Wild Card Brewery’s King of Hearts Blonde clone

Wild Card Brewery’s King of Hearts Blonde clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.047 FG = 1.012
IBU = 24 SRM = 4 ABV = 4.5%

This is a slightly modified version of the recipe for King of Hearts, one of Wild Card’s core range of beers. It’s a light and refreshing pale beer with fresh aromas and a clean finish.

Ingredients
4.6 lbs. (2.1 kg) Maris Otter pale ale malt (2.4 °L)
4.6 lbs. (2.1 kg) extra pale Maris Otter or lager malt (1.5 °L)
0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) torrified wheat
1 AAU Centennial hops (90 min.) (0.1 oz./3.5 g at 10% alpha acids)
1.75 AAU Cascade hops (20 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g at 7% alpha acids)
3.1 AAU Citra® hops (5 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g at 12.5% alpha acids)
2.45 AAU Cascade hops (5 min.) (0.35 oz./10 g at 7% alpha acids)
4.4 AAU Citra® hops (0 min.) (0.35 oz./10 g at 12.5% alpha acids)
7 AAU Cascade hops (0 min.) (1 oz./30 g at 7% alpha acids)
1.8 oz. (50 g) Citra® hops (dry hop)
1.8 oz. (50 g) Cascade hops (dry hop)
1⁄2 Whirlfloc tablet (10 min.)
Safale US-05 or Lallemand BRY-97 (American West Coast Ale) yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Mill the grains and dough-in targeting a mash of around 1.3 quarts of strike water to 1 pound of grain (2.7 L/kg) and a temperature of 151 °F (66 °C). Hold the mash at 151 °F (66 °C) for 80 minutes. Sparge slowly with 172 °F (78 °C) water, collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is 7 gallons (26.5 L).

Total boil time is 90 minutes, adding the hops at the times indicated. Add Whirlfloc with 10 minutes left in the boil. After flameout, add the final hop addition to the whirlpool. Let steep for 20 minutes before chilling.

Chill the wort to 68 °F (20 °C) and aerate thoroughly. Pitch the yeast and ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) until fermentation is complete. Cool to 41 °F (5 °C) and dry hop. Allow beer to rest on dry hops for 5 to 7 days. Carbonate the beer to around 2.5 volumes of CO2 and allow time for the beer to condition fully.

Wild Card Brewery’s King of Hearts Blonde clone

(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.047 FG = 1.012
IBU = 24 SRM = 4 ABV = 4.5%

Ingredients
3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) Maris Otter liquid malt extract
2.5 lbs. (1.1 kg) wheat dried malt extract
1 AAU Centennial hops (90 min.) (0.1 oz./3.5 g at 10% alpha acids)
1.75 AAU Cascade hops (20 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g at 7% alpha acids)
3.1 AAU Citra® hops (5 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g at 12.5% alpha acids)
2.45 AAU Cascade hops (5 min.) (0.35 oz./10 g at 7% alpha acids)
4.4 AAU Citra® hops (0 min.) (0.35 oz./10 g at 12.5% alpha acids)
7 AAU Cascade hops (0 min.) (1 oz./30 g at 7% alpha acids)
1.8 oz. (50 g) Citra® hops (dry hop)
1.8 oz. (50 g) Cascade hops (dry hop)
1⁄2 Whirlfloc tablet (10 min.)
Safale US-05 or Lallemand BRY-97 (American West Coast Ale) yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Heat 6 gallons (23 L) water to 158 °F (70 °C) then turn off the heat. Add the liquid and dried malt extract and stir thoroughly to dissolve completely. Return to heat and bring to a boil.

Total boil time is 60 minutes, adding the hops at the times indicated. Add Whirlfloc with 10 minutes left in the boil. After flameout, add the final hop addition to the whirlpool. Let steep for 20 minutes before chilling.

Chill the wort to 68 °F (20 °C) and aerate thoroughly. Pitch the yeast and ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) until fermentation is complete. Cool to 41 °F (5 °C) and dry hop. Allow beer to rest on dry hops for 5 to 7 days. Carbonate the beer to around 2.5 volumes of CO2 and allow time for the beer to condition fully.

Tips for Success:
The brewery’s recipe calls for a British lager malt, which is a lightly kilned base malt. If this type of base malt is unavailable at your local homebrew shop, a high-grade Pilsen malt could be used as a substitute.