Anchor Brewing Co.’s Liberty Ale clone

Anchor Brewing Co.’s Liberty Ale clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.059 FG = 1.011
IBU = 48 SRM = 4 ABV = 5.9%

Ingredients
12.5 lbs. (5.7 kg) 2-row pale malt
4.1 AAU Cascade pellet hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 8.2% alpha acids)
6.2 AAU Cascade pellet hops (45 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 8.2% alpha acids)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Cascade pellet hops (0 min.)
1 oz. (28 g) Cascade pellet hops (dry hop)
White Labs WLP051 (California Ale V) or Wyeast 1272 (American Ale II) yeast
0.3 oz. (8 g) gypsum (optional if using very low mineral water)
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Mill the grains and mix with 4.7 gallons (17.8 L) of 158 °F (70 °C) strike water and optional gypsum (see ingredients list) to reach a mash temperature of 149 °F (65 °C). Hold this temperature for 60 minutes. Vorlauf until your runnings are clear. Sparge the grains with 2.8 gallons (10.6 L) of 168 °F (75 °C) water and top up with water to obtain 6 gallons (23 L) of 1.049 specific gravity wort. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops according to the ingredients list.

After the boil, turn off the heat and chill the wort to slightly below fermentation temperature, about 65 °F (18 °C). Aerate the wort with pure oxygen or filtered air and pitch yeast. Ferment at 67 °F (19 °C) for four days. Add the dry hops and raise to 72 °F (22 °C) for three days. Once the beer reaches terminal gravity (approximately seven days total) bottle or keg the beer and carbonate.

Anchor Brewing Co.’s Liberty Ale clone

(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.059 FG = 1.011
IBU = 48 SRM = 5 ABV = 5.9%

Ingredients
8 lbs. 3 oz. (3.7 kg) golden liquid malt extract
4.1 AAU Cascade pellet hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 8.2% alpha acids)
6.2 AAU Cascade pellet hops (45 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 8.2% alpha acids)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Cascade pellet hops (0 min.)
1 oz. (28 g) Cascade pellet hops (dry hop)
White Labs WLP051 (California Ale V) or Wyeast 1272 (American Ale II) yeast
0.2 oz. (6 g) gypsum (optional if using very low mineral water)
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Bring 5.4 gallons (20.4 L) of water and optional gypsum (see ingredients list) to boil, turn off the flame, and stir in the liquid malt extract until completely dissolved. Top up with water if necessary to obtain 6 gallons (23 L) of 1.049 specific gravity wort.

Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops according to the ingredients list. After the boil, turn off the heat and chill the wort to slightly below fermentation temperature, about 65 °F (18 °C). Aerate the wort with pure oxygen or filtered air and pitch the yeast.

Ferment at 67 °F (19 °C) for four days. Add the dry hops and raise to 72 °F (22 °C) for three days. Once the beer reaches terminal gravity (approximately seven days total) bottle or keg the beer and carbonate.

Tips for Success:
Anchor’s ales spend three days in open fermentation and the temperatures are allowed to ramp over that time. If you want to do an open fermentation at home, focus on producing extremely sanitary wort, cleaning and sanitizing everything the wort comes in contact with, and pitching a known pure and viable yeast strain. A fermentation vessel such as a bucket can be used, and if you’re paranoid about contamination from fruit flies you can stretch some cheesecloth over the top. To replicate Anchor’s process you would rack to a closed vessel with an airlock such as a carboy after three to four days and do any dry hopping there.