Honey Amber Ale – All Grain Recipe (Featuring Gambrinus Honey Malt)

Looking for a smooth, malt-forward beer with a subtle natural honey character? This Honey Amber Ale showcases the unique flavour of Gambrinus Honey Malt — delivering rich, bready sweetness with a clean, balanced finish.

Perfect as an easy-drinking house beer or a crowd-pleasing tap addition.

📊 Recipe Specifications

• Batch Size: 23 Litres

• Original Gravity (OG): 1.050

• Final Gravity (FG): 1.010–1.012

• ABV: ~5.2%

• IBU: ~25

• Colour: Deep Golden / Light Amber

🌾 Grain Bill

• 4.5 kg Pale Ale Malt

• 300 g Gambrinus Honey Malt

• 250 g Munich Malt

• 150 g Light Crystal Malt (20–40L)

• 100 g Wheat Malt

Why Honey Malt?
Gambrinus Honey Malt provides a rich malt sweetness reminiscent of honey, without the need to add actual honey. It enhances body, aroma, and complexity while remaining smooth and drinkable.

💧 Mash Schedule

• Mash at 65°C for 60 minutes

• Mash out at 75°C for 10 minutes

• Sparge to collect approximately 27L pre-boil

🔥 Boil & Hop Additions (60 Minutes)

• 15 g Magnum @ 60 minutes (bittering)

• 20 g Cascade @ 10 minutes (flavour)

• 20 g Cascade @ flameout (aroma – optional)

Balanced hopping allows the honey malt character to shine without overpowering bitterness.

🧪 Yeast Options

• SafAle US-05 (clean, neutral profile)

• Lallemand Nottingham (slightly fuller body)

🌡️ Fermentation

• Ferment at 18–20°C

• Primary fermentation: 10–14 days

• Optional cold crash for improved clarity

🍯 Flavour Profile

• Smooth malt backbone

• Subtle honey-like sweetness

• Light toast and biscuit notes

• Clean, refreshing finish

⚙️ Brewing Tips

• Keep Honey Malt between 5–8% of total grain bill to avoid excessive sweetness

• No need to add real honey — this malt does the job beautifully

• Ideal mash temperature helps maintain balance and drinkability

🔧 Optional Variations

Boost Honey Character
Increase Honey Malt to 350 g (maximum recommended)

Drier Finish
Mash at 64°C or add up to 5% dextrose

Fuller Body
Add 100 g Carapils

Hop Alternatives

• Amarillo (orange/citrus notes)

• Galaxy (light tropical twist – use sparingly)