Golden Nugget - Imperial Amber

A respectful attempt at a Troegs Nugget Nectar clone. Once a year just isn't enough!

Brewer:	Chris Ungvarsky		Email:	cungvarsky@aspexcorp.com
Beer:	Golden Nugget - Imperial Amber		Style:	American Amber Ale
Type:	Partial mash		Size:	5 gallons
Color:	25 HCU (~14 SRM)		Bitterness:	96 IBU
OG:	1.072		FG:	1.012
Alcohol:	7.7% v/v (6.1% w/w)
Water:	1 tsp Gypsum with mash
Grain:	2 lb. American Munich 8 oz. American crystal 60L 8 oz. Dextrine malt (Cara-Pils)
Mash:	65% efficiency
	Place all grains in a muslin bag and mash at 155° F for 30 min in 1.5 gal water. Sparge with 1 gal water at 170° F. Collect runnings.
Boil:	60 minutes	SG 1.144	2.5 gallons
	3 lb. 3 oz. Amber malt extract 2 lb. Extra Light dry malt extract 1 lb. 10 oz. Amber dry malt extract 5 oz. Honey
	Do not add honey until last 15 minutes of boil. Also add 1 tsp irish moss last 15 minutes of boil.
Hops:	1 oz. Nugget (11.6% AA, 60 min.) .5 oz. Northern Brewer (7.5% AA, 45 min.) .25 oz. Yakima Magnum (13.1% AA, 45 min.) .5 oz. Nugget (11.6% AA, 30 min.) .75 oz. Cascade (5.8% AA, 30 min.) .5 oz. Chinook (12.2% AA, 15 min.) .5 oz. Liberty (4% AA, 15 min.) .5 oz. Nugget (11.6% AA, 15 min.) .25 oz. Columbus (13.7% AA, 15 min.) .5 oz. Chinook (aroma) .5 oz. Liberty (aroma) 1 oz. Nugget (aroma) .25 oz. Yakima Magnum (aroma) .25 oz. Columbus (aroma)
Yeast:	Danstar Nottingham yeast. 32 oz starter made 2 days prior. 3 oz light DME & 5 Willamette (4.5%) pellets.
Log:	Brewed 8/12/07. Wort filtration was very difficult. Pitched yeast starter at about 11pm. Woke up at 8am 8/13/07 and went to check the beer... Fermenting violenty! Yeast starter a smashing success!!! Whole house still smells like hops! This is gonna be a good one.
Carbonation:	Keg and force carbonate.
Tasting:	8/12 - Tasted unfermented wort alongside a Victory HopDevil. Made the HopDevil taste like a scottish... 8/19 - Racked to secondary. Could smell hops as soon as airlock was removed. Took sample for gravity reading and tasting. 7.2% ABV now. Quite hoppy with a nice malt base, not quite as floral as Nugget Nectar (no hopback), but any hophead is gonna love this one.

Recipe posted 08/13/07.