Smoked Maple Amber Ale

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.080  FG = 1.015
IBU = 21  SRM = 15  ABV = 8.5%

Ingredients

8 gallons (30 L) of maple sap
6 lbs. (2.7 kg) Muntons amber dried malt extract
1 lb. (0.45 kg) crystal malt (60 °L)
0.25 lb. (0.11 kg) German rauchmalz (smoked malt)
1 pint Vermont maple syrup
4 AAU Cascade hops (60 min.) (0.8 oz./23 g of 5% alpha acids)
8 AAU Northern Brewer hops (0 min.) (0.88 oz./25 g of 9% alpha acids) Dried ale yeast
0.33 cup corn sugar (for priming)
0.66 cup maple syrup (for priming)

Step by Step

Boil maple sap down to 6 gallons (22.7 L). Place crushed specialty malts in a steeping bag. In a large saucepan, combine 1 qt. (~1 L) of hot maple sap from kettle with enough tap water to bring temperature down to 160 °F (71 °C).

Steep grains in this liquid for 45 minutes, holding temperature between 150–155 °F (66–68 °C). Add malt extract and “grain tea” to kettle and boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at times indicated. Add maple syrup with 15 minutes left in boil.

After the boil, let wort stand (covered) for 30 minutes before cooling. Cool wort, siphon to fermenter, top off to 5.25 gallons (20 L), aerate and pitch yeast. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) for two weeks. Rack to secondary and let condition for 3 to 4 weeks.

Bottle with corn sugar and maple syrup. Let bottle condition for 4 weeks before you try it.

All-grain option Replace amber malt extract with 8.0 lbs. (3.6 kg) 2-row pale malt and 3.33 lbs. (1.5 kg) Munich malt. Heat maple sap to 163 °F (73 °C). Use 4 gallons of sap water to mash grains. Mash at 152 °F (67 °C) for 60 minutes. Sparge with 170 °F (77 °C) sap water. Boil wort for 60 minutes, adding hops at times indicated. Add maple syrup with 15 minutes left in boil. After the boil, let wort stand (covered) for 30 minutes before cooling. Cool wort, siphon to fermenter, aerate and pitch yeast. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) for two weeks. Rack to secondary and let condition for 3 to 4 weeks. Bottle with corn sugar and maple syrup. Let bottle condition for 4 weeks. (Adapted from “Brewing with Sugar” by Scott R. Russell, February 1998, p. 44.)