Ama Brewery | 04. 2022 Recipe

Heat water and steep grains

Heat 2.5 gallons of the 6 gallons of water to 160°F (71°C) in a large brew kettle. Place the light crystal malt and flaked oats into a mesh grain bag and steep in the 160°F water for 20–30 minutes, maintaining 150–160°F. After steeping, remove the grain bag and allow it to drain into the kettle; do not squeeze aggressively.

Bring to boil and add malt extract

Bring the kettle to a gentle boil. Remove from heat briefly and stir in the pale malt extract until fully dissolved to prevent scorching. Return to a rolling boil and watch for boil-overs for the first 5 minutes.

Hop additions

When the wort reaches a full boil, add 1.0 oz Centennial hops (bittering) and start a 60-minute timer. With 15 minutes left in the boil add 0.5 tsp Whirlfloc (if using). With 5–10 minutes left add 1.0 oz Cascade hops for flavor/aroma.

Cool the wort

At the end of the 60-minute boil, turn off the heat and cool the wort as quickly as possible to ~70°F (21°C) using an immersion chiller or ice bath. Place the kettle in an ice bath and stir to speed cooling if you don't have a chiller.

Top up and transfer

Once cooled to pitching temperature, transfer the wort to a sanitized fermenter. Top up with the remaining water to reach approximately 5 gallons total volume (account for kettle dead space). Aerate the wort by splashing or by stirring vigorously for 2–3 minutes.

Pitch yeast and ferment

Rehydrate or gently swirl your yeast according to package instructions and pitch into the aerated wort at ~68–70°F (20–21°C). Seal the fermenter with an airlock and ferment in a temperature-controlled room at 66–70°F (19–21°C) for 7–10 days or until primary fermentation activity subsides.

Secondary (optional) and conditioning

Optional: rack to a secondary fermenter after 7–10 days for clearer beer and allow to condition another 7–14 days at the same temperature. Otherwise allow the beer to finish in the primary for 2–3 weeks total for improved clarity.

Bottling

Sanitize bottles, caps, siphon tubing, and bottling equipment. Boil 3 oz (by weight) of priming sugar in 2 cups (500 ml) of water for 5 minutes, cool, and add to a sanitized bottling bucket. Rack the beer from the fermenter into the bottling bucket, mixing gently with the priming solution to evenly distribute. Fill bottles and cap them.

Carbonation and conditioning

Store bottles at 68–72°F (20–22°C) for 10–14 days to carbonate. After initial carbonation, condition bottles for an additional 1–2 weeks (or longer) at cooler cellar temperatures for improved flavor development.

All hop and fining additions occur during the boil as described above: bittering hops at the start of the 60-minute boil, Whirlfloc with 15 minutes remaining, and aroma hops with 5–10 minutes remaining. Ensure hops are added at the correct times to achieve the intended bitterness and aroma profile.

Sanitize all equipment that will contact cooled wort (fermenter, airlock, siphon, bottling bucket, bottles, caps). Use a no-rinse brewer's sanitizer following manufacturer instructions. If using tap water, treat it if necessary (Campden tablet) and adjust water chemistry as preferred before brewing.