Copper Ale (3-Gallon All-Grain Recipe)

This is a 3-gallon (11-L) all-grain recipe for my copper ale. This beer was formulated without reference to an existing beer style, and was meant to simply be an “everyday” beer. (If you need to attach a style too it, I guess you can call it an alt.) The beer is malty, I balanced with a solid hop bitterness.

I have previously posted the 5-gallon (19 L) version of this recipe. Other 3-gallon (11-L) all-grain recipes I have posted include a porter, pale ale, dry stout and an amber ale. This can be brewed with a simple  3-gallon (11-L) all-grain brewery.

Copper Ale

by Chris Colby

All-grain; English units

DESCRIPTION

A copper-colored ale with a nice, “Fuggly” hop aroma and malty flavor. Designed as an “everyday” beer.

INGREDIENTS (for 3 gallons)

Water

carbon-filtered tap water, carbonates around 100 ppm, calcium around 75 ppm

Malts (for an OG of 1.051 at 65% extract efficiency and 15 SRM)

4 lb. 8 oz. US 2-row pale malt

1 lb. 3 oz. Munich malt (10 °L)

2.4 oz. aromatic malt

1.8 oz. Victory malt

1.2 oz. chocolate malt

0.67 oz. black malt

Hops (for 33 IBU total)

Northern Brewer hops (30 IBU)

0.53 oz. at 9% alpha acids), boiled for 60 minutes

Fuggles hops (3 IBU)

0.20 oz. (at 5% alpha acids), boiled for 15 minutes

Fuggles hops (0 IBU)

0.20 oz., added at 0 mins

Yeast (for an FG of 1.010 and 5.3% ABV)

White Labs WLP001 (California Ale), Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), or Fermentis Safale US-05 yeast (no yeast starter required)

Other

3/5 tsp. Irish moss

3.0 oz. corn sugar (for priming to 2.6 volumes of CO₂)

PROCEDURES

Heat 8.8 qts. of brewing liquor to 163 °F and mash grains — in your brewpot — at 152 °F, for 60 minutes. Stir the mash a couple times and heat briefly to maintain temperature. Heat mash, while stirring, to mash out temperature of 168 °F. Scoop mash into 3-gallon beverage cooler lined with a steeping bag. Recirculate wort until almost clear, then run off. Sparge steadily over 45 minutes to collect 3.5–3.8 gallons of wort. You will need around 8 quarts of sparge water, heated to 170 °F for this. Bring wort to a boil. Once the hot break forms, add bittering hops and vigorously boil wort for 60 minutes, to yield a post-boil volume around 3.25 gallons. (Top up the boil with boiling water, if needed, while the wort is boiling. If hot break is not big and fluffy, add 1/4 teaspoon calcium chloride.) Add hops and Irish moss at times indicated. Chill wort, then rack to fermenter. Your yield should be about 3 gallons. Aerate wort thoroughly and pitch yeast. Ferment at 68 °F. After fermentation stops, let beer settle for 2–3 days, then rack directly to keg or secondary fermenter. Carbonate to 2.6 volumes of CO₂.

Copper Ale

by Chris Colby

All-grain; metric units

INGREDIENTS (for 11 L)

Water

carbon-filtered tap water, carbonates around 100 ppm, calcium around 75 ppm

Malts (for an OG of 1.051 at 65% extract efficiency and 15 SRM)

2.0 kg US 2-row pale malt

540 g Munich malt (10 °L)

68 g aromatic malt

51 g Victory malt

34 g chocolate malt

19 g black malt

Hops (for 33 IBU total)

Northern Brewer hops (30 IBU)

15 g at 9% alpha acids), boiled for 60 minutes

Fuggles hops (3 IBU)

5.7 g (at 5% alpha acids), boiled for 15 minutes

Fuggles hops (0 IBU)

5.7 g, added at 0 mins

Yeast (for an FG of 1.010 and 5.3% ABV)

White Labs WLP001 (California Ale), Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), or Fermentis Safale US-05 yeast (no yeast starter required)

Other

3/5 tsp. Irish moss

85 g corn sugar (for priming to 2.6 volumes of CO₂)

PROCEDURES

Heat 8.3 L of brewing liquor to 73 °C and mash grains — in your brewpot — at 67 °C, for 60 minutes. Stir the mash a couple times and heat briefly to maintain temperature. Heat mash, while stirring, to mash out temperature of 168 °F. Scoop mash into 3-gallon (11-L) beverage cooler lined with a steeping bag. Recirculate wort until almost clear, then run off. Sparge steadily over 45 minutes to collect 13–14 L of wort. You will need around 8 L of sparge water, heated to 77 °C for this. Bring wort to a boil. Once the hot break forms, add bittering hops and vigorously boil wort for 60 minutes, to yield a post-boil volume around 12 L. (Top up the boil with boiling water, if needed, while the wort is boiling. If hot break is not big and fluffy, add 1/4 teaspoon calcium chloride.) Add hops and Irish moss at times indicated. Chill wort, then rack to fermenter. Your yield should be 11 L. Aerate wort thoroughly and pitch yeast. Ferment at 20 °C. After fermentation stops, let beer settle for 2–3 days, then rack directly to keg or secondary fermenter. Carbonate to 2.6 volumes of CO₂.

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