Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Recipe

1. Heat strike water and mash in

Heat ~13-14 liters (3.5-3.7 gallons) of strike water to around 165°F (74°C). Add the crushed pale ale malt, crystal, and CaraMunich to a mash tun and dough in to reach a mash temperature of 152°F (67°C). Stir thoroughly to eliminate dry pockets.

2. Hold the mash at 152°F (67°C) for 60 minutes. Perform gentle stir/recirculation (vorlauf) after 10-15 minutes and again near the end to clarify wort.

3. After the mash rests, raise temperature to 168°F (76°C) for a 10-minute mash-out to stop enzymatic activity.

4. Sparge with enough water to collect ~6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of wort into the boil kettle. Target pre-boil gravity ~1.048-1.052 for a 5 gallon batch.

5. Bring wort to a vigorous boil. Once boiling, add 1.0 oz Centennial hops (bittering) at 60 minutes remaining. Add 1 tsp Irish Moss with 15 minutes remaining.

6. With 10 minutes left in the boil, add 1.0 oz Cascade hops. At flameout (end of boil), add remaining 1.0 oz Cascade hops, cover the kettle, and steep for 15 minutes to extract aroma.

7. Cool the wort quickly to around 68°F (20°C) using an immersion chiller, plate chiller, or ice bath.

8. Transfer chilled wort to a sanitized fermenter, aerate thoroughly (shake, splash, or oxygenate to ~8-10 ppm dissolved O2). Pitch the yeast (rehydrated or directly if liquid/packaged) at 65-68°F (18-20°C).

9. Ferment at 66-68°F (19-20°C) for primary fermentation for 6-7 days or until vigorous activity subsides and gravity drops rapidly toward terminal gravity. Total primary usually 7-10 days.

10. After primary fermentation, add 2.0 oz Cascade hops directly to the fermenter (dry hop) and leave for 3-5 days at fermentation temperature for aroma extraction.

11. After dry hopping, optionally cold crash to ~35-40°F (2-4°C) for 24-48 hours to encourage sedimentation and clarify the beer.

12. If bottling: prepare 4 oz (113 g) priming sugar by dissolving in 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water, cool, and add to bottling bucket. Transfer beer gently to avoid picking up hops sediment and mix with priming solution, then bottle and cap.

13. If kegging: carbonate to ~2.4 volumes CO2 by force-carbonation or naturally if you prefer.

14. Condition bottles at 68°F (20°C) for 10-14 days, then chill and enjoy. Expect final gravity ~1.010-1.012 and ABV around 5.5%.