Whitewater Riffle Trout Amber Ale
by @dekasso
Spray, spruce and a trout in the air
A Pacific Northwest style amber ale at 5.8%, caramel malt and citrus hops, for a cold pour after a day on fast water.
Brewed to order
Whitewater Riffle Trout Amber Ale shows a trout leaping out of churning rapids below dark firs and misty peaks. The label is coloured in slate grey, deep forest green and foam white, with cream lettering across a stormy sky.
- ABV
- 5.8%
- IBU
- 34
- Colour
- 14SRM
- OG to FG
- 1.0571.013
- Caramel malt with grapefruit and pine
- 5.8% ABV and 34 IBU
- Copper colour at 14 SRM
- Trout leaping from white rapids
- Cascade dry hop for four days
In the glass
Caramel and toasted bread, then grapefruit pith and pine, finishing dry
- Serve
- 45°F in a nonic pint
- Alongside
- Cedar-plank trout, smoked cheddar, a burger off the grill
A trout breaks clear of white rapids, its pink stripe flashing over the foam. Dark firs crowd the banks, and grey peaks sit in the mist behind. Cream letters arc across a heavy sky.
It pours copper with an off-white head. Caramel and toasted bread come first, then grapefruit and pine from the Cascade and Centennial, and it finishes dry. Open one while the waders drip on the tailgate.
Mash temperature is the step to watch. Hold 153°F for the full hour and the beer keeps enough body to carry the crystal malt without turning sweet.
The numbers
5.8%Alcohol by volume
(1.057 − 1.013) × 131.25
34Bitterness, IBU
Bitterness only means anything against the style. This one is a American amber ale.
14Colour, SRM
The swatch above is this number on the standard reference ramp, not an impression of it.
Gravity1.057 down to 1.013 — 77% apparent attenuation.
Details
Details
- River
- An unnamed Pacific Northwest whitewater river
- Style
- amber ale
- ABV
- 5.8%
- Tasting notes
- caramel, toasted bread, grapefruit, pine
- Colors
- slate grey, forest green, foam white, cream, rust orange
Make it yourself
At a glance
- Style
- American amber ale
- Gravity, OG → FG
- 1.057 → 1.013
- ABV
- 5.8%Derived from OG and FG
- Bitterness
- 34 IBU
- Colour
- 14SRMdeep amber
- Difficulty
- Second batchthe mash needs a steady temperature and the dry hop needs clean timing.
- First pint
- 35 daysFrom brew day, including conditioning
- Brew day
- 2 h 10 minKettle on to kitchen clean. The rest is the yeast.
- You supply
- brew kettle, mash tun, fermenter with airlock, thermometer, hydrometer, wort chiller, sanitiser, bottles or keg system, capper
- Written for
- 5 gal (18.9 L)
- Efficiency assumed
- 72%Brew-in-a-bag, full-volume. House guidance
Grain bill
4 malts · 10.88 lb for 5 gal
Milled grain, weighed for each batch size. The percentage is each malt's share of the grist and stays the same at every size.
| Malt | % of grist | 12-pack batch · 1.25 gal | Classic · 5 gal | 12×12 batch · 15 gal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pale 2-row | 78.2% | 2.13 lb (0.96 kg) | 8.5 lb (3.86 kg) | 25.5 lb (11.57 kg) |
| Munich | 9.2% | 4 oz (113 g) | 1 lb (0.45 kg) | 3 lb (1.36 kg) |
| Crystal 60L | 9.2% | 4 oz (113 g) | 1 lb (0.45 kg) | 3 lb (1.36 kg) |
| Crystal 120L | 3.4% | 1.5 oz (43 g) | 6 oz (170 g) | 1.13 lb (0.51 kg) |
| Total grain | 100% | 2.72 lb (1.23 kg) | 10.88 lb (4.93 kg) | 32.63 lb (14.8 kg) |
Hop schedule
4 additions · 60 min boil
Pellet hops, weighed in grams. Boil times count down to the end of the boil, so 60 minutes means the first thing in the kettle.
| Hop | Use | Time | 12-pack batch · 1.25 gal | Classic · 5 gal | 12×12 batch · 15 gal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus | Boil | 60 min | 3.5 g (0.13 oz) | 14 g (0.5 oz) | 43 g (1.5 oz) |
| Centennial | Boil | 15 min | 3.5 g (0.13 oz) | 14 g (0.5 oz) | 43 g (1.5 oz) |
| Cascade | Boil | Flameout | 7.1 g (0.25 oz) | 28 g (1 oz) | 85 g (3 oz) |
| Cascade | Dry hop | 4 days | 7.1 g (0.25 oz) | 28 g (1 oz) | 85 g (3 oz) |
Yeast and pitch
American ale yeast · 1 dry pack for 5 gal
American ale yeast (US-05). Pitch at 64°F.
| Yeast | 12-pack batch · 1.25 gal | Classic · 5 gal | 12×12 batch · 15 gal |
|---|---|---|---|
| American ale yeast | 1 dry pack | 1 dry pack | 3 dry packs |
One pack per 5 gal, and one more above 1.060 OG in a batch over 3 gal. Never fewer than one. House guidance
Water
8.12 gal into the mash for 5 gal
Full-volume brew-in-a-bag: all the water goes in at the start and there is no sparge. Volumes are the total to heat, so the kettle has to hold the mash and still leave room to boil: the 12-pack kit sells a 5 gal stockpot and the 12×12 kit a 30 gal kettle for that.
| Water | 12-pack batch · 1.25 gal | Classic · 5 gal | 12×12 batch · 15 gal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Into the mash | 2.12 gal (8 L) | 8.12 gal (30.7 L) | 19.86 gal (75.2 L) |
| Boiled off | 0.5 gal (1.9 L) | 1.25 gal (4.7 L) | 1.25 gal (4.7 L) |
| Held by the grain | 0.22 gal (0.8 L) | 0.87 gal (3.3 L) | 2.61 gal (9.9 L) |
| Left as trub | 0.15 gal (0.6 L) | 1 gal (3.8 L) | 1 gal (3.8 L) |
| Into the fermenter | 1.25 gal (4.7 L) | 5 gal (18.9 L) | 15 gal (56.8 L) |
Boil-off, grain absorption and trub are typical figures for a stovetop pot and a propane kettle, not measurements of your own gear. Brew once, note what you end up with, and adjust. House guidance
Water profile Moderate minerals with chloride and sulfate close to balanced, so the malt and the hops share the stage.
Mash
153°F · 60 min
The mash turns starch into sugar. Hold the temperature steady and the beer finishes the way the recipe intends.
- Rest153°F for 60 minutes
- Strike waterHeat to 163°F; the grain cools it to the rest temperature. House guidance
- Mash-outRaise to 168°F and hold 10 minutes, then lift and drain the bag. House guidance
- Mash inhold it steady, because this rest gives the caramel malt a body to sit on
- Mash outit stops the enzymes and loosens the sugars for the sparge
Boil
60 min · 3 hop additions
Hops go in on a countdown from the end of the boil. Early additions give bitterness; late ones give aroma.
- Length60 minutes
- 60 minColumbus
- 15 minCentennial
- FlameoutCascade
- 15 minA kettle fining (whirlfloc or Irish moss) clears the beer if you have one. House guidance
- Chillto 64°Fa cool pitch keeps the yeast clean and quiet
Fermentation
4 steps · 1 dry hop · first pint in 35 days
The recipe's own schedule, in order. Temperature control matters more than almost anything else on this page.
- 7 days at 66°F
- Raise to 68°F for 3 days
- Add the dry hop
- Cold crash at 36°F for 2 days
- Dry hopCascade, 4 days
First pint 35 days from brew day.
Packaging and carbonation
2.4 volumes CO₂ · bottle or keg
Target 2.4 volumes of CO₂.
| Bottling | 12-pack batch · 1.25 gal | Classic · 5 gal | 12×12 batch · 15 gal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corn sugar to prime | 1.03 oz (29 g) | 4.12 oz (117 g) | 12.37 oz (351 g) |
| 12 oz bottles it fills | 12 | 50 | 144 |
Dissolve the sugar in a little boiled water, stir it gently into the beer, then bottle. The amount is worked out for 68°F, the warmest the beer got while it fermented.
Kegging Set the regulator to 10.2 psi at 38°F.
Kegging instead Skip the bottles with 3 × 5 gal ball-lock kegs, 1 × 5 lb CO₂ tank, 1 × dual-gauge regulator, 1 × gas and beer lines with picnic taps: the kegging upgrade for the 15 gal home brewery, $594.
Brewer's notes
3 tips
- Weigh the Crystal 120L carefully; a few extra ounces push the colour toward brown.From the recipe
- Add the dry hop once the gravity has stopped moving, so the aroma stays in the beer.From the recipe
- Keep oxygen out at packaging; Cascade aroma fades fast when air gets in.From the recipe
Every kit size
Ingredients only
Ingredient kit · 12-pack batch
$22.40
$1.87 a bottle
Grain milled, hops bagged per addition, yeast, priming sugar and 12 caps, for 1.25 gal.
Includes Pale 2-row · Munich · Crystal 60L · Crystal 120L · and 9 more
Every item in this kit · 13 items
Ingredients
- Pale 2-row$4.87
- Munich$0.65
- Crystal 60L$0.72
- Crystal 120L$0.27
- Columbus (60 min)$1.50
- Centennial (15 min)$1.50
- Cascade (flameout)$1.50
- Cascade (dry hop, 4 days)$1.50
- American ale yeast$6.49
- Milling and kitting$3
Packaging
- Corn sugar for priming$0.40
- Crown capsIncluded
Guide
- Printed brew guideIncluded
Ingredient kit · 12×12 batch
$152.44
$1.06 a bottle
Grain milled, hops bagged per addition, yeast, priming sugar and 144 caps, for 15 gal.
Includes Pale 2-row · Munich · Crystal 60L · Crystal 120L · and 9 more
Every item in this kit · 13 items
Ingredients
- Pale 2-row$58.40
- Munich$7.77
- Crystal 60L$8.67
- Crystal 120L$3.25
- Columbus (60 min)$5.99
- Centennial (15 min)$5.99
- Cascade (flameout)$11.97
- Cascade (dry hop, 4 days)$11.97
- American ale yeast$19.47
- Milling and kitting$8
Packaging
- Corn sugar for priming$4.96
- Crown caps$6
Guide
- Printed brew guideIncluded
Complete home brewery
Complete home brewery · 12-pack batch
$216.22
$18.02 a bottle
Bought separately $237.76 · you save $21.54
All the equipment, then the ingredient kit, for 1.25 gal. Works on a kitchen stove.
Includes 5 gal stainless stockpot · Fine-mesh brew bag · 1.5 gal glass fermenter with drilled bung · 3-piece airlock · and 23 more
Every item in this kit · 27 items
Equipment
- 5 gal stainless stockpot$49.99
- Fine-mesh brew bag$9.99
- 1.5 gal glass fermenter with drilled bung$17.99
- 3-piece airlock$2.49
- No-rinse sanitizer, 4 oz$12.99
- Hydrometer and test jar$15.99
- Digital probe thermometer$14.99
- Mini auto-siphon with tubing$13.99
- Spring-tip bottle filler$5.99
- 12 oz amber bottles$16.99
- Wing capper$19.99
- Brewery wash, 1 lb$9.99
- 0.1 g kitchen scale$14.99
- Long stainless spoon$8.99
Ingredients
- Pale 2-row$4.87
- Munich$0.65
- Crystal 60L$0.72
- Crystal 120L$0.27
- Columbus (60 min)$1.50
- Centennial (15 min)$1.50
- Cascade (flameout)$1.50
- Cascade (dry hop, 4 days)$1.50
- American ale yeast$6.49
- Milling and kitting$3
Packaging
- Corn sugar for priming$0.40
- Crown capsIncluded
Guide
- Printed brew guideIncluded
Complete home brewery · 12×12 batch
$1,248.44
$8.67 a bottle
Bought separately $1,370.22 · you save $121.78
All the equipment, then the ingredient kit, for 15 gal. You supply a propane tank and water.
Includes 30 gal stainless kettle with ball valve and thermometer · 72 · 30 gal brew bag · 50 ft copper immersion chiller · and 26 more
Every item in this kit · 30 items
Equipment
- 30 gal stainless kettle with ball valve and thermometer$399
- 72,000 BTU propane burner and stand$99
- 30 gal brew bag$44.99
- 50 ft copper immersion chiller$129
- 7.9 gal fermenting buckets with lids and airlocks$89.97
- No-rinse sanitizer, 32 oz$32.99
- Brewery wash, 4 lb$34.99
- Hydrometer and test jar$15.99
- Refractometer$29.99
- Digital thermometer$24.99
- ½" auto-siphon with tubing$24.99
- Bottling buckets with spigots$55.98
- Bottle filler$5.99
- 12 oz amber bottles (6 cases)$119.94
- Bench capper$59.99
- Mash paddle$24.99
- Digital scale$24.99
Ingredients
- Pale 2-row$58.40
- Munich$7.77
- Crystal 60L$8.67
- Crystal 120L$3.25
- Columbus (60 min)$5.99
- Centennial (15 min)$5.99
- Cascade (flameout)$11.97
- Cascade (dry hop, 4 days)$11.97
- American ale yeast$19.47
- Milling and kitting$8
Packaging
- Corn sugar for priming$4.96
- Crown caps$6
Guide
- Printed brew guideIncluded
The creator
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- amber ale
- trout
- whitewater
- riffle
- rapids
- pacific northwest
- cascade hops
- centennial
- forest
- mountains
- homebrew recipe