Extract Method to your Madness

Ask ten different homebrewers how to make an extract beer and you will get ten different answers. When brewing an extract beer, it pays to think about which procedures will give you the best shot at success. In this article, I’ll give a quick description of some of the most popular extract methods, followed by ten recipes designed to show off the strong points of the various methods.

No-Boil Brewing

Many canned extract kits give a no-boil procedure. You simply heat a couple gallons of water, stir in some hopped malt extract and let it steep for awhile to sanitize the wort. The steeping time is often as short as 15 minutes. Then you cool the wort, add water to make 5 gallons (19 L) and proceed as normal.

The main benefit of the no-boil procedure is that it is quick. Another is, because the malt extract is not heated much, you can make very light-colored beers. Many of the key characteristics of the beer, including the specialty malt character and level of bitterness, have been determined by the kit maker so there isn’t a need to worry about these variables. And, because you don’t boil the wort, you can cool it quicker than if you had boiled it.

Although homebrewers can use more involved brewing methods, a no-boil extract beer made from hopped wheat extract can make a fine base for a fruit beer. Likewise, a no-boil beer made from unhopped wheat extract or light extract can serve as the base for a sour beer. (See our no-boil recipe below.). Of course, some homebrewers enjoy their no-boil kit beers (and extra free time to drink homebrew) without any further additions.

Concentrated Boil Method

For many years, the most popular method of extract beer production was the concentrated boil method. In these beers, the brewer steeped the specialty malts he (or she) wanted then boiled his own hops in the malt extract, dissolved in a couple gallons of water. Any sugar in the recipe was usually replaced with malt extract. After the boil, the concentrated wort was diluted with water to working strength.

However, with these two steps forward came one step back; boiling a concentrated, all-malt wort led to excessive darkening of that wort. Still, the concentrated boil method can be used to make good beer, provided the beer meets a few criteria. First, you can only brew beers that are amber or darker. Second, because it gets harder to extract hop bitterness the “thicker” your wort is, you can only brew beers with a low level of hop bitterness. Finally, since the extent of wort darkening and the degree of depression of hop utilization increase with the beer’s gravity, it’s best to stick with low-gravity beers.

In the recipe section, two recipes are given that take advantage of the benefits of the method, but aren’t held back by its limitations. A third recipe can be found on our website.

Extract Late Method

The extract late method can be seen as a way to split the differences between the previous two methods. As with the concentrated boil method, the brewer can steep his own specialty grains and boil his own hops in some dissolved malt extract. However, in the extract late method, half or more of the malt extract is withheld until at or near the end of the boil. Either the late extract is boiled for the final 15 minutes of the boil or steeped in hot wort for 15 minutes after the boil. Because less heat is applied to the malt extract over the course of the brewing session, the wort produced is lighter in color than that made by the concentrated method. Also, because the gravity of boiled wort is lower, hop utilization is improved. In short, you can brew lighter-colored beers that exhibit more hop bitterness (or the same amount of bitterness from fewer hops) compared to beer made with the concentrated boil method.

In the recipe collection, recipes for three light-colored or hoppy beers are given that showcase the best the extract late method has to offer. Another two recipes are online.

Texas Two-Step

Although the extract late method allows for hoppier beers than the concentrated boil method, you still end up diluting your wort (and the bitterness it contains) before fermentation. If you want to brew truly bitter, hoppy extract beers, you need to perform a full-wort boil. However, for most stovetop brewers, both the size of their brewpot and the output of their stove preclude vigorously boiling all their wort at once.

The Texas Two-Step method is a workaround that allows stovetop brewers to boil their entire wort, albeit in shifts. The basic idea is to boil two 2.5-gallon (9.5 L) worts and combine them. Although this method allows for the lightest-colored, hoppiest stovetop beer, it does have one drawback: you need two consecutive brew days for every brew — one to boil the first half of the wort and the other to boil the second half.

The recipe collection features two recipes for decidedly hoppy beers. These recipes require more effort, but are well worth it for the confirmed hophead.

Which Method is Best?

The method you choose for your extract beers should depend on the beer you are brewing and the amount of time you are willing to spend on the project. The best way to become familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the different methods is to try them yourself. The recipe collection here will allow you to see and try the best that each method has to offer.

RECIPES

No Boil Recipe

JT’s Honey Wheat Ale
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)

OG = 1.050 FG = 1.012
IBU = ? SRM = 4+ ABV = 4.8%

A majestic American wheat beer, brewed with a little help from the hive. The level of bitterness will be determined by the malt extract you select.

Ingredients

• 6.6 lbs. (3.0 kg) Coopers Wheat liquid malt extract (hopped)
• 1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) orange blossom honey
• Fermentis US-56 dried yeast (2 packages)
• 1.0 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Heat 2.0 gallons (7.6 L) of water to 180 °F (82 °C). Turn off the heat. With a (clean) spoon, stir in the malt extract and honey until completely dissolved. Take the temperature of the wort with a (clean) thermometer. If wort is under 170 °F (77 °C), heat to 170 °F (77 °C). Turn off heat. Put a lid on your brewpot and let it sit, undisturbed for 15 minutes. Then, place your brewpot in cold water in your sink. Change the water in the sink when it gets warm until wort cools such that the side of brewpot feels cool to the touch. Combine wort with water in fermenter to make 5 gallons (19 L), aerate and add dried yeast. Let ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) for 10 days, then rack to bottling bucket and bottle with corn sugar.

Fruit beer option:

When beer has fermented, put 7.0 lbs. (23.2 kg) of frozen raspberries in a sanitized fermentation bucket. Rack beer onto raspberries, seal fermenter and let sit for 1 week before bottling.

Concentrated Boil Recipes

The Brothers Reid Scottish ale
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)

OG = 1.040 FG = 1.010
IBU = 18 SRM = 11+ ABV = 3.9%

A malty beer to walk 500 miles for . . . and 500 more, if necessary.

Ingredients

• 3 lb. 6 oz. (1.5 kg) Briess Light dried malt extract
• 1 lb. 10 oz. (0.74 kg) pale ale malt
• 0.25 lb. (0.11 kg) crystal malt (30 °L)
• 2.0 oz. (56 g) roasted barley (300 °L)
• 5.5 AAU Kent Goldings hops (60 mins)
• (1.1 oz./31 g of 5% alpha acids)
• 1 tsp. Irish moss
• Wyeast 1728 (Scottish Ale) or White Labs WLP028 (Edinburgh Ale) yeast
• (0.75 qt./~0.75 L yeast starter)
• 0.75 cups corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Place crushed grains in a nylon steeping bag. In a large kitchen pot, heat 3.0 qts. (2.8 L) of water to 173 °F (79 °C). Submerge grain bag in water and let steep at 162 °F (72 °C) for 15 minutes. (The temperature will drop a bit during the steep, but this won’t hurt.) While grains are steeping, heat 1.5 qts. (~1.5 L) of water to 170 °F (77 °C) in a sauce pan. Also, begin heating 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water to a boil in your brewpot. When steeping is done, place a colander over your brewpot and lift the grain bag into it. Pour the “grain tea” through the bag (which will strain out most of the grain bits), then rinse the bag with the 1.5 qts. (~1.5 L) of 170 °F (77 °C) water.

Heat the (roughly) 3 gallons (11 L) of wort in your brewpot to a boil, then stir in dried malt extract. (It will foam a bit, so don’t pour all the extract in at once.) Bring the wort back to a boil, add the hops and boil for 60 minutes. Add Irish moss with 15 minutes left in boil.

After the boil, put a lid on your brewpot and cool the wort (either in a cold-water bath in your sink or with a wort chiller). Cool until the side of the brewpot no longer feels warm. Transfer wort to your fermenter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L) with cool water. Aerate the wort and pitch your yeast. Ferment at 65 °F (18 °F). When beer falls clear, bottle with corn sugar (or keg). (In other words, skip “secondary fermentation.”)

Clifford Brown Ale
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)

OG = 1.048 FG = 1.014
IBU = 23 SRM = 29+ ABV = 4.4%

Like the best jazz from the hard bop era, this beer is complex but not boggling.

Ingredients

• 4 lb. 6 oz. (2.0 kg) Muntons Light dried malt extract
• 12 oz. (0.34 kg) dark Munich malt (20 °L)
• 3 oz. (85 g) biscuit malt
• 8 oz. (0.23 kg) crystal malt (60 °L)
• 3 oz. (85 g) crystal malt (120-150 °L)
• 5 oz. (142 g) chocolate malt
• 6 AAU Northern Brewer bittering hops (60 mins)
• (0.66 oz./19 g of 9% alpha acids)
• 1.5 AAU First Gold hops (15 mins)
• (0.3 oz./8.5 g of 5% alpha acids)
• 1.0 AAU Fuggles hops (15 mins)
• (0.2 oz./5.6 g of 5% alpha acids)
• 0.75 oz (21 g) First Gold hops (0 mins)
• 1 tsp. Irish moss
• Wyeast 1272 (American ale II), White Labs WLP051 (California V) or US56 dried yeast
• (1.5 qt./~1.5 L yeast starter)
• 7/8 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Place crushed grains in a nylon steeping bag. In a large kitchen pot, heat 3.0 qts. (2.8 L) of water to 166 °F (74 °C). Submerge grain bag in water and let steep at 155 °F (68 °C) for 30 minutes. (The temperature will drop a bit during the steep, but this won’t hurt.) While grains are steeping, heat 1.5 qts. (~1.5 L) of water to 170 °F (77 °C) in a sauce pan. Also, begin heating 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water to a boil in your brewpot. When steeping is done, place a colander over your brewpot and lift the grain bag into it. Pour the “grain tea” through the bag (which will strain out most of the grain bits), then rinse the bag with the 1.5 qts. (~1.5 L) of 170 °F (77 °C) water.

Heat the (roughly) 3 gallons (11 L) of wort in your brewpot to a boil, then stir in dried malt extract. (It will foam a bit, so don’t pour all the extract in at once.) Bring the wort back to a boil, add the first charge hops and boil for 60 minutes. Add Irish moss and two flavor hops with 15 minutes left in boil. Add aroma hops at the end of the boil.

After the boil, put a lid on your brewpot and cool the wort (either in a cold-water bath in your sink or with a wort chiller). Cool until the side of the brewpot no longer feels warm. Transfer wort to your fermenter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L) with cool water. Aerate the wort and pitch your yeast. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °F). When fermentation slows to halt, rack to secondary. Bottle with corn sugar (or keg) one week later.

MacGowan’s Sweet Tooth Stout
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)

OG = 1.044 FG = 1.015
IBU = 25 SRM = 48+ ABV = 3.8%

A dark ale with enough roasty bitterness to make you take it seriously, but enough sweetness to make it go down easy.

Ingredients

• 3.5 lbs. (1.6 kg) Muntons Light dried malt extract
• 12 oz. (0.34 kg) 2-row pale ale malt
• 8.0 oz. (0.23 kg) crystal malt (90 °L)
• 3.0 oz. (85 g) chocolate malt
• 3.0 oz. (85 g) roasted barley (300 °L)
• 5.0 oz. (142 g) roasted barley (500 °L)
• 1.0 oz. (28 g) black patent malt
• 0.50 lbs. (0.23 kg) lactose (15 mins)
• 0.25 cup Splenda (optional, at bottling/kegging)
• 1 tsp. Irish moss
• 7.5 AAU Magnum hops (60 mins)
• (0.47 oz./13 g of 16% alpha acids)
• Wyeast 1968 (London ESB Ale), White Labs WLP002 (English ale) or Nottingham dried yeast (1 qt./~1 L yeast starter)
• 2/3 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Place crushed grains in a nylon steeping bag. In a large kitchen pot, heat 3.0 qts. (2.8 L) of water to 163 °F (73 °C). Submerge grain bag in water and let steep at 152 °F (67 °C) for 45 minutes. (If temperature drops below 148 °F (64 °C), heat to 152 °F (67 °C) again.) While grains are steeping, heat 1.5 qts. (~1.5 L) of water to 170 °F (77 °C) in a sauce pan. Also, begin heating 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water to a boil in your brewpot. When steeping is done, place a colander over your brewpot and lift the grain bag into it. Pour the “grain tea” through the bag (which will strain out most of the grain bits), then rinse the bag with the 1.5 qts. (~1.5 L) of 170 °F (77 °C) water.

Heat the (roughly) 3 gallons (11 L) of wort in your brewpot to a boil, then stir in dried malt extract. (It will foam a bit, so don’t pour all the extract in at once.) Bring the wort back to a boil, add the hops and boil for 60 minutes. Add Irish moss and lactose with 15 minutes left in boil.

After the boil, put a lid on your brewpot and cool the wort (either in a cold-water bath in your sink or with a wort chiller). Cool until the side of the brewpot no longer feels warm. Transfer wort to your fermenter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L) with cool water. Aerate the wort and pitch your yeast. Ferment at 70 °F (21 °F). When fermentation slows to halt, rack to secondary. Bottle with corn sugar (or keg) a few days later. (You may want to add a bit a Splenda — an (unfermentable) artificial sugar — if you want the beer to be a little sweeter. Taste an untreated sample in your botting bucket or keg before deciding.)

Extract Late Recipes

Bergman’s Notorious Blonde Ale
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)

OG = 1.052 FG = 1.012
IBU = 25 SRM = 7 ABV = 5.2%

A golden blonde ale with just a hint of raciness in the hops. Follow the instructions closely and this will come off without a hitch.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. 11 oz. (0.76 kg) Briess Light dried malt extract
• 3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) Briess Light liquid malt extract (late addition)
• 0.75 lbs. (0.34 kg) corn sugar (15 mins)
• 1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) Pilsner malt
• 0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) Vienna malt
• 0.25 lb. (113 g) crystal malt (20 °L)
• 5.5 AAU Centennial hops (60 mins)
• (0.45 oz./13 g of 12% alpha acids)
• 2.5 AAU Willamette hops (15 mins)
• (0.5 oz./14 g of 5% alpha acids)
• 0.66 oz. (19 g) Mt. Hood hops (0 mins)
• 1 tsp. Irish moss
• Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or US-56 dried yeast
• (1.5 qt./~1.5 L yeast starter)
• 1.0 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Place crushed grains in a nylon steeping bag. In a large kitchen pot, heat 3.0 qts. (2.8 L) of water to 163 °F (73 °C). Submerge grain bag in water and let steep at 152 °F (67 °C) for 45 minutes. (If temperature drops below 148 °F (64 °C), heat to 152 °F (67 °C) again.) While grains are steeping, heat 1.5 qts. (~1.5 L) of water to 170 °F (77 °C) in a sauce pan. Also, begin heating 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water to a boil in your brewpot. When steeping is done, place a colander over your brewpot and lift the grain bag into it. Pour the “grain tea” through the bag (which will strain out most of the grain bits), then rinse the bag with the 1.5 qts. (~1.5 L) of 170 °F (77 °C) water.

Heat the (roughly) 3 gallons (11 L) of wort in your brewpot to a boil, then stir in dried malt extract. (It will foam a bit, so don’t pour all the extract in at once.) Bring the wort back to a boil, add the first charge hops and boil for 60 minutes. Add liquid malt extract, Irish moss and flavor hops with 15 minutes left in boil. Add aroma hops at the end of the boil.

After the boil, put a lid on your brewpot and cool the wort (either in a cold-water bath in your sink or with a wort chiller). Cool until the side of the brewpot no longer feels warm. Transfer wort to your fermenter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L) with cool water. Aerate the wort and pitch your yeast. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °F). When fermentation slows to halt, rack to secondary. Bottle with corn sugar (or keg) one week later.

Creature of the Wheel Kölsch
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)

OG = 1.046 FG = 1.012
IBU = 23 SRM = 5 ABV = 4.5%

The wheat malt is a nod to the past, but this recipe uses every modern technological advantage to produce a clean, crisp, light-colored Kölsch. If the family has never enjoyed any of your homebrews before, this may bring them into the light.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. 2 oz. (0.51 kg) Coopers Light dried malt extract
• 4.0 lbs. (1.8 kg) Weyermann Bavarian Pilsner liquid malt extract (late addition)
• 1 lb. 2 oz. (0.51 kg) Pilsner malt
• 8.0 oz. (0.23 kg) wheat malt
• 6.0 oz. (170 g) Weyermann acidulated malt
• 1 tsp. Irish moss
• 3.3 AAU Tettnang hops (60 mins)
• (0.94 oz./27 g of 3.5% alpha acids)
• 3.0 AAU Hallertau hops (60 mins)
• (0.75 oz./21 g of 4% alpha acids)
• Wyeast 2565 (Kölsch) or White Labs WLP029 (German Ale/Kölsch) yeast
• (1.5 qt./~1.5 L yeast starter)
• 7/8 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Place crushed grains in a nylon steeping bag. In a large kitchen pot, heat 3.0 qts. (2.8 L) of water to 165 °F (74 °C). Submerge grain bag in water and let steep at 154 °F (68 °C) for 45 minutes. (If the temperature drops below 150 °F (66 °C), heat to 154 °F (68 °C) again.) While grains are steeping, heat 1.5 qts. (~1.5 L) of water to 170 °F (77 °C) in a sauce pan. Also, begin heating 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water to a boil in your brewpot. When steeping is done, place a colander over your brewpot and lift the grain bag into it. Pour the “grain tea” through the bag (which will strain out most of the grain bits), then rinse the bag with the 1.5 qts. (~1.5 L) of 170 °F (77 °C) water.

Heat the (roughly) 3 gallons (11 L) of wort in your brewpot to a boil, then stir in dried malt extract. (It will foam a bit, so don’t pour all the extract in at once.) Bring the wort back to a boil, add the two hops and boil for 60 minutes. Add Irish moss with 15 minutes left in boil. Add liquid malt extract at the end of the boil, put a lid on the brewpot and let wort steep for 15 minutes before cooling.

After the steep, cool the wort (either in a cold-water bath in your sink or with a wort chiller). Cool until the side of the brewpot feels cool to the touch. Transfer wort to your fermenter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L) with cool water. Aerate the wort and pitch your yeast. Ferment at 65 °F (18 °F). When fermentation slows to halt, rack to secondary. Bottle with corn sugar (or keg) one week later. If possible, store beer cold (around 40 °F/4.4 °C) after bottle conditioning for 2 weeks.

Big Belly Belgian Blonde
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)

OG = 1.060 FG = 1.011
IBU = 26 SRM = 5 ABV = 6.3%

Austin Powers claimed that “Danger” was his middle name. After seeing our procedures, you may think we should have named this beer after him. However, once you get your first taste of it, you’ll be yelling one of Fat Bastard’s most memorable lines — “Get in my belly!”

Ingredients

• 3.25 lbs. (1.5 kg) light dried malt extract
• 14 oz. (0.40 kg) light liquid malt extract (late addition)
• 2.0 lbs. (0.91 kg) corn sugar (late addition)
• 1 lb. 13 oz. (0.82 kg) Belgian Pilsner malt
• 3.0 oz. (85 g) Belgian aromatic malt
• 6 AAU Cluster hops (60 mins)
• (0.86 oz./24 g of 7% alpha acids)
• 1.3 AAU Styrian Golding hops (20 mins)
• (0.26 oz./7.3 g of 5% alpha acids)
• 1.3 AAU Styrian Golding hops (10 mins)
• (0.26 oz./7.3 g of 5% alpha acids)
• 0.25 oz. (7.1 g) Styrian Golding hops (2 mins)
• Wyeast 1388 (Belgian Strong Ale) or White Labs WLP570 (Belgian Golden Ale) yeast
• (no starter)
• 1.25 cups corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Place crushed grains in a nylon steeping bag. In a large kitchen pot, heat 3.0 qts. (2.8 L) of water to 163 °F (73 °C). Submerge grain bag in water and let steep at 152 °F (67 °C) for 45 minutes. (When temperature drops below 148 °F (64 °C), heat to 152 °F (67 °C) again.) While grains are steeping, heat 1.5 qts. (~1.5 L) of water to 170 °F (77 °C) in a sauce pan. Also, begin heating 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water to a boil in your brewpot. When steeping is done, place a colander over your brewpot and lift the grain bag into it. Pour the “grain tea” through the bag (which will strain out most of the grain bits), then rinse the bag with the 1.5 qts. (~1.5 L) of 170 °F (77 °C) water.

Heat the (roughly) 3 gallons (11 L) of wort in your brewpot to a boil, then stir in dried malt extract. (It will foam a bit, so don’t pour all the extract in at once.) Bring the wort back to a boil, add the bittering hops and boil for 60 minutes. Add first charge of Styrian Goldigns with 20 minutes left in boil. Add Irish moss, liquid malt extract and corn sugar with 15 minutes left in boil. Add remaining charges of hops with 10 minutes and 2 minutes left in the boil.

After the boil, cool the wort (either in a cold-water bath in your sink or with a wort chiller). Cool until the side of the brewpot feels cool to the touch. Transfer wort to your fermenter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L) with cool water. Aerate the wort and pitch your yeast — straight from the package (no starter) — at 65 °F (18 °F). (Expect a lag time of a day or more.) Put your fermenter somewhere where the ambient temperature is around 72 °F (22 °C) and let the fermentation temperature rise — up to 80 °F (27 °C) is fine — during fermentation. When fermentation stops, wait a day or two, then rack to secondary. Bottle with corn sugar (or keg) a few days later. If possible, store beer cold (around 40 °F/4.4 °C) after bottle conditioning for a week or so.

Pandora’s Pilsner
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)

OG = 1.050 FG = 1.012
IBU = 35 SRM = 6 ABV = 4.8%

When Pandora opened her box, she released all the troubles of mankind — sorrow, despair, greed, crime, poverty and disease. Opening a Pandora’s Pilsner crams all that stuff back in the box . . . for about 30 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1.75 lbs. (0.79 kg) light dried malt extract
• 3.75 lbs. (1.7 kg) Pilsner liquid malt extract (late addition)
• 1 lb. 4 oz. (0.57 kg) Pilsner malt
• 8.0 oz. (0.23 kg) acidulated malt
• 4.0 oz. (113 g) CaraPils malt
• 6 AAU Nothern Brewer hops (60 mins)
• (0.66 oz./19 g of 9% alpha acids)
• 1.3 AAU Saaz hops (20 mins)
• (0.37 oz./11 g of 3.5% alpha acids)
• 1.3 AAU Saaz hops (10 mins)
• (0.37 oz./11 g of 3.5% alpha acids)
• 0.25 oz. (7.1 g) Saaz hops (2 mins)
• 1 tsp. Irish moss
• Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian Lager) or White Labs WLP830 (German Lager) yeast
• (3 qt./~3 L yeast starter)
• 7/8 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Place crushed grains in a nylon steeping bag. In a large kitchen pot, heat 3.0 qts. (2.8 L) of water to 164 °F (73 °C). Submerge grain bag in water and let steep at 153 °F (67 °C) for 45 minutes. (If temperature drops below 149 °F (65 °C), heat to 153 °F (67 °C) again.) While grains are steeping, heat 2.0 qts. (~2.0 L) of water to 168 °F (76 °C) in a sauce pan. Also, begin heating 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water to a boil in your brewpot. When steeping is done, place a colander over your brewpot and lift the grain bag into it. Pour the “grain tea” through the bag (which will strain out most of the grain bits), then rinse the bag with the 2.0 qts. (~2.0 L) of 168 °F (76 °C) water.

Heat the (roughly) 3 gallons (11 L) of wort in your brewpot to a boil, then stir in dried malt extract. (It will foam a bit, so don’t pour all the extract in at once.) Bring the wort back to a boil, add the first charge hops and boil for 60 minutes. Add first charge of Saaz hops with 20 minutes left in the boil. Add liquid malt extract and Irish moss with 15 minutes left in boil. Add second charge of Saaz with 10 minutes left in boil and add final charge with 2 minutes from the end of the boil.

After the boil, put a lid on your brewpot and cool the wort (either in a cold-water bath in your sink or with a wort chiller). Cool until the side of the brewpot feels distinctly cool to the touch. Transfer wort to your fermenter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L) with cool water. (It’s best if at least 1 gallon (3.8 L) of the topping up water has been refrigerated.) Aerate the wort and pitch your yeast. Ferment at 55 °F (13 °F). When fermentation slows, let temperature rise to 60 °F (15 °C). Hold at this temperature for two days, the dial the temperature down to 40 °F (4.4 °C) at the rate of about 4 °F (~2 °C) per day. Lager at this temperature for 3 weeks. Bottle with corn sugar (or keg).

Shaun of the Red (Irish red ale)
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)

OG = 1.060 FG = 1.015
IBU = 28 SRM = 24 ABV = 5.8%

A robust version of an Irish red ale — you might call it a red ale with a little more guts.

Ingredients

• 2.5 lbs. (1.1 kg) light dried malt extract
• 4 lb. 6 oz. (2.0 kg) light liquid malt extract (late addition)
• 6.5 oz. (184 g) 2-row pale ale malt
• 1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) crystal malt (40 °L)
• 6 oz. (170 g) crystal malt (60 °L)
• 2 oz. (57 g) crystal malt (90 °L)
• 1.5 oz. (43 g) roasted barley (300 °L)
• 5.8 AAU Target hops (60 mins)
• (0.53 oz./15 g of 11% alpha acids)
• 2.5 AAU Kent Goldings hops (30 mins)
• (0.50 oz./14 g of 5% alpha acids)
• 0.25 oz. (7.1 g) Fuggles hops (5 mins)
• 1 tsp. Irish moss
• Wyeast 1084 (Irish ale) or White Labs WLP004 (Irish ale) yeast
• (2 qt,/~2 L yeast starter)
• 0.75 cups corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Place crushed grains in a nylon steeping bag. In a large kitchen pot, heat 3.0 qts. (2.8 L) of water to 161 °F (72 °C). Submerge grain bag in water and let steep at 150 °F (66 °C) for 45 minutes. (If temperature drops below 148 °F (64 °C), heat to 150 °F (66 °C) again.) While grains are steeping, heat 1.5 qts. (~1.5 L) of water to 170 °F (77 °C) in a sauce pan. Also, begin heating 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water to a boil in your brewpot. When steeping is done, place a colander over your brewpot and lift the grain bag into it. Pour the “grain tea” through the bag (which will strain out most of the grain bits), then rinse the bag with the 1.5 qts. (~1.5 L) of 170 °F (77 °C) water.

Heat the (roughly) 3 gallons (11 L) of wort in your brewpot to a boil, then stir in dried malt extract. (It will foam a bit, so don’t pour all the extract in at once.) Bring the wort back to a boil, add the Target hops and boil for 60 minutes. Add the Kent Goldings hops with 30 minutes left in the boil. Add liquid malt extract, and Irish moss with 15 minutes left in boil. Add Fuggles 5 minutes before the end of the boil.

After the boil, put a lid on your brewpot and cool the wort (either in a cold-water bath in your sink or with a wort chiller). Cool until the side of the brewpot no longer feels warm. Transfer wort to your fermenter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L) with cool water. Aerate the wort and pitch your yeast. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °F). When fermentation slows to halt, rack to secondary. Bottle with corn sugar (or keg) one week later.

Texas Two-Step Recipes

Bierce’s Bitter (IPA)
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)

OG = 1.072 FG = 1.018
IBU = 68 SRM = 13 ABV = 7.0%

India Pale Ale, n. A style of beer inaccessible to stovetop homebrewers — unless you use the Texas Two-Step method.

Ingredients

Step One

• 3.0 lbs (1.4 kg) dried malt extract
• 0.75 lbs. (0.34 kg) Munich malt (10 °L)
• 0.75 lbs. (0.34 kg) crystal malt (40 °L)
• 0.50 lbs. (0.23 kg) crystal malt (60 °L)
• 7.2 AAU Magnum hops (60 mins)
• (0.45 oz./13 g of 16% alpha acids)
• 5 AAU Centennial hops (15 mins)
• (0.42 oz./12 g of 12% alpha acids)
• 0.5 oz. (14 g) Cascade hops (0 mins)
• 1 tsp. Irish moss (15 mins)
• Wyeast 1272 (American II) or White Labs WLP051 (American V) yeast
• (0.5 qt./~0.5 L yeast starter)

Step Two

• 4.0 lbs (1.8 kg) dried malt extract
• 8 AAU Simcoe hops (60 mins)
• (0.62 oz./17 g of 13% alpha acids)
• 4 AAU Ahtanum hops (15 mins)
• (0.66 oz./19 g of 6% alpha acids)
• 0.25 oz. (7.1 g) Amarillo hops (0 mins)
• 1 tsp Irish moss (15 mins)
• 0.5 oz. (14 g) Cascade hops (dry hops)
• 0.25 oz. (7.1 g) Amarillo hops (dry hops)
• 7/8 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Step One:

Place crushed grains in a nylon steeping bag. In a large kitchen pot, heat 3.0 qts. (2.8 L) of water to 167 °F (75 °C). Submerge grain bag in water and steep at 156 °F (69 °C)for 45 minutes. (If temperature drops below 152 °F (67 °C), heat to 156 °F (69 °C) again.) While grains are steeping, heat 1.5 qts. (~1.5 L) of water to 170 °F (77 °C) in a sauce pan. Also, begin heating 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water to a boil in your brewpot. When steeping is done, place a colander over your brewpot and lift the grain bag into it. Pour the “grain tea” through the bag (which will strain out most of the grain bits), then rinse the bag with the 1.5 qts. (~1.5 L) of 170 °F (77 °C) water.

Heat the (roughly) 3 gallons (11 L) of wort in your brewpot to a boil, then stir in dried malt extract. (It will foam a bit, so don’t pour all the extract in at once.) Bring the wort back to a boil, adding hops and Irish moss at times indicated in ingredient list. Total boil time is 60 minutes.

After the boil, put a lid on your brewpot and cool the wort (either in a cold-water bath in your sink or with a wort chiller). Cool the wort to 68 °F (20 °C). Transfer the post-boil wort — which should be around 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) — to your fermenter, aerate the wort and pitch your yeast.

Step Two

(16–24 hours after Step One): Bring 3 gallons (11 L) of water to a boil, add dried malt extract and return to a boil. Add hops and Irish moss at times indicated. Cool wort to 68 °F (20 °F) and rack cooled wort into fermenting beer from Step One. (If beer is not fermenting aerate combined wort.) Add water to make 5 gallons (19 L), if needed. Ferment IPA at 68 °F (20 °F). When fermentation slows to halt, rack to secondary, add dry hops and let beer condition for 5 days. Bottle with corn sugar or keg.

Written by Chris Colby