Vermont Maple Golden Ale

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain with maple syrup)
OG = 1.046 FG = 1.010 IBU = 17 SRM = 7+ ABV = 4.6%

Ingredients

6.5 lbs. (3.0 kg) Maris Otter 2-row pale ale malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) toasted pale malt
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) crystal malt (20 °L)
16 fl. oz. (473 mL) maple syrup
3 AAU Cluster hops (60 min.) (0.43 oz./12 g of 7% alpha acids)
3 AAU Willamette hops (15 min.) (0.60 oz./17 g of 5% alpha acids)
1 tsp. Irish moss (15 min.)
15 g Coopers dry ale yeast
1⁄2 cup corn sugar (for priming)
1⁄4 cup maple syrup (for priming)

Step by step

Heat 12 quarts water (or fresh maple sap) to 165 °F (74 °C). Mash in crushed pale malt, toasted malt and crystal, hold 90 minutes at 150–152 °F (66–67 °C). Runoff, sparge with 14 quarts water or sap at 170 °F (77 °C). Add 1 pint pure maple syrup to wort, bring to a boil. Add the Cluster hops, boil 45 minutes. Add the Willamette hops, boil another 15 minutes, add the Irish moss (if desired) and remove from heat. Chill quickly, pour into your sanitized fermenter and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 70 °F (21 °C) for 7–10 days, rack to secondary and age cool for 14–20 days. Bottle, priming with the corn sugar and the maple syrup. Condition 2–3 weeks.

Extract option: Replace the 2-row malt with 3 lb. 10 oz. (1.6 kg) Coopers Extra-light dried malt extract. Steep remaining grains for 30 minutes at 152 °F (67 °C) in 2.5 qts. (~2.5 L) of water. Boil 60 minutes, reserving roughly of half the malt extract for final 15 minutes of boil.