1-Gallon American Pale Ale

Ingredients

Grain Bill

• 1.5 lb American 2-Row Pale Malt (base malt — provides fermentable sugars)
• 0.25 lb Crystal 40L (adds caramel sweetness and amber color)
• 0.15 lb Munich Malt (biscuity depth, malt complexity)

Boil Additions

• 0.25 lb Light Dry Malt Extract (supplements gravity if needed)
• 0.25 oz Cascade hops (60 min — bittering, ~5.5% AA)
• 0.25 oz Centennial hops (15 min — flavor)
• 0.5 oz Citra hops (5 min — aroma)
• 1 tsp Irish Moss (15 min — clarifies beer)

Fermentation

• 1 packet Safale US-05 dry yeast (clean American ale strain)
• 0.5 oz Corn sugar (priming — for bottle carbonation)

Method

1. Heat 1.5 gallons of filtered water to 163°F in a large pot. Place crushed grains in a muslin bag and steep at 150–160°F for 30 minutes. Remove bag, let drain — don't squeeze.
2. Bring wort to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and stir in dry malt extract until fully dissolved. Return to heat.
3. Once boiling, add 0.25 oz Cascade. Start your 60-minute timer. This is your bittering charge.
4. At 45 minutes (15 min remaining), add 0.25 oz Centennial and 1 tsp Irish Moss.
5. At 55 minutes (5 min remaining), add 0.5 oz Citra. Kill the heat at 60 minutes.
6. Cool the pot in an ice water bath until wort reaches 68°F. This takes 20–30 minutes — be patient.
7. Sanitize your 1-gallon jug, funnel, and airlock with Star San solution. Pour cooled wort through a strainer into the jug, leaving trub behind.
8. Pitch yeast — sprinkle US-05 on top. Cap with airlock filled to the line with sanitizer or vodka. Ferment at 65–68°F in a dark spot for 14 days.
9. Bottle: Dissolve 0.5 oz corn sugar in ¼ cup boiling water. Siphon beer into sanitized bottles, add sugar solution, cap tightly. Condition at room temp for 14 days.
10. Refrigerate 24 hours. Pour carefully into a glass, leaving yeast sediment behind. Cheers — you just brewed an apartment pale ale.

Variations