Rye Malt in American Amber Options

[Montana]

I am planning on making an All-Grain American Amber Ale. Would it be to off bases to use Rye Malt in it?
Here is my proposed grain bill for a 7.5 gallon batch:
OG 1.059
Alcohol 5.81%

14# 2-row
1.25# Crystal Malt 40l
.5# Crystal Malt 80l
4oz Pale Chocolate
.5# American Victory
.5# Rye Malt

As you can see my recipe making skills could use some help at times (IMG:style_emoticons/brewboard/banghead.gif)

[sidney porter]

at 3% of the grain bill I don't think you will get much flavor coming thru

[Montana]

at 3% of the grain bill I don't think you will get much flavor coming thru

What percentage of Rye should I look for to get some rye flavor?

[sidney porter]

i would use 15-30% depending on how much rye you want to come thru. 10% or less is really hard to pich up in an american amber, APA, IPA

[DJ in KC]

I brewed this grainbill a while back and am sipping it now. The grain bill is fairly similar except no chocolate and more rye.

http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?showtopic=101507

That's a little under 9% of the grainbill. You can tell it's there, not really very assertive but pleasant.

My house RyePA has usually around 25% Rye. If you haven't used rye much I would suggest bumping it up over 10% maybe even 15% to see how you like it.

[Yeasty Boy]

The chocolate could easily go down to 2oz. I use 1oz 625° roasted for coloring in mine; I don't want to taste dark roasty grains in an amber. Otherwise, looks good as-is, with the caceat that the only thing "rye" about it will be the recipe. You'll need to tell everyone when you serve it. If you want that rye flavor, I'd say even 10% isn't a great starting point. Depending on your hop load it may be 15% before it really comes through. I use about 20% unmalted in my rye, and it's assertive, but not at all unpleasant or unbeery - tastes like a good malty beer with big cereal profile.

[Oldfart]

I put a pound or two of rye malt into practically everything I brew these days, even stuff like cream ale, where you wouldn't expect it. Even if the rye (like from one pound of rye) doesn't come through as a rye taste per se, I fancy that the rye still adds something, like a little spark of freshness or something -- it seems to "liven it up".

Anyone else notice this? Could be that my old taste buds don't know what they're talking about...

(IMG:style_emoticons/brewboard/cheers.gif) OF

[jwatkins56550]

In a beer like an american amber, 3% of rye malt wont be noticed much, especially with those darker grains. In a beer like an american pilsner, 3% rye malt will contribute a more noticable difference. When formulating recipes, you must take into account how delicate the beer is your making. Say you brew a russian imperial stout, and add that 3% rye, you wouldn't notice it. Bump that up to like 10-15% and you'll see some flavor contributions.

[DJ in KC]

......... I fancy that the rye still adds something, like a little spark of freshness or something -- it seems to "liven it up".

Anyone else notice this? Could be that my old taste buds don't know what they're talking about...

(IMG:style_emoticons/brewboard/cheers.gif) OF

Yup, richness or depth IMHO. It can be overdone and make things to busy if you go overboard with a lot of other specialty grains. I've subbed choc rye a few times for choc malt, subtle but a bit different. Same with a bit of rye but I have a really hard time staying with just a bit........

[dmtaylor]

Rye malt doesn't add huge flavor so much as a huge, rich, very creamy mouthfeel. I recently made an American rye ale with about 50% rye malt, and it is an EXCELLENT beer...... just so damn creamy. The rye flavor is sort of like wheat, quite bready, but not in your face. The biggest thing about rye is how deliciously creamy it is.

[Howie]

Rye malt doesn't add huge flavor so much as a huge, rich, very creamy mouthfeel. I recently made an American rye ale with about 50% rye malt, and it is an EXCELLENT beer...... just so damn creamy. The rye flavor is sort of like wheat, quite bready, but not in your face. The biggest thing about rye is how deliciously creamy it is.

I don't get that at all. I think of rye as addidng more of a spicy quality and contributing to a dry, crisp finish.

I've never heard of anyone describing rye as creamy

[dmtaylor]

Try brewing with 50% rye malt and you'll see exactly what I mean.

[korndog]

Definitley livens up the beer. Like a touch of horseradish would a piece of meat. I use 15% malted rye and 10% flaked rye in my Rye pales. I would say, they are my favorite beers. For some reason, they take longer than other beers for the flavors to marry and mature. Anyone else notice that?