Yarrow Pale Ale (YPA)

(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.065  FG = 1.013 IBU = 43  SRM = 7  ABV = 7.1%

Ingredients

2 lbs. (0.91 kg) pale malt
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) medium crystal malt (50° to 60° L)
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) wheat malt
6 lbs. (2.7 kg) light dried malt extract
7 AAU Northern Brewer hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 7% alpha acid)
6.5 AAU Fuggle hops (20 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 6.5% alpha acid)
0.5 oz. (14 g) dried fresh yarrow flowers (0 min.)
1/8 oz. (3.5 g) dried fresh savory (0 min.)
1/8 oz. (3.5 g) dried fresh thyme (0 min.) Wyeast 1098 (London Ale) or White Labs WLP013 (London Ale) or Lallemand Nottingham yeast
2/3 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step

Heat 1.25 gal. (4.7 L) of water to 165 °F (74 °C), crush your grains, and add them to this water. Hold the mash at 152 °F (67 °C) for 60 min. Wash the grains with 2 gal. (7.6 L) of water at 169 °F (76 °C). Add the dried malt extract, then heat to boiling. Total boil is 60 min. Add the hops according to the schedule. Turn off the heat and add the yarrow, savory, and thyme (in a bouquet garni or fine mesh bag). Steep 30 min. as the wort begins to cool. Remove the herbs and chill the wort. Add to the fermenter after 60 min., along with enough water to make 5.25 gal (20 L). At 68 °F (20 °C) pitch the yeast. Ferment near 65 °F (18 °C) for 10 days. If you prefer, rack to secondary and age an additional 10 to 15 days. Prime with corn sugar and bottle or keg and force carbonate.

All-grain version: Omit the dried malt extract and increase the grain bill to 12.5 lbs. (5.7 kg) pale malt and 1 lb. (0.45 kg) wheat malt. Use 4.5 gal. (17.2 L) of mash water and sparge with 5 gal. (19 L) of water. Temperature and time are the same, as are the hop schedule and additions, but plan your boil to reduce the volume to 5.25 gal (20 L). Chill as quickly as you can after steeping the herbs for 30 minutes.

Extract with grains version: Steep the crystal malt as above in 3 gal. (11 L) of water and gradually heat to 170 °F (77 °C), then remove them. Increase dried malt extract to 7 lbs. (2.3 kg) and add 1 cup (7 oz./200 g) light brown sugar to the boil as well.

Herbs: The hops used in this recipe are for flavor and bitterness only. Aroma hops, a necessary part of an IPA, are replaced by a selection of very aromatic herbs from the garden, used essentially as dry hops. The combination given here is what I prefer, but of course you may use anything you like. This does have a bit of a medicinal aroma at first, but it mellows after a few weeks in the bottle. If you really want a fresh aroma and zing, use these herbs (or some additional) in the fermenter or secondary.