Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.’s Celebration clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.064 FG = 1.016
IBU = 65 SRM = 12 ABV = 6.8%

First brewed in 1981, Sierra Nevada explains that Celebration Ale is one of the earliest examples of an American-style IPA, and it’s still one of the few hop-forward holiday beers. The intense, hop-heavy beer features Chinook, Centennial, and Cascade hops.

Ingredients

12.5 lb. (5.7 kg) 2-row pale malt
15 oz. (0.43 kg) caramel malt (60°L)
9 AAU Chinook hops (100 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g of 12% alpha acids)
5 AAU Centennial hops (100 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g of 10% alpha acids)
7.5 AAU Cascade hops (10 min.) (1.5 oz./43 g of 5% alpha acids)
0.66 oz. (19 g) Centennial hops (0 min.)
1.33 oz. (38 g) Cascade hops (0 min.)
1.33 oz. (38 g) Cascade hops (dry hop)
0.66 oz. (19 g) Centennial hops (dry hop)
Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), White Labs WLP001 (California Ale), or Fermentis Safale US-05 yeast (1.5 qt./1.5 L yeast starter)
1 cup (200 g) dextrose (for priming)

Step by Step

Mash at 157.5°F (69.7°C) in 17 quarts (16 L) of water. Hold at this temperature for 60 minutes. Mash out, vorlauf, and then sparge at 170°F (77°C). Boil the wort for 100 minutes, adding the hops at times indicated. Pitch the yeast and ferment at 68°F (20°C). Dry hop in secondary for 5 days. Bottle or keg as usual.

EXTRACT WITH GRAINS OPTION: Replace the 12.5 pounds (5.7 kg) 2-row pale malt with 1.5 pounds (0.68 kg) light dried malt extract, and 6.6 pounds (3 kg) light liquid malt extract. Steep the grains at in 3 quarts (2.9 L) of water as it heats up to 160 °F (71 °C). Rinse the grains with 2 quarts (2 L) of 170°F (77°C) water. Add water to the brewpot to make at least 3 gallons (11 L) of wort. Stir in the dried malt extract and boil the wort for 100 minutes, adding hops at times indicated. Keep some boiling water handy and do not let the boil volume dip below 3 gallons (11 L). Add the liquid malt extract in the final 15 minutes of the boil. Stir thoroughly to avoid scorching. Chill the wort, transfer to your fermenter, and top up with filtered water to 5 gallons (19 L). Follow the remaining portion of the all-grain recipe.