Youngs American Amber Ale (AAA)

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chewie

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Just started this kit of and seen there was no review for it yet so here goes :)

In the box
1 large pouch of malt extract
1 bag of brew sugar
1 pack of hop pellets
1 pack of priming sugar
1 pack of Newcastle dark ale yeast

Instructions followed to the T.

2 X 1.5 L kettles of boiling water mixed with sugar and extract and topped up to 23l with cold mains water brought the temp down to approx 23C. Recommended yeast pitch temp is below 25C.

SG (hydrometer in FV) was approx 1050. Target ABV is 5.4% which should be approx 1009-10. Hop sachet is recommended to be added when gravity gets to below 1015.

Taste test of malt extract was as you would expect but there was an after taste that lingered for quite a while.

Will update as things progress.

Approx 18 hours in and there is a steady fermentation taking place, room temp is around 20C.

Wed update 4 days in and airlock activity has slowed up considerably, temp has remained pretty constant at 20C +1 -1.

Sun update There has been virtually no airlock activity since wed and this has been on the go now for a full week, hydrometer check shows it to be at 1013 so added the hop sachet, instructions recommended hops to be added at or below 1015 and 2 to 3 days before bottling or or transfer to another FV. Will check gravity again on Tue and if no movement from today will proceed to finish this of.
 
Air lock activity picked up again after the hop pellets where added (these weren't stirred in), may well let this go a bit longer in the week to see if it gets down to the 1009 or so. Hop pellet varieties are cascade, pacific jade and summit.
 
I managed to get mine down to 1008.

Also, I only used half the bag of hops as I read on this forum that some people thought using the whole bag was a bit too hoppy.

The resultant brew had a nice hoppy flavour, not too bitter.

The rest of the hops? I'll use them with some other kit!
 
Yeah the gravity didn't move from 1013, kegged this into a corny and primed with the sugar packet on wednesday. Will update again once i've sampled. I agree about the hops though, smell lingered in the house for a whole day, depending how tasting goes 1/2 the pack could well be enough.
 
Been supping a few pints of this outta a corny now as last few days, grapefruit hop flavour is quite strong with the first pint but taste does subside after several though you can still taste it for quite a while after you've had a pint :) Probably worth cutting well back on the hops if a strong grapefruit flavour isn't to your liking, i'm happy enough with it though i would consider doing the pale ale kit before i would do the amber ale one again.
 
I brewed this and went away for week and temp went up to 27 degrees, for the duration of fermentation, it's drinkable but only just , almost has a banana belgiun taste to it
 
I brewed this in 2014, surprised I didn't add a review. Brewed it slightly short at 21L and it came out at 5.3%.

I really liked it. I'm not into ulta-hoppy beers but do like some hoppiness, this was just right for me. Must do it again sometime.

Bit of a chill haze because it had been in the fridge.

youngs_american_amber.JPG
 
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