Woods Beer & Wine Company, San Francisco, CA

RETRO pilsner

Med Bag of Chips

Ham, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, and arugula.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

A clone of George Washington's original beer recipe. A Collaboration with Molly Pitcher Brewing Company

Mill the pale malt, flaked oats, and crystal malt to a coarse crush. Heat 3.5 gallons of your brewing water to about 165°F (74°C). Add the grains to the water to reach a stable mash temperature of 152°F (67°C). Hold the mash at 150–154°F (66–68°C) for 60 minutes to convert starches to sugars. Stir gently to ensure even temperature and wetting.

Mill and Mash

Raise mash temperature to 168°F (76°C) for 10 minutes (mash out) to stop enzymatic activity and make lautering easier.

Mash Out

Drain the wort into your boil kettle. Sparge the grains with 3 gallons of 170°F (77°C) water until you collect approximately 6.5–7 gallons of wort (accounting for boil-off). If using DME to adjust gravity, add it now and stir to dissolve.

Sparge

Bring wort to a vigorous boil. Add 1.0 oz East Kent Goldings at the start of the 60-minute boil for primary bitterness. With 15 minutes left in the boil, add 0.25 oz of the optional wild-hop substitute (or extra EKG) for aroma and a touch of historical character. Also add Irish moss with 10–15 minutes left if using to promote clarity.

Boil and Hop Additions

With 5 minutes left in the boil, stir in the molasses and brown sugar so they are fully dissolved and integrated into the wort. This will contribute a small amount of darker, complex sugars typical of historical recipes.

After the 60-minute boil, chill the wort quickly to 65–68°F (18–20°C) using a wort chiller or ice bath. Transfer the chilled wort to a sanitized fermenter and top with clean water to reach a total volume of 5 gallons (if needed). Aerate the wort thoroughly (shake, splash, or use pure oxygen). Rehydrate or prepare your English ale yeast per manufacturer instructions and pitch at 65–68°F (18–20°C).

Cooling and Pitching

Ferment at 65–68°F (18–20°C) for 5–7 days. Small beer historically fermented quickly and to a lower final gravity; you’re aiming for a moderate attenuation. Check gravity after 4–5 days. If fermentation is vigorous, leave until activity slows (usually under a week).

Primary Fermentation

If desired, rack to a secondary for an additional 3–5 days to clear and finish. For authentic small beer character, a short conditioning at slightly cooler temperatures (60–64°F / 15–18°C) helps mellow the ester profile.

Secondary / Conditioning (optional)

Target original gravity around 1.036–1.040 (historical small beers were low ABV). If your gravity is low, dissolve the optional DME or an extra 2–4 oz of dry malt extract into a small amount of hot water and add before or during the last few minutes of the boil (or after chilling but before pitching) to reach the desired OG.

Gravity Target and Adjustments

When final gravity is reached and beer has cleared (typically 7–14 days total), prepare priming sugar (4 oz corn sugar dissolved in 1 cup boiling water; cool). Bottle or keg the beer: add priming solution to bottling bucket, rack beer on top to ensure even mixing, then bottle and cap. For kegging, carbonate to 1.8–2.2 volumes CO2 for a lightly effervescent small beer.

Packaging and Priming

Allow bottles to carbonate at room temperature for 10–14 days. After carbonation, chill and cellar for a few days to let flavors mellow. This beer is best consumed fresh and cool, showcasing a light, slightly malty and subtly hopped profile with a hint of molasses/brown sugar complexity.

Conditioning

pale malt (2-row)

flaked oats

caramel / crystal 10L

corn (cracked) or glucose adjunct

dry malt extract (optional, to adjust gravity)

East Kent Goldings hops (or English Fuggles)

Eastern North American wild hops (or additional EKG/fuggles, optional)

English ale yeast (e.g., Wyeast 1968, White Labs WLP002 or a clean English ale strain)

water (good brewing water)

molasses (light)

brown sugar (optional, to emulate historical gravities)

Irish moss (or kettle finings, optional)

water (for sparge/rinse)

priming sugar (corn sugar) for bottling

George Washington Small beer

BLUE EYES Liquid Lust PB Porter

Pinot Grigio

Sauvignon Blanc

Moscato

Cayuga White

Green Machine

Make George Washington Small Beer Recipe in just 6h . A clone of George Washington's original beer recipe. A Collaboration with Molly Pitcher Brewing Company

George Washington Small Beer Recipe

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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