Dougie-style Amber Recipe

Heat strike water

Heat 3.5 gallons (about 13.2 L) of brewing water to 165°F (74°C). If using gypsum or campden, add them to the water and stir to dissolve before heating.

Mash in

Add the crushed grains (pale malt, caramel 40L, Munich, Victory, cara-pils) to a mash tun. Pour the heated strike water over the grains and mix thoroughly to eliminate dry pockets. Target mash temperature: 152°F (67°C).

Mash rest

Hold the mash at 152°F (67°C) for 60 minutes. Stir gently once or twice during the mash to maintain even temperature and encourage conversion.

Mash out

Raise the mash temperature to 168°F (76°C) by adding 1.0 gallon of 180–170°F water (or direct heat if using a HERMS/RIMS system), hold for 10 minutes to stop enzymatic activity and improve wort flow.

Sparge

Sparge with enough water to collect approximately 6.5–6.75 gallons of pre-boil wort (use 170°F / 77°C water). Aim for a total pre-boil volume that will produce 5.0 gallons of finished beer after boil and trub loss.

Bring to a boil

Bring the collected wort to a rolling boil. Watch carefully to avoid boil-overs as proteins foam up early in the boil.

Bittering hop addition (60 minutes)

At the start of the 60-minute boil, add 0.5 oz Magnum hops. Boil for a full 60 minutes.

Late hop addition (10 minutes)

With 10 minutes remaining in the boil, add 1.0 oz Cascade (or chosen flavor hop) and 1 tsp Irish moss or Whirlfloc if using. This addition contributes flavor and helps clarify the beer.

Aroma/whirlpool hop (post-boil)

At flameout, turn off the heat and add 0.5 oz Cascade (aroma). Allow the wort to sit for 15–30 minutes at 170–180°F for whirlpool/hop steep to extract aroma without excessive bitterness.

Chill the wort

Cool the wort rapidly to 68°F (20°C) using an immersion chiller, counterflow, or an ice bath. Rapid cooling reduces the chance of off-flavors and microbial contamination.

Transfer and aerate

Transfer the chilled wort to a sanitized fermenter, leaving behind most trub. Aerate vigorously by shaking, splashing, or using sterile oxygen until dissolved oxygen is reached (~8–10 ppm for ale yeast) or for 60–90 seconds with vigorous shaking.

Pitch yeast

Pitch the packet of ale yeast (or properly prepared starter) into the chilled wort. Target fermentation temperature: 66–68°F (19–20°C).

Primary fermentation

Allow the beer to ferment for 5–7 days at 66–68°F until vigorous activity slows. Then let it continue for a total of 10–14 days to ensure attenuation and flocculation.

Secondary conditioning (optional)

Optional: rack the beer to a secondary fermenter after primary fermentation subsides (around day 7–10) and condition for an additional 7–14 days to clarify and mellow flavors.

Prepare priming sugar

Dissolve 3.25 oz (92 g) priming sugar in 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water, cool to room temperature, and add to a sanitized bottling bucket.

Bottle

Rack the beer gently into the bottling bucket on top of the priming solution to ensure even carbonation, then fill and cap sanitized bottles. Leave 1/2 inch headspace in each bottle.

Bottle conditioning

Condition bottles at 68°F (20°C) for 2 weeks for carbonation, then cold condition (lagering) for 1–2 weeks at 35–45°F (2–7°C) if possible to improve clarity and flavor.

Serve

Chill bottles, pour carefully leaving sediment in bottle, and serve in a clean glass at 45–55°F (7–13°C). Enjoy a balanced amber ale with caramel malt backbone and a bright American hop character.