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Valley Forge Winter Spruce Ale

5 gallons, extract; OG = 1.074; FG = 1.017; Bitterness = 35 IBUs

Ingredients:

• 10 lbs. dark malt extract
• 0.5 oz. Chinook hops (8.7% alpha acid, 4.4 AAUs) for 60 min.
• 1 oz. Centennial hops (6.9% alpha acid, 6.9 AAUs) for 30 min.
• 1 oz. Kent Goldings hops (5.2% alpha acid, 5.2 AAUs) for 15 min.
• Wyeast 1056 (American ale) yeast or 14 g Doric dry ale yeast
• 1 to 2 oz. spruce essence
• 2/3 cup corn sugar for priming

Step by Step:

Heat 5 gal. 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, and pitch yeast.

Ferment at 65° to 70° F 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.