Bonneville Flats Bitter

5 gallon/19 L, extract with grains; OG = 1.040 FG = 1.009; IBU = 27; SRM = 9; ABV = 4.0%

Ingredients:

• 0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) Briess Light dried malt extract
• 3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) Alexander’s Pale liquid malt extract (late addition)
• 0.5 lbs. (0.23 kg) corn sugar
• 1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) 2-row pale ale malt
• 0.25 lbs. (0.11 kg) crystal malt (30 °L)
• 0.25 lbs. (0.11 kg) crystal malt (40 °L)
• 1 tsp. Irish moss (15 mins)
• 1/8 tsp. yeast nutrients (15 mins)
• 6.4 AAU First Gold hops (45 mins) (0.8 oz./23 g of 8% alpha acids)
• 2.0 AAU First Gold hops (15 mins) (0.25 oz./7 g of 8% alpha acids)
• 0.75 oz. (21 g) First Gold hops (0 mins)
• 2 pkg. Nottingham dried yeast (rehydrated)
• 0.75 cups corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step:

Make your brewing water by combining 6 gallons (23 L) of soft, distilled or RO water with 1.5 tsp. gypsum. Steep grains in 2.0 qts. (1.9 L) of this water at 158 °F (70 °C). Steep for 30 minutes, then rinse with 1.0 quart (0.94 L) of water at 170 °F (77 °C). Add dried malt extract, corn sugar and water to make 2.0 gallons (7.6 L) of wort and bring to a boil. Once initial foaming subsides, add bittering hops and boil for 45 minutes. Do not let the wort volume dip below 2.0 gallons (7.6 L) during the boil. Add boiling water to make up volume if this happens. With 15 minutes left in boil, turn off heat and stir in liquid malt extract, Irish moss and flavor hops. Stir until extract is dissolved, then resume heating. (Keep the boil clock running.)

Add aroma hops at end of boil. Cool your 2 gallons (7.6 L) of wort (in sink or with chiller). Once cool, let sit (covered) for 15 minutes. Transfer wort to fermenter, leaving the majority of the sediment in brewpot behind. Add water to make 5 gallons (19 L), aerate and pitch yeast. (Rehydrate yeast — in a clean, sanitized measuring cup — as described on package.) Ferment at 72 °F (22 °C) until fermentation is complete — about 3 days, when I brewed it. Taste small sample. If you don’t taste diacetyl, rack the beer directly to keg or bottling bucket. If kegging, force carbonate beer for 3 days at around 30 PSI. When done, release pressure from keg and adjust regulator to proper dispensing pressure for your system. If bottling, keep bottles warm (74–80 °F/23– 27 °C) for five to six days, then chill in refrigerator for two to three days before opening.