Neon Rodeo Recipe

Heat Strike Water

Heat 5.5 gallons of brew water to about 165°F (to hit a mash temperature of 152°F with the grain bill).

Add the crushed pilsner, wheat, Vienna and acidulated malts to the mash tun and stir to eliminate dough balls. Collect enough strike water so the mash rests at 152°F. Hold for 60 minutes to convert starches to fermentable sugars.

After 60 minutes, perform an iodine test to confirm conversion. Vorlauf until the runoff is clear, then sparge with additional water at 168°F to collect ~6.5 gallons of wort (accounting for boil volume and losses).

Monitor mash pH; use lactic acid (about 5 ml, add gradually) to bring mash pH to 5.2–5.4 if necessary. Keep water chemistry soft and slightly acidic to favor lactobacillus and bright fruit character.

Bring wort to a gentle 60-minute boil. Add 0.25 oz light kettle hops at 60 minutes for minimal bitterness (target IBU ~5-8 to let sourness and fruit shine). Add Irish moss or whirlfloc with 10 minutes remaining.

Cool the wort rapidly to about 100–110°F if planning to inoculate with lactobacillus for kettle souring, or to 68°F if you choose to ferment then sour with mixed culture. For a quick kettle sour (preferred for bright neon notes), cool to 100–110°F and hold for lactobacillus step.

Kettle Souring (recommended)

Once cooled to 100–110°F, oxygenate wort lightly, then pitch Lactobacillus plantarum. Maintain wort at 100–110°F (use a heat source or warm water bath) and hold until desired sourness is reached, typically 18–48 hours. Measure pH; target pH 3.2–3.6 depending on sourness preference.

When desired acidity is reached, bring wort to a short boil (10 minutes) to kill lactobacillus and to sanitize. Alternatively, you may pasteurize by raising to 170°F for 15 minutes if you prefer less boil.

Primary Fermentation

Cool wort to 66–68°F, transfer to fermenter, and pitch the neutral ale yeast (US-05). Ferment at 66–68°F until attenuation is mostly complete (typically 5–7 days). This step adds clean fermentation character while leaving space for bright fruit notes.

Prepare fruit puree: thaw if frozen, then heat gently to 165°F for a few minutes to pasteurize and reduce wild microbes. Cool quickly to below 70°F. Add 1 tsp pectic enzyme to the puree and hold refrigerated for 12–24 hours to reduce haze and improve drainback.

After primary fermentation is mostly complete and yeast activity has slowed (typically day 5–7), rack beer onto the fruit puree. Add ~5 lbs of fruit puree per 5 gallons directly to the fermenter. If a bit of sweetness is desired and acidity is high, dissolve up to 8 oz sugar in a small amount of sterile water, pasteurize, cool, and add with the fruit (optional).

Allow beer to condition on fruit for 5–10 days at 60–65°F, tasting every 2–3 days until the desired fruit intensity and balance between sourness and fruitiness are achieved.

If excessive pectin haze remains, cold crash to near 35–40°F for 48 hours to help drop solids, then rack off fruit trub.

Optional stabilization: if you plan to backsweeten or want to ensure microbial stability before packaging, add 1/4 crushed Campden tablet and 1/4 tsp potassium sorbate per 5 gallons after removing yeast bulk. Wait 24 hours before any backsweetening.

Keg: transfer beer to a keg, carbonate to 2.5–2.8 volumes CO2. Bottle: if bottling, prime with appropriate corn sugar (about 3/4 cup for 5 gallons as a baseline) but note that residual fruit sugars may cause overcarbonation — kegging is recommended for controlled carbonation.

Serve cold on draught. The beer is a neon, sour-fruited style meant to be bright, effervescent, and intensely fruit-forward. Typical maturation is short after fruiting; consume fresh within 2–3 months for best fruit character.