5 gallons (19 liters)
OG: 1055/13.6 degrees Plato
Alcohol: 4.8–5.3 percent by volume
Bitterness: 60 IBUs
Color: Medium amber
Yeast: Wyeast 1056 or White Labs WLP001. Both are descended from the famous Ballantine’s strain and are classic for American pale and IPA. Many British ale strains may be suitable as well.
All-grain recipe calculated at 75 percent efficiency:
6.5 pounds/2.9 kilograms pale ale malt
3 pounds/1.4 kilograms Munich malt
0.5 pound/227 grams 60 degrees L crystal malt
Extract + steeped grain recipe:
5.5 pounds/2.5 kilograms pale dry unhopped amber extract (or 6.25 pounds/2.8 kilograms syrup)
0.75 pound/340 grams 20–30 degrees crystal malt 10038
0.5 pound/227 grams 60 degrees L crystal malt 10023
Hops (calculated for whole hops; use 25 percent less for pellets):
1.0–2.0 ounces/28–57 grams, 60 minutes, your choice of hops (figured for 10–5 percent AA)
1.5–3.0 ounces/43–85 grams, 15 minutes, same variety of hops (figured for 10–5 percent AA)
2 ounces/57 grams, end of boil, same variety of hops
Mash should be simple infusion mash at 150 degrees F/66 degrees C for an hour; then raise to 170 degrees F/77 degrees C for mash out, then begin sparge. Steeped grain recipe follows standard procedure of steeping the crushed grains (in a bag) in the heating wort, then removing and draining well just before boiling. Ferment at 64–68 degrees F/18–20 degrees C. Dry-hopping would further express varietal character.