Tröegs Independent Brewing: HopBack Amber Ale

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.063  FG = 1.017 IBU = 55  SRM = 11  ABV = 6%

Ingredients

10.3 lbs. (4.7 kg) Briess Pilsner malt
2.5 lbs. (1.1 kg) Munich malt (20 °L)
0.25 lbs. (113 g) crystal malt (20 °L)
0.25 lbs. (113 g) crystal malt (90 °L)
13 AAU Nugget hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 13 % alpha acids)
6.5 AAU Cascade hops (0 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 6.5% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU Willamette hops (0 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4.8% alpha acids)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Nugget hops (hopback)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Crystal hops (hopback) Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Safale US-05 yeast
3/4 cup (150 g) corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step

Mash the grains at 152 °F (67 °C) for 60 minutes. Collect approximately 7 gallons (26 L) of wort to boil for 90 minutes and have a 5.5-gallon (21-L) yield. Add hops at times indicated during the boil. After the boil, give the wort a long stir to create a whirlpool and let settle for 15 minutes. For the hopback addition, you have two options. If you have a hopback, then utilize the hopback prior sending the wort into your chiller. If you do not have a hopback, add these hops with 5 minutes remaining in the whirlpool. Cool the wort to 75 °F (24 °C), aerate the beer and pitch your yeast. Allow the beer to cool over the next few hours to 68 °F (20 °C), and hold at this temperature until the beer has finished fermenting. Bottle or keg as usual.

Extract with grains option: Substitute the Pilsner and Munich malt in the all-grain recipe with 3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) Briess Pilsen light liquid malt extract, 3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) Briess Sparkling Amber liquid malt extract and 1.5 lbs. (0.91 kg) Munich dried malt extract. Steep the crushed malts in 5 gallons (19 L) of water at 152 °F (67 °C) for 30 minutes. Remove grains from wort, add all the malt extracts and bring to a boil for 60 minutes. Follow the remaining portion of the all-grain recipe.