Labatt Blue Clone Recipe

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.045 FG = 1.009
IBU = 20 SRM = 5 ABV = 4.5%

Ingredients

6.75 lbs. (3.1 kg) 2-row pale malt
3 lbs. (1.4 kg) flaked barley
4.4 AAU Hallertau hops (60 min.) (1.1 oz./31 g at 4% alpha acid)
1 AAU Hallertau hops (30 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g at 4% alpha acid)
0.25 oz. (7.1 g) Saaz hops (0 min.)
1 tsp. Irish moss (15 min.)
Wyeast 2272 (North American Lager) or White Labs WLP800 (Pilsner Lager) yeast (3 qt./~3 L yeast starter)
3/4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step

Be sure to start with either soft water or mix with reverse osmosis or distilled water to create a low-carbonate water profile.

Mash the grains and maize 12.2 qts. (11.5 L) of water to get a single-infusion mash temperature of 152 °F (67 °C) for 45 minutes (or you could also do a step mash with a 15-minute rest at 122 °F (50 °C) and a 45-minute rest at 152 °F/67 °C).

Collect 5.5 gallons (21 L) of wort, add 1 gallon (3.8 L) of water, then boil for 90 minutes. Add hops and Irish moss at times indicated. Cool, aerate, and pitch yeast. Ferment at 50 °F (10 °C) and then lager at 40 °F (4.4 °C) for 2–4 weeks. After fermentation is complete, bottle or keg as usual.

Partial mash option: Substitute 5.75 lbs (2.6 kg) of the 2-row malt in the all-grain recipe with 4 lbs. (0.34 kg) extra light dried malt extract, and reduce the flaked barley to 1 lb. (0.45 kg). Place crushed malt and flaked barley in a nylon steeping bag and steep in 3 qts. (2.8 L) of water at 150 °F (66 °C) for 45 minutes. Rinse grains with 2 qts. (2 L) of water at 170 °F (77 °C). Add water to make 3 gallons (11 L), stir in dried malt extract and bring to a boil for 60 minutes. Add hops and Irish moss as indicated, and the liquid malt extract with 15 minutes remaining in the boil. Cool wort to about 50 °F (10 °C) and transfer to fermenting vessel. Top up to 5 gallons (19 L) with water, aerate and pitch yeast. Follow the remaining portion of the all-grain recipe.