Ringing the Final Bell

Foaming out of the chiller.

My Dad retired about a month ago.  He and I have been working together for a decade, and seeing his face and connecting with him on a daily basis has been a blessing that few children are able to share with their parents.  My Dad's a pretty amazing guy, too.  He has a huge heart.  He's tireless and passionate about his work, almost to a fault.  I'm happy to say that I'm a little bit like him.  Working with him changed the dynamic of our relationship and made us closer, and his absence is something that I feel acutely.  If I really think about it, I realize that we became adult friends at work.  When you're trying to raise your kids you can't be their friend.  You can be friendly, but that authoritative distance has to be maintained if you really want the best for them.  My Dad was never overbearing or domineering, but as I grew up and we worked together, I had the chance to see him in a different light.  We became friends, and his absence makes me realize how special that relationship is.

He asked me to brew a beer for his retirement party this summer.  His request? Amber Ale.  He's a fan of Sierra Nevada, so I decided to make adjustments to a tried and true Pale Ale recipe, adding additional color and hop presence.  The result is Final Bell Amber Ale:

Malts and Grains

11.50 pounds	American Pale Malt (2-Row)	89.5% of grist
1.25 pounds	Crystal Malt 60L	9.7% of grist
0.10 pounds	German Carafa I De-Husked Malt	0.8% of grist
12.85 pounds	Total Grain Weight (Water Amounts)	100% of grist

Hops

0.33 ounces	Magnum 13% Pellets @ 60 minutes  Type: Bittering Use: Boil	4.3 AAUs
0.50 ounces	Amarillo 8.9% Pellets @ 30 minutes  Type: Flavor Use: Boil	4.5 AAUs
1.00 ounces	Cascade 5.5% Pellets @ 10 minutes  Type: Aroma Use: Aroma	5.5 AAUs
1.00 ounces	Cascade 5.5% Pellets @ 0 minutes  Type: Aroma Use: Dry Hop	5.5 AAUs
2.83 ounces	Total Hop Weight	19.7 AAUs

Boil

Total Boil Time:

60 minutes

Yeast

Name:	California Ale
Manufacturer:	White Labs
Product ID:	WLP001
Type:	Ale
Flocculation:	High
Attenuation:	76%
Temperature Range:	68–73°F
Amount:	35 ml

I brewed this beer over the course of an afternoon and it went exactly as planned.  I mashed at 153 degrees F for an hour and gathered 5.5 gallons of wort.  I'm hoping the addition of Amarillo hops will give this beer additional complexity.  I may dry hop it if it seems appropriate after primary fermentation.  Next up?  Cascadian Dark Ale and a rebrew of KTG.