The Alchemist: Focal Banger Clone Recipe

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.063   FG = 1.011
IBU = 80   SRM = 5   ABV = 7%

While the recipe for Focal Banger has been known to change over the years, the Citra®/Mosaic® hop combo has been one thing that hasn’t changed. Pilsner malt has been known to be part of the grain bill, so feel free to substitute in some for the Pearl malt.

Ingredients

12 lbs. (5.4 kg) Thomas Fawcett Pearl malt
1.2 lbs. (0.54 kg) corn sugar (15 min.)
4 mL HopShot™ (60 min.)
1.5 oz. (43 g) Citra® hops (0 min.)
2.5 oz. (71 g) Mosaic® hops (0 min.)
2.5 oz. (71 g) Citra® hops (dry hop)
1.5 oz. (43 g) Mosaic® hops (dry hop)
The Yeast Bay (Vermont Ale), East Coast Yeast ECY29 (North East Ale), Omega Yeast Labs (DIPA Ale), or LalBrew New England Ale yeast
3/4 cups (150 g) dextrose (if priming)

Step by Step

This recipe is designed for homebrewers to achieve 5.5 gallons (21 L) wort in their fermenter on brew day. This will help offset the loss of volume to the heavy hopping rate of this beer. Build your water profile, starting with either very soft water or RO water. Target a water profile of 250:100 PPM sulfate: chloride. Crush the malt and add to 4 gallons (15 L) strike water to achieve a stable mash temperature at 154 °F (68 °C). Hold at this temperature for 60 minutes. Raise to mash out at 168 °F (76 °C) and begin to vorlauf. Collect about 7 gallons (26.5 L) of wort in your kettle and bring to a boil. Boil for 60 minutes, adding the HopShot™ addition after the wort comes to a boil and the corn sugar with 15 minutes left in the boil. After you turn off the heat, add the final addition of hops, then stir the wort and let settle for 30 minutes with the lid on before cooling to yeast pitching temperature. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C). As fermentation nears completion, transfer the beer to a keg and add the dry hops and attach a spunding valve. Let the beer sit on the hops for 3–4 days, then transfer to a serving keg or bottling bucket. Bottle with priming sugar or force carbonate the serving keg to 2.4 volumes CO₂.

Extract with grains option:
Substitute the Thomas Fawcett Pearl malt in the all-grain recipe with 6.6 lbs. (3 kg) Maris Otter liquid malt extract and 1.2 lbs. (0.54 kg) Pilsen dried malt extract. Heat 5 gallons (19 L) soft or reverse osmosis water up to boil. As soon as the water begins to boil, remove from heat and stir in the liquid and dried malt extracts. Stir until all the extract is dissolved then return the wort to a boil. Boil for 60 minutes. Follow the remaining portion of the all-grain recipe.