Mash / Grain Prep

1. Grain crush and strike water

Crush all grains to a medium coarseness (not powder). Heat 3.5 gal strike water to 165°F (to hit mash temperature around 152°F).

2. Mash in

Add crushed grains to strike water and mix thoroughly to avoid dough balls. Target mash temperature 152°F. Hold for 60 minutes. Stir every 15 minutes and check temperature; adjust with small additions of hot or cold water to remain at 152°F ±2°F.

3. Mash out

Raise mash temperature to 168°F for 10 minutes to stop enzymatic activity (mash out) before lautering/sparging.

Sparge and Boil

4. Sparge

Drain wort from mash tun to boil kettle. Sparge with remaining hot water (~2.5–3.0 gal at 170°F) until you collect about 6.5–7.0 gal of wort in the kettle (account for evaporation and trub loss).

5. Bring to a boil

Bring collected wort to a vigorous boil. Watch for boil-overs when first reaching a boil.

6. Bittering hop addition

At the start of a 60-minute boil, add 0.5 oz Magnum (bittering). Continue boiling.

7. Mid-boil additions

At 15 minutes remaining add Irish moss or Whirlfloc (or at 10 minutes add tablet) and add 0.5 oz Willamette. At 5 minutes remaining add 1.0 oz Cascade (or Centennial) for flavor/aroma.

8. End of boil and chill

After 60 minutes total boil time, turn off heat and chill wort quickly to about 68°F using an immersion chiller or an ice bath. Transfer cooled wort to sanitized fermenter, leaving behind trub.

Fermentation

9. Oxygenation and pitching

Aerate the cooled wort by shaking, splashing, or using pure oxygen to reach dissolved oxygen suitable for ale yeast. Rehydrate or prepare the yeast per manufacturer instructions and pitch 1 pack of American ale yeast at 66–68°F (or pitch slightly more if you want a stronger fermentation).

10. Primary fermentation

Ferment at 66–68°F for 7–10 days or until vigorous fermentation subsides. Maintain a steady temperature to avoid off-flavors. Target final temp around 68°F.

11. Secondary (optional) / Diacetyl rest

After active fermentation slows (specific gravity stable for 2 days), raise temperature to 70–72°F for 24–48 hours to help clean up diacetyl, then either transfer to secondary fermenter for conditioning (optional) or proceed to cold crash.

Packaging & Conditioning

12. Bottling with priming sugar

If bottling, dissolve 3.5 oz corn sugar in 1 cup boiling water, chill, add to sanitized bottling bucket, rack beer onto priming solution, gently mix and bottle. Age at room temperature (68–72°F) for 2 weeks for carbonation, then cold condition for another week if possible.

13. Kegging

If kegging, transfer beer to keg, carbonate to ~2.3 volumes CO2 (30–40 psi at serving temp). Allow 24–48 hours for CO2 to absorb, then chill and serve.

14. Serving

Serve at 45–55°F in a pint glass. Expect an American Amber/Red Ale with medium body, caramel malt backbone, moderate American hop character (citrus/resin), and a deep amber to red color.

For A Few Shillings More Recipe

Recipe information

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Fermentables

Hops

Yeast & Water

Other