Goose Island’s Honkers Ale clone

(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.045  FG = 1.013 SRM = 13  IBU  = 30  ABV = 4.3%

Ingredients

8 oz. (0.23 kg) U.S. crystal malt (40 °L)
8 oz. (0.23 kg) wheat malt
8 oz. (0.23 kg) Belgian caramel Munich malt
2 oz. (57 g) roasted barley (300 °L)
4.5 lbs. (2 kg) Muntons light dried malt extract
8.5 AAUs Pilgrim hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28 g of 8.5% alpha acids)
2.5 AAUs Celia hops (15 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g of 5% alpha acids)
2 AAUs Styrian Golding hops (15 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g of 4% alpha acids)
5 AAUs Celia hops (1 min.) (1 oz./28 g of 5% alpha acid)
1 tsp. Irish moss (15 min.)
Wyeast 1968 (London ESB) or White Labs WLP002 (English Ale) or Lallemand London ESB Ale yeast
3/4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by step

Bring 1/2 gallon (2 L) of water to 155 °F (68 °C), add crushed grain and hold for 30 minutes at 150 °F (66 °C). Strain the grain into the brewpot and sparge with one gallon (3.8 L) of 168 °F (76 °C) water. Add the dry malt extract and first round of hops. Bring the total volume in the brewpot to 3 gallons (11 L). Boil for 45 minutes, then add the flavor hops and Irish moss. Boil for 14 minutes, then add the aroma hops. Boil for 1 minute, then remove the pot from the stove. Cool wort for 15 minutes in an ice bath or chill with wort chiller. Strain into the primary fermenter and add water to obtain 5.25 gallons (20 L). Add yeast when wort has cooled to below 80 °F (27 °C). Oxygenate-aerate well. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) for 7 days, then rack into secondary (glass carboy). Ferment until target gravity has been reached and beer has cleared (approximately 3 weeks). Keg and force carbonate or prime and bottle. If bottling, carbonate at 70 to 72 °F (21 to 22 °C) for 2 to 3 weeks. This bitter is ready to drink 1 month after it is carbonated. It will peak between 1 and 3 months and will last for 6 months.

All-Grain option: Acidify the mash water to below 7 pH. Mash 8.5 lbs. (3.9 kg) British two-row pale malt and the specialty grains in 3.25 gallons (12.3 L) of water at 152 °F (67 °C) for 90 minutes. Sparge with 4.75 gallons (18 L) of water at 5.7 pH and 168 °F (76 °C). The total boil time is 90 minutes. Add the hops and Irish moss as indicated by the partial mash recipe.