Stella Artois Recipe

1. Mill and Heat

Mill the grains to a medium crush. Heat approximately 16–18 L of strike water to achieve a mash temperature of 63°C (145°F) with this grain bill. If using rice adjuncts, steep/soak them briefly in hot water or add directly to the mash so they hydrate well.

2. Mash: Mash in at 63°C (145°F) and hold for 60 minutes to produce a fairly fermentable wort that yields a crisp, dry lager character. If you want a slightly fuller body, mash at 65°C (149°F) for 60 minutes.

3. Mash out: Raise temperature to 76°C (169°F) for 10 minutes to stop enzymatic activity and ease wort runoff.

4. Sparge with enough water to collect around 23–25 L of pre-boil wort (target pre-boil gravity around 1.046–1.049). Keep the sparge water around 75–78°C (167–172°F).

5. Bring wort to a vigorous boil and boil for 60 minutes total.

6. Bittering addition: Add 20 g Saaz at 60 minutes remaining (start of boil). This gives mild bitterness appropriate for a 5% ABV Belgian lager.

7. Whirlpool/aroma addition: Add remaining 15 g Saaz in the last 5 minutes of the boil or into the whirlpool at ~80°C and let steep for 10–15 minutes before chilling to capture delicate noble hop aroma without harsh bitterness.

8. If using Irish moss or Whirlfloc, add per package directions with 10–15 minutes left in the boil for improved clarity.

9. Cool wort rapidly to about 10–12°C (50–54°F) using an immersion chiller, counterflow, or plate chiller to limit risk of contamination and DMS formation.

10. Transfer cooled wort to a sanitized fermenter, leaving trub behind if possible. Top up with sterile water to reach 20 L if necessary.

11. Aeration: Aerate or oxygenate the wort thoroughly (approx. 8–10 ppm dissolved oxygen) before pitching yeast. Lager yeast benefits from proper oxygen for healthy cell growth.

12. Pitch yeast: Rehydrate or prepare the yeast per manufacturer's instructions and pitch to achieve a healthy pitch rate for 20 L at expected OG (use a starter for liquid strains).

13. Primary fermentation: Maintain fermentation at an initial temperature around 11–13°C (52–55°F). Allow active fermentation for 7–10 days or until gravity falls consistently.

14. Diacetyl rest: Raise temperature to 15–16°C (59–61°F) for 48 hours after fermentation activity slows to encourage yeast to clean up diacetyl and other off-flavors.

15. Lagering: After diacetyl rest and gravity is stable, cold crash and lager at 0–2°C (32–36°F) for 4–8 weeks to develop a clean, crisp profile and improve clarity. Longer lagering (8+ weeks) will produce a more polished result.

16. Kegging: Force carbonate to about 2.4–2.6 volumes of CO2 (typical for European lagers) at cold temperatures. Bottle: add 120 g priming sugar (dissolved in 150 ml boiling water and cooled) to the batch and bottle. Aim for ~2.4–2.6 vols CO2.

17. Condition bottles at 18–20°C for 10–14 days to carbonate, then cold condition for 1–2 weeks before drinking.

18. Serve: Pour gently into a clean glass, leaving yeast behind if bottled. Serve cold (4–7°C / 39–45°F) in a tulip or pilsner glass to show off clarity and fine carbonation.