Michelob Ultra Recipe

1. Sanitize

Thoroughly sanitize all brewing equipment (brew kettle, fermenter, spoon, siphon, bottles/keg). Cleanliness prevents contamination.

2. Bring 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of water to about 150-160°F (65-71°C) in your brew kettle.

3. If using flaked rice, steep the rice in a grain bag at 150-155°F for 20–30 minutes then remove and discard grains. If using rice syrup solids or malt extract only, skip the steep.

4. Remove kettle from heat and add the light lager malt extract (if using dry extract, fully dissolve). Stir thoroughly to avoid scorching. Top up with additional water to reach 5 gallons total volume in the kettle before the hop additions (you may need to account for boil-off).

5. Bring the wort to a rolling boil. Once boiling, add bittering hops (0.75 oz Hallertau/Magnum) and start a 60-minute timer.

6. With 15 minutes left in the boil, add Irish moss or kettle finings (1 tsp) if using, and add the aroma hops (0.25 oz Saaz/Hallertau) at 5–10 minutes remaining for subtle hop aroma.

7. At the end of the 60-minute boil, turn off heat and cool the wort rapidly using an immersion chiller or ice bath until it reaches about 50-55°F (10-13°C) for lager strains (or 65-68°F/18-20°C if using a more flexible ale/lager hybrid yeast).

8. Transfer chilled wort to a sanitized fermenter and top up with clean, cooled water to reach exactly 5 gallons (19 L). Aerate the wort vigorously by shaking, splashing, or using an aeration stone for at least 60–90 seconds.

9. Pitch the dry lager yeast (one pack) rehydrated per manufacturer instructions or directly sprinkled if recommended. Add yeast nutrient (1 tsp).

10. Ferment at appropriate temperature for the yeast strain: for lager yeast, start primary fermentation at 50–55°F (10–13°C) for 10–14 days. If using a more flexible strain, ferment at 60–65°F (15–18°C) with the intent to cold-crash and lager later. Monitor gravity with a hydrometer or refractometer; expect a relatively low final gravity around 1.008–1.012 for a very light, dry beer.

11. After primary fermentation is complete and gravity is stable for 2–3 days, optionally perform a diacetyl rest (raise to ~60–65°F / 15–18°C for 1–2 days) then gradually cold-crash to 34–40°F (1–4°C) over 48–72 hours to clear the beer.

12. If bottling: dissolve priming sugar (3.5 oz corn sugar) in 1 cup boiling water, cool, and add to a sanitized bottling bucket. Rack beer gently onto priming solution to avoid oxygen pickup, then fill and cap bottles. Condition at room temperature for 10–14 days, then cold condition in refrigerator for an additional week. Expect carbonation similar to a light lager (approx 2.5–2.8 vols CO2).

13. If kegging: transfer beer to sanitized keg, purge oxygen, seal and carbonate to ~2.5–2.8 volumes CO2 either force-carbonate or set at appropriate PSI for 1–2 weeks at cold temperature.

14. Serve very cold in a tall pilsner or standard pint glass. Pour gently to leave a modest head and preserve the light, crisp character.