Bell’s Brewery’s Amber Ale clone, all-grain

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.056  FG = 1.012 IBU = 30  SRM = 13  ABV = 5.8%

The beer that helped build Bell’s, Amber Ale features both toasted and sweet caramel notes, balanced with herbal and citrus hop aromas. Capped by a clean bitterness, it’s incredibly versatile with food, but very tasty on its own.

Ingredients

9.5 lbs. (4.3 kg) North American 2-row pale malt
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) Munich malt (10 °L)
8 oz. (0.23 kg) caramel malt (40 °L)
8 oz. (0.23 kg) caramel malt (120 °L)
8 oz. (0.23 kg) Victory® malt
5 AAU Cascade hops (45 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 5% alpha acids)
4.5 AAU Fuggle hops (30 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
4.5 AAU Fuggle hops (15 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
1 oz. (28 g) Cascade hops (0 min.)
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or Safale US-05 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step

Heat 17.3 qts. (16.4 L) of strike water to 165 °F (74 °C). Mix with grains, the mash should stabilize at about 152 °F (67 °C). Hold at this temperature for 60 minutes, then raise temperature to mash out at about 168 °F (76 °C), either by infusion of boiling water, decoction, or other means. Vorlauf until wort runs clear then begin the sparge process.

Collect approximately 6.5 gallons (24.6 L) and bring to a boil. Total boil time is 60 minutes, adding hops as indicated. After boil is complete, turn off the heat, add the final hop addition, then give a long stir to create a whirlpool. Let wort settle for 5 minutes.

Chill the wort to 68–74 °F (20–23 °C). There should be about 5.5 gallons (21 L) of wort in your fermenter. Top fermenter up with cold water if you are short. Aerate wort and add yeast. Place your fermenter in a temperature-stable place that is in the 68–74 °F (20–23 °C) range. Bottle or keg after fermentation is complete.

Bell’s Brewery’s Amber Ale clone, extract with grains

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains) OG = 1.056  FG = 1.012 IBU = 30  SRM = 13  ABV = 5.8%

Ingredients

3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) light liquid malt extract
3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) Munich liquid malt extract
1 lbs. (0.45 kg) light dried malt extract
8 oz. (0.23 kg) caramel malt (40 °L)
8 oz. (0.23 kg) caramel malt (120 °L)
8 oz. (0.23 kg) Victory® malt
5 AAU Cascade hops (45 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 5% alpha acids)
4.5 AAU Fuggle hops (30 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
4.5 AAU Fuggle hops (15 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
1 oz. (28 g) Cascade hops (0 min.)
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or Safale US-05 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step

Place crushed grains in a muslin bag and steep them in 1 gallon (4 L) of water at 160 °F (71 °C) for 20 minutes in your brew pot. Remove the grains and fill up your kettle to 3.5 gallons  (13 L) of water. Bring to a boil and then remove kettle from heat and add malt extracts. Stir until dissolved and return kettle to heat and boil for 45 minutes. Add hops as indicated. After boil is complete, turn off the heat, add the final hop addition, then give a long stir to create a whirlpool. Let wort settle for 5 minutes.

Chill the wort to 68–74 °F (20–23 °C). Fill your sanitized fermenter with 2 gallons (8 L) of cold water and transfer chilled wort to fermenter. Top fermenter up to 5.5 gallons (21 L) with cold water. Aerate wort and add yeast. Place your fermenter in a temperature-stable place that is in the 68–74 °F (20–23 °C) range. Bottle or keg after fermentation is complete.