American I.P.A.

India pale ales are characterized by intense hop bitterness with a high alcohol content. Although this style is English in origin, an American interpretation should incorporate American hops. The use of water with high mineral content results in a crisp, dry beer. This pale gold to deep copper-colored ale has a full, flowery hop aroma and may have a strong hop flavor (in addition to the hop bitterness). India pale ales possess medium maltiness and body. Fruity-ester flavors and aromas are moderate to very strong. Diacetyl can be absent or may be perceived at very low levels. Chill haze is allowable at cold temperatures.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound Munich Malt 6° L

• 1/2 pound Crystal Malt 40° L

• 1/2 pound Caramunich III 70° L

• 1/2 pound Carapils 20° L

• 7-1/2 pounds light malt extract

• 2 ounces Centennial hops

• 3 ounces Cascade hops

• 1 ounce Tettnang hops

• 1 teaspoon Irish moss

• Wyeast 1056 American Ale yeast

• 1-1/4 cups corn sugar

Instructions:

1. Place the crushed specialty grains in a nylon hop bag and steep them in 1 gallon of preheated 150º water for 30 minutes.

2. Drain and discard the spent grains.

3. Bring at least 3 gallons of liquor to a boil, remove the brew kettle from the heat source then stir in the extract and the Centennial hops.

4. Return the brew kettle to the heat source and boil for 45 minutes, then add the Tettnang hops, 1 ounce of the Cascade hops and the Irish moss.

5. Boil for an additional 10 minutes, then add the rest of the Cascade hops.

6. Boil for an additional 5 minutes, then remove the brew kettle from the heat source, cover it and drop the temperature of the wort as quickly as possible to 77º F.

7. Once the wort has cooled to below 77º F, take an original gravity reading, pour the wort into a primary fermenter through a funnel with a strainer and add enough cool water to create 5 gallons.

8. Once the wort has been transferred to the primary fermenter, pitch the yeast, stir the wort vigorously, seal the fermenter with an airlock and ferment at 68º-72º F for a week.

9. Rack the beer to a secondary fermenter and allow the beer to finish fermentation.

10. Once fermentation is complete, rack the beer to a bottling bucket, prime with the corn sugar and bottle and condition as usual.