Isb Seasonal Recipe

Sanitation and prep

Sanitize all fermenter, spoons, airlocks and anything that will contact wort after the boil. Bring 5 gallons of brewing water to room temperature; if chlorinated, treat with a Campden tablet or use filtered water. Add gypsum or other brewing salts to water if desired and stir to dissolve.

Mashing (if all-grain)

Heat 3.5 gallons of your brewing water to ~165°F (74°C). Add the crushed grains (pale ale, Munich, crystal 40L, wheat) into a mash tun or insulated cooler and pour in the hot water to hit a mash temperature of 152°F (67°C). Stir to fully wet the grain bed and hold at 150–154°F (65–68°C) for 60 minutes to convert starches to fermentable sugars. After mash rests, perform a mash out by raising temperature to 168°F (76°C) for 10 minutes, then begin lautering/sparging with an additional ~2 gallons of 170°F (77°C) water to collect about 6.5–7 gallons of wort into your kettle (account for boil-off).

Extract option

If doing a partial or full extract brew, steep the specialty grains (Munich, crystal, wheat) in 1.5–2.0 gallons of 150–165°F (65–74°C) water for 20–30 minutes, remove grains, then add the pale liquid extract or adjust base malt weight accordingly. Heat to a boil and follow hop schedule below.

Boil and hop schedule

Bring the collected wort to a vigorous boil (60 minutes total). Add hops according to the schedule: at 60 minutes remaining add Cascade bittering hops (0.75 oz). With 15 minutes remaining add Irish moss (1 tsp) and Citra hops (0.5 oz) for flavor. With 5 minutes remaining add Hallertau (0.25 oz). At flameout (end of boil) add Mosaic hops (0.75 oz) and whirlpool for 10–15 minutes to extract aroma. Hop quantities can be adjusted for more or less bitterness/aroma; this schedule targets a balanced seasonal pale ale ~35–40 IBU with bright late-hop aroma.

Chill and transfer

Cool the wort rapidly to ~68°F (20°C) using a wort chiller or ice bath as quickly as possible to reduce infection risk and improve clarity. Transfer cooled wort into a sanitized fermenter, leaving trub behind. Top up with water to reach 5 gallons if needed, and aerate vigorously by shaking, splashing, or using an aeration stone.

Pitch yeast and ferment

Rehydrate or prepare your chosen yeast per manufacturer instructions. Pitch the yeast into the cooled, aerated wort at about 66–68°F (19–20°C). Ferment in a temperature-controlled environment at 66–70°F (19–21°C) for primary fermentation about 5–7 days or until activity slows, then allow a secondary/diacetyl rest at 68–70°F for 2–4 days if desired. Total fermentation time ~10–14 days.

Conditioning and bottling

When fermentation is complete (stable final gravity for 2–3 days), prepare priming sugar by dissolving 3.5 oz (approximately 100 g) corn sugar in 1 cup boiling water, cool, and add to a sanitized bottling bucket along with siphoned beer to evenly mix without oxygenation. Bottle and cap immediately. Alternatively, keg and carbonate to ~2.4 volumes CO2.

Bottle conditioning

Store bottles at 68–72°F (20–22°C) for 2–3 weeks for carbonation, then cold-condition in the fridge for 48 hours before serving. Allow beer to condition a bit longer (3–6 weeks) for optimal flavor development for a seasonal ale; hop character is freshest early but malt complexity improves with time.

Serving

Pour carefully into a clean glass, leaving sediment in the bottle. Serve chilled at 45–50°F (7–10°C). The ISB Seasonal should present a light amber color, moderate malt backbone, and bright late-hop citrus/tropical aroma.