West Coast IPA

Heat 3.8L (1 gallon) of filtered water to 71°C (160°F) in a stainless steel stock pot over medium heat. While water heats, run 907g 2-row pale malt and 113g Crystal 15L malt through a grain mill to crack the kernels (do not grind to a fine powder, leave husks intact to avoid astringent flavor). Hold water temperature steady once it reaches the target, and do not bring to a boil at this stage.

Add all cracked grains to the heated water, stir thoroughly to eliminate any dry clumps. Hold the mash temperature steady at 67°C (152°F) for 60 minutes over low heat, checking temperature every 10 minutes and adjusting burner heat as needed to stay within the 66-68°C (150-154°F) range. Keep the pot covered during mashing to retain consistent heat.

After the 60-minute mash completes, slowly pour 0.9L (3.8 cups) of 77°C (170°F) filtered water over the grain bed to rinse residual sugars, then strain out all grains with a fine mesh strainer to collect the sweet, amber liquid (called wort) in the pot. Bring the wort to a gentle rolling boil over medium-high heat, start a 60-minute timer once boiling begins, and adjust heat to prevent sticky boilovers.

At the start of the 60-minute boil, add 14g (0.5 oz) Centennial hops for clean, balanced bitterness. When 15 minutes remain on the boil timer, add 7g (0.25 oz) Cascade hops for mid-boil pine flavor. At the final 1 minute of boil (flameout), add the remaining 14g Centennial hops and 21g (0.75 oz) Cascade hops for bright, fresh citrus aroma. Do not add hops earlier than scheduled to avoid harsh, grassy off-flavors.

When the 60-minute boil ends, turn off the burner immediately. Move the pot to a clean sink filled with an ice water bath, stirring the wort occasionally until it cools to exactly 20°C (68°F) in 20-30 minutes. Pour the cooled wort into a pre-sanitized 1-gallon glass fermenter, aerate by shaking the sealed jug vigorously for 30 seconds, then sprinkle the full 11g packet of US-05 yeast on top of the wort. Seal the fermenter with an airlock half-filled with no-rinse brewery sanitizer.

Store the sealed fermenter in a dark, temperature-controlled space held steady at 18-20°C (65-68°F) for 7 days, until bubbling in the airlock slows to 1 bubble every 30 seconds or less, indicating primary fermentation is complete. After 7 days, dissolve 57g priming corn sugar in 118ml (0.5 cup) boiling water, cool to 20°C, and mix gently with the finished beer in a sanitized bottling bucket. Siphon the beer into sanitized 355ml (12oz) glass bottles, cap tightly, and store bottles at the same 18-20°C temperature for 7 additional days to build natural carbonation. Chill bottles to 4°C (40°F) for 24 hours before serving.