Kettlehouse 56 Counties Recipe

Crush and Heat

Crush the grains (Pale 2-Row, Munich, Crystal, flaked oats) to a medium-coarse consistency. Heat 5 gallons of brewing water to about 165°F (74°C) in your mash tun or kettle to account for grain absorption.

Mash In

Add the crushed grains to the heated water to achieve a mash temperature of 152°F (67°C). Stir thoroughly to eliminate dry pockets and ensure even temperature. Hold this temperature for 60 minutes for full conversion and a balanced body appropriate for a session American ale.

Mash Out

After 60 minutes, raise the mash temperature to 168°F (76°C) for 10 minutes to mash out and reduce wort viscosity, making lautering easier.

Begin sparging by slowly rinsing the grain bed with 3 gallons of sparge water heated to 170°F (77°C). Collect wort until you have approximately 6.5–7 gallons in the boil kettle (accounting for hops, boil off, and trub losses).

Bring Wort to a Boil

Bring the collected wort to a vigorous rolling boil. Watch carefully to avoid boil-overs as proteins foam up early in the boil.

First Hop Addition

With 15 minutes remaining in the 60-minute boil, add 1 oz Willamette hops and 1 tsp Irish Moss (if using). This late-hop addition provides mild bitterness and some aromatic contribution while preserving malt character.

Complete the boil for the full 60 minutes. Turn off the heat and proceed to chilling.

Cool the wort quickly to about 68°F (20°C) using an immersion chiller, counterflow chiller, or ice bath. Perform a closed transfer to a sanitized fermenter if possible to minimize oxygen pickup.

Top up with pre-boiled and cooled water if necessary to reach a total volume of 5.5 gallons in the fermenter (target batch size for bottling is ~5 gallons after losses).

Sanitize and Pitch

Check and sanitize all equipment. If using liquid yeast, make a starter 24–48 hours before brewing. Aerate the cooled wort by shaking, stirring, or using an aeration system. Pitch the yeast (one packet or the prepared starter) into the wort at 65–68°F (18–20°C).

Primary Fermentation

Allow primary fermentation to proceed at 66–68°F (19–20°C) for 5–7 days, then allow the temperature to rise a couple degrees to finish fermentation over another 3–5 days. Total primary time ~7–10 days until activity slows and gravity is stable.

Dry Hop (Optional)

After active fermentation subsides (typically day 4–6), add 1 oz Cascade hops directly to the fermenter for a 3–5 day dry hop to impart a fresh American hop aroma. Keep the fermenter sealed and at fermentation temperature during dry hopping.

Prepare for Bottling

Once final gravity is stable for 48 hours, sanitize bottles and bottling equipment. Dissolve 4 oz priming sugar in 12 oz of boiled water, cool, and add to bottling bucket. Rack beer gently onto the priming solution to mix without introducing oxygen.

Bottle and Condition

Fill and cap bottles. Condition at room temperature (68–72°F / 20–22°C) for 2 weeks to carbonate, then move to cooler storage for another week for clearing and maturation.

If your source water contains chlorine or chloramine, treat it with a Campden tablet or chlorine remover before mashing. Use sanitizer on all surfaces that contact cooled wort/beer. This recipe targets a session-strength American ale in the neighborhood of 4.5–5.5% ABV depending on mash efficiency and final gravity.