Big Red One Recipe

Apr 26, 2017

Big Red One (8.5 Litres)

Deep amber in colour and rich in flavour, this "big brew" will give you a warming sensation all the way down. At around 8% ABV, it is the type of beer that we like to call a "Stay-at-Home" beer. This brew displays a level of complexity that will see it develop nicely over 6 months or so but try one early, as well!

Ingredients

1.3kg Bewitched Amber Ale
3 x 250g Golden Malt Extract
12g Cascade Hop Pellets
12g Willamette Hop Pellets
Safale US-05 Dry Yeast
Pack of Carbonation Drops

Features:

Colour: Mahogany
Body: Heavy
Bitterness: Med/High
Approx. Alcohol Level: 8% ABV
Naturally Carbonated: Natural

Instructions:

Step 1 : Mix

Clean and sanitise all equipment that will come in contact with the brew. In a 2 litre pan, mix a 250g pouch of Golden Malt Extract with 500ml of water and bring to the boil. Add the Cascade Hop Pellets and boil for 10mins. Then add the Willamette Hop Pellets and boil for another 5mins. Remove from heat and cool the pan in a sink of iced water. Strain the cooled malt/hop mix into the Fermenting Vessel (FV). Add the Bewitched Amber Ale and remaining two pouches of Golden Malt Extract to the FV. Fill the FV with cold water to the 8.5 litre mark. Sprinkle the US-05 yeast and fit the lid.

Step 2: Brew

Place the FV in a location out of direct sunlight and try to ferment between 20C-24C. Fermentation should take 7 to 14 days. At around day 7 check the specific gravity (SG). Check the SG again the following day and so on.

Step 3:Bottle

The brew is ready once the SG has stabilised over a couple of days. Gently fill clean PET bottles to about 3cm from the top. Add 2 carbonation drops per bottle and secure the caps. Store the bottles upright in a location out of direct sunlight at or above 18C.

Step 4: Enjoy

After at least two weeks, check for sufficient carbonation by squeezing the bottles. Bottles kept unrefrigerated should improve with age. When ready to drink, chill the bottles upright. The chilled beer may be poured into clean glassware, leaving the sediment behind. Expect the alcohol content to be approximately 8.0 %ABV.