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 about 3.5 L of brewing water to a strike temperature of 70°C (158°F) to account for grain temperature and heat loss; target mash temperature is 66°C (151°F).

Heat Strike Water

Add the crushed Maris Otter, C-60, Carapils and flaked barley to your mash tun. Slowly pour in the strike water while stirring to avoid dough balls. Aim for a stable mash temperature of 66°C (151°F). Stir well to ensure even hydration.

Mash-in

Hold the mash at 66°C (151°F) for 60 minutes to convert starches to fermentable sugars. If you prefer a drier beer, rest at 68°C (154°F) for the last 10 minutes.

Mash Rest

Raise the mash temperature to 75°C (167°F) for 10 minutes (mash out) to stop enzymatic activity and make lautering easier.

Mash Out

Sparge with ~2.5 L of water at 75°C (167°F) to collect roughly 5.5–6 L of wort in the kettle (adjust volume based on system losses). Aim for pre-boil gravity appropriate for 4.5% ABV (~1.045 OG depending on efficiency).

Sparge

Bring the wort to a vigorous boil. Watch for boil-overs when the wort first comes to the boil.

Bring to a Boil

With 60 minutes remaining in the boil, add 1.0 oz East Kent Goldings. This addition provides most of the bitterness (target ~28 IBU total).

Bittering Hop Addition (60 minutes)

With 15 minutes left in the boil, add 1 tsp Irish moss if you want improved clarity.

Irish Moss (optional at 15 minutes)

With 5 minutes remaining, add 0.25 oz Fuggle to impart a classic English hop aroma without adding significant bitterness.

Late Aroma Hop Addition (5 minutes)

After 60 minutes of boiling total time, turn off the heat. Allow the hot break to settle for a few minutes, then proceed to chilling.

End of Boil

Chill the wort quickly (immersion chiller or counterflow) to about 18–20°C (64–68°F). As quickly as possible, transfer the chilled wort to a sanitized fermenter, leaving behind as much trub as possible.

If using a wort chiller, aerate the wort by shaking, splashing during transfer, or using sterile air/oxygen to help yeast start strong.

Rehydrate or prepare the English ale yeast according to manufacturer instructions and pitch into the chilled, aerated wort at ~18–20°C (64–68°F).

Pitch Yeast

Ferment at 18–20°C (64–68°F) for about 7–10 days or until vigorous fermentation slows and specific gravity drops. Target final gravity should be around 1.010–1.012 for ~4.5% ABV (adjust based on measured OG and efficiency).

Primary Fermentation

Optionally rack to a secondary fermenter and condition for another 7–14 days at slightly cooler temperatures (15–18°C / 59–64°F) for flavor rounding and clarity.

Secondary / Conditioning (optional)

Boil 3.5 oz (100 g) corn sugar in 250 ml of water for 5 minutes, cool, and sanitize. Add this sugar solution to a sanitized bottling bucket.

Prepare Priming Sugar

Rack the beer gently into the bottling bucket on top of the priming solution, mix gently to evenly distribute without aerating. Fill sanitized bottles and cap them.

Transfer and Bottle

Allow bottles to carbonate at 18–20°C (64–68°F) for 10–14 days, then condition at cellar temperature (12–15°C / 54–59°F) for another 1–2 weeks for flavor development. Chill and serve.

Bottle Conditioning

If using water adjustments, dissolve gypsum and calcium chloride into strike water before mashing to gently accentuate hop bitterness and round the malt profile. The small amounts listed are suggestions—adjust based on your source water and target profile.

English Breakfast

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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