightly below fermentation temperature, about 65 °F (18 °C). Aerate the wort with pure oxygen or filtered air and pitch yeast. Ferment at 66 °F (19 °C) until the completion of primary fermentation. Once the beer completes fermentation, reduce temperature to 32 °F (0 °C), then bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.25 volumes.

Tips for Success:
As Rion noted in his letter, this beer has a profoundly prominent floral hops nose, for which you can thank its big time late-hopping regimen! All 25 IBUs come thanks to the aroma hops additions, but don’t let the hops take over the beer. John Allshouse, Senior Technical Advisor at Crazy Mountain Brewing Co., notes that homebreweries often lack the efficiency of commercial systems and that your beer may be lighter in color and lack some malt character. I’ve made some adjustments here to help you minimize that, but if you find that your version lacks the wonderful malt balance that Crazy Mountain celebrates, then feel free to bump up the character malt additions accordingly!