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

Crush the grains (pilsner, Munich, crystal, acidulated if using) and measure flaked rice separately. Heat 4.5 gallons of your brewing water to about 162°F (72°C).

Crush and heat

Add crushed grains and flaked rice to the water and stir to avoid dough balls. Target mash temperature 150°F (65.5°C). Hold for 60 minutes. Expect a conversion to a moderately fermentable wort that yields a clean, slightly dry profile.

Mash in

Raise mash to 168°F (75.5°C) for 10 minutes to stop enzymatic activity and improve lautering.

Mash out

Sparge with enough water at 168°F (75.5°C) to collect approximately 6.5–7.0 gallons of wort in your kettle (adjust based on system losses). Drain slowly to avoid a stuck sparge and collect target pre-boil volume.

Bring collected wort to a vigorous boil. Total boil time: 60 minutes.

Boil

At 60 minutes remaining (start of boil) add 1.0 oz Saaz (or Hallertau) bittering hops.

First hops (bittering)

With 15 minutes remaining in the boil add 1 tsp Irish moss or Whirlfloc to assist clarification.

Irish moss

With 10 minutes remaining add 0.5 oz Saaz (or Hallertau) for flavor/aroma.

Late hops (flavor/aroma)

Turn off heat at 60 minutes total and optionally add 0.5 oz Saaz for whirlpool aroma (steep 10-20 minutes before chilling) or reserve for a short dry-hop.

End of boil / flameout

Cool the wort quickly to fermentation temperature (48–52°F / 9–11°C) using an immersion chiller, plate chiller, or ice bath. Transfer cooled wort to a sanitized fermenter, leaving most trub behind. Top up to desired volume (5.0 gallons typical post-boil) with pre-boiled, cooled water if necessary.

Aerate the wort well (oxygenate for 60–90 seconds with pure oxygen or vigorous shaking / splashing for 2–3 minutes). Pitch one healthy lager yeast starter or rehydrated dry yeast when wort is at 48–52°F (9–11°C).

Oxygenate and pitch yeast

Ferment at 48–52°F (9–11°C) for about 10–14 days, or until activity slows and specific gravity approaches terminal gravity (target original gravity ~1.048–1.050 to hit ~5.2% ABV).

Primary fermentation

Raise temperature to 60–65°F (15–18°C) for 2–3 days to allow yeast to clean up any diacetyl and other fermentation byproducts.

Diacetyl rest

After the diacetyl rest, gradually reduce temperature to near-freezing (34–38°F / 1–3°C) over several days and lager (cold condition) for 4–6 weeks for a clean, crisp finish. Longer lagering (6–8 weeks) will further improve clarity and smoothness.

Lagering

When beer is clear and stable at near-freezing temps, prepare to package. If bottling, dissolve 5 oz priming sugar in 12 oz boiling water, cool, and add to bottling bucket. If kegging, prepare CO2 for force carbonation to ~2.5–2.8 volumes CO2.

Prepare for packaging

Transfer beer gently to bottles or keg, avoid excess oxygen pickup. Cap bottles and condition at 65–70°F for 10–14 days (if primed) or carbonate in keg with CO2 at recommended pressure for 1–3 days cold. Chill and serve.

Fill and condition

Serve well-chilled (around 38–45°F / 3–7°C) in a 16 oz pint glass. Expect a pale golden lager with a clean malt backbone, soft noble hop character (Saaz/Hallertau), crisp finish, and about 5.2% ABV.

Pilsner (2-row) pale malt

Caramel / Crystal 20L

Munich malt

Flaked rice (adjunct for crispness)

Acidulated malt (optional, for mash pH adjustment)

Brewing water (treated or reverse-osmosis preferred)

Gypsum (calcium sulfate)

Calcium chloride

Chalk or baking soda (optional, if mash pH too low)

Saaz (or Hallertau Mittelfrüh) - bittering

Saaz (or Hallertau) - flavor/aroma

Saaz (or Hallertau) - late/aroma (dry hop optional)

Lager yeast (Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager, White Labs WLP830 German Lager, or Saflager W-34/70)

Irish moss (or Whirlfloc)

Priming sugar (for bottling) or corn sugar (for kegging force-carbonation adjust)

Old Black Bear - Cave City

Make Old Black Bear - Cave City Recipe in just 24h . Lager | abv: 5.20% | 16oz. | Alabama

Old Black Bear - Cave City

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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