The Squatch Batch #3 (American Amber) - Brew Day

I've always been a lover of the "idea" of an American Amber.  Before I turned into a hophead, I thought it was a great style with a beautiful copper color and a restrained hop profile that really showcased the caramel malts used in the grist.  Now that I have turned into a total hophead, I basically want all of that...plus a shitload of hops.

I've made two other honest attempts at brewing what I really want.  The first was probably a strange hop combination and definitely ended up too dark.  The second ended up darker but nicely showcased the Centennial hops.

This time around, I'm mashing up in the higher end of the range and "capping the mash" with the darker malts.  I'll be holding the chocolate malt out of the mash until the final 20 minutes in order to allow conversion for the paler malts in a more hospitable pH environment and to try to restrain the astringent character of the roasted stuff.

The hops schedule on this one should be a nice combination of pine and fruitiness.  I've always felt that unrestrained fruitiness just feel out of place in an amber, completely due to the color of the beer.  Something that trends to the more piney, resinous side of hop flavors always seems much more appropriate to me.  I'm hoping to crash this one fully, potentially with some gelatin, to attain a really nice, clear American hoppy amber ale.

The Squatch (American Amber)
5.5 gallon batch -- 60 minute boil
Est OG: 1.074
Est FG: 1.016
Est ABV: 7.7%
IBU:  75
SRM:  13

10.8lb Vienna Malt
3.50lb Maris Otter Malt
1.00lb Flaked Oats
0.50lb Caramel 120L
0.10lb Chocolate Malt 450L (add last 20 minutes of mash)

1.00oz Simcoe @ FWH (37 IBU)
0.50oz Magnum @ FWH (20 IBU)
2.50oz Nelson Sauvin @ Steep 5 min (8 IBU)
2.00oz Columbus @ Steep 5 min (7 IBU)
1.00oz Simcoe @ Steep 5 min (3 IBU)
2.50oz Nelson Sauvin @ Dry Hop 4 Days
2.00oz Columbus @ Dry Hop 4 Days
1.00oz Simcoe @ Dry Hop 4 Days

1250ml starter of Super San Diego WLP090 (from prior slurry)

Mash @ 154f for 60 minutes.

11/16/2014 -- Brewed by myself.  Mash efficiency came in around 85%.  I overshot my boil volume a little bit as my lighter crush doesn't seem to hold as much liquid.  Ended up with 5.5 gallons of 1.071 wort.  Pitched house culture of WLP090.

12/1/2014 -- Dry hopped. Gravity down to 1.012, more than expected. I had been worried that the WLP090 wouldn't fully ferment because I have had issues with it bottle carbing in my basement from temps in the low 60s, but it appears to have torn through everything.

12/4/2014 -- Cold crash.

12/7/2014 -- Bottled.  Beer finished at 1.013.