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

Heat 4.0 gallons of brewing water to about 168°F (75°C) to target a mash temperature of 152°F (67°C) once the grains are added and temperature loss is considered.

Heat Strike Water

Add the crushed grains (Pale Ale, Vienna, Crystal 40L, Carapils, Flaked Oats) to the strike water. Stir to eliminate dough balls and ensure even temperature. Target mash temperature: 152°F (67°C). Hold for 60 minutes.

Mash In

If desired, raise mash to 168°F (76°C) for 10 minutes to stop enzymatic activity and improve wort run-off.

Mash Out

Recirculate the first runnings until they run clear, then begin lautering into the kettle. Sparge with about 2.5 gallons of water at 170°F (77°C) to collect a pre-boil volume of approximately 6.5–6.75 gallons (adjust to your system losses).

Vorlauf and Lauter

Bring the collected wort to a vigorous boil and start a 60-minute timer for the boil.

Bring to a Rolling Boil

With 60 minutes left in the boil, add Centennial bittering hops (1.25 oz). Add Irish Moss or Whirlfloc with 15 minutes left in the boil.

Bittering Addition (60 min)

Add Amarillo (1.0 oz) at 15 minutes remaining and Simcoe (1.0 oz) at 10 minutes remaining for flavor and some aroma contributions.

Flavor Additions (15 and 10 min)

At flameout (end of the 60-minute boil), add 1.0 oz Citra hops directly to the hot wort and stir briefly.

Late Addition (0 min)

After flameout, cool the wort to about 180–175°F (82–79°C) and add the 2.0 oz Citra for a 20–30 minute hopstand/whirlpool to extract intense hop flavor and aroma without excessive bitterness. Maintain water movement or gentle whirlpooling to keep hops in suspension. Optionally, drop to 160–150°F (71–66°C) for a longer hopstand if your equipment allows safe handling and fast chilling afterwards.

Whirlpool / Hopstand

After hopstand, chill the wort quickly to about 68°F (20°C) using an immersion chiller, counterflow, or plate chiller. Rapid chilling reduces DMS and preserves hop aroma.

Cool Wort

Transfer the cooled wort to a sanitized fermenter, leaving trub behind if desired. Top up with water if needed to reach 5.5 gallons batch size (adjust volumes for system losses). Aerate vigorously by shaking, splashing, or using oxygen for 60–90 seconds to reach dissolved oxygen appropriate for the gravity. Pitch 1–2 packs of American ale yeast (or appropriate starter) to achieve healthy fermentation. Optionally add yeast nutrient per package directions.

Aerate and Pitch

Ferment at 66–68°F (19–20°C) for 5–7 days until vigorous fermentation slows. Expect an original gravity near 1.073–1.076 (to yield ~7.5% ABV given typical efficiencies).

Primary Fermentation

After active fermentation slows (usually day 4–7), raise temperature to 70–72°F (21–22°C) for 24–48 hours to allow yeast to clean up off-flavors.

Diacetyl Rest

At the end of primary fermentation (or once krausen has settled), add dry hop charges: Amarillo 1.5 oz, Simcoe 1.5 oz, and Citra 2.0 oz. If using a secondary vessel, transfer beer off heavy yeast/trub into the secondary before adding hops to preserve hop aroma. Leave hops on for 3–5 days at 65–68°F (18–20°C).

Rack to Secondary (optional) & Dry Hop

After dry hopping, cold crash the beer to 35–38°F (2–3°C) for 24–48 hours to help drop hop particulates and yeast before packaging.

Cold Crash

If bottling, boil 3.25 oz priming sugar in 1 pint (0.5 cups) of water, cool, and add to sanitized bottling bucket. Gently transfer beer to bottling bucket to avoid oxygen pick-up and mix with priming solution. Fill and cap bottles. If kegging, carbonate to ~2.4–2.6 volumes CO2 either force-carbonate or add priming sugar and bottle as above.

Prepare for Bottling or Kegging

Allow bottles to carbonate at room temperature for 10–14 days, then chill and condition for best flavor for an additional week if possible. Kegged beer typically conditions faster; allow 3–7 days after reaching target carbonation.

Critical Compounds IPA

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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