Big Ideas for Small-Scale Craft Brewing: Don’t Miss a Full-Day of 10 Live Online Seminars at the 2026 NanoCon. Register now and Save 25%!

recipe

Valley Forge Winter Spruce Ale

(5 gallon/19 L, extract only)

OG = 1.072  FG = 1.017 IBU = 35  SRM =  25  ABV = 7.2%

Ingredients

10 lbs. dark malt extract
4.4 AAU Chinook hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 8.7% alpha acid)
6.9 AAU Centennial hops (30 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 6.9% alpha acids)
5.2 AAU Kent Goldings hops (15 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 5.2% alpha acids)
Wyeast 1056 (American ale) or Safale US-05 yeast
1-2 oz. (28-57 g) spruce essence (to taste)
2/3 cup corn sugar for priming

Step by Step

Heat 5 gal. (19 L) water and stir in malt extract just before boil. Total boil is 60 min. Add Chinook hops and boil 30 min. Add Centennial hops, boil 15 min. Add Kent Goldings hops, boil 15 min. more. Kill heat, cool to 70 °F (21 °C), and pitch yeast. Ferment at 65 to 70 °F (18 to 21 °C) for seven days. Rack to secondary and allow to condition for an additional seven days. At bottling time prime with corn sugar and add spruce essence to your own taste (amount varies depending on type of essence). Bottle and age for three weeks.

You might also like…

recipe

Cause of Death

Did you ever want to do something just because someone told you it couldn’t be done? A comment at a homebrew club meeting sets a homebrewer

recipe

Hill Farmstead Brewery’s Old World, Wild Mary Pilsner clone

recipe

SingleSpeed Brewing Co.’s Coconut Migration clone

Coconut DIPA? Yes, please. The Replicator travels to Iowa to try to uncover the secrets behind SingleSpeed Brewing’s Coconut Migration.

recipe

Sparkling Cyser

A thirst-quenching but deceptively strong sparkling brew. Darker than most, because of the cider. Serve chilled.

Continue reading – Enter your email to log in or register

New to Brew Your Own? Create a free account to get our weekly newsletter and two free article webpage visits every month.

Yes! I would like to receive new content and updates.