Sprecher Brewing Company: Special Amber

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.052 FG = 1.013 IBU = 19 SRM = 10 ABV = 5.1%
A delicate balance of toasted malt and fresh hops give this medium-bodied German-style lager an intriguing, complex malt flavor.

Ingredients

9 lbs. (4.2 kg) Pilsner malt
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) dark Munich malt (20 °L)
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) Belgian Caravienna malt
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) crystal malt (120 °L)
5.5 AAU Cascade hops (60 min.) (1.1 oz./25 g at 5% alpha acids)
4 AAU Mt. Hood hops (2 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4% alpha acids)
1 tsp. Irish moss (15 min.) Wyeast 2206 (Bavarian Lager) or White Labs WLP830 (German Lager) yeast
¾ cup (150 g) dextrose (if priming)

Step by step

Sprecher does a two-step mash when brewing Special Amber. Mash all your grains at 122 °F (50 °C) for 30 minutes, then raise the temperature to 155 °F (68 °C) for 45 minutes. Mash out, vorlauf, and then sparge at 170 °F (77 °C) to collect 6 gallons (23 L) of wort. Add 2 qts. (1.9 L) of water and boil for 90 minutes. Add hops at times indicated. Cool, aerate, and pitch yeast. Ferment at 50 °F (10 °C). After fermentation is complete, bottle or keg as usual.

Extract with grains option: Substitute the Pilsner malt in the all-grain recipe with 2 lb. 2 oz. (0.96 kg) Briess light dried malt extract and 4 lbs. (1.8 kg) Alexander’s pale liquid malt extract. Place crushed malts in a nylon steeping bag and steep in 2.3 qts. (2.1 L) of water at 150 °F (66 °C) for 30 minutes. Rinse grains with 1.3 qts. (1.3 L) of water at 170 °F (77 °C). Add water to make 3 gallons (11 L), stir in dried malt extract and bring to a boil. Add hops at times indicated and liquid malt extract and Irish moss for last 15 minutes. Top off to 5 gallons (19 L) after cooling. Follow the remaining portion of the all-grain recipe.