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Recipe: Claremont Happy Days Imperial Red Ale

Courtesy of Claremont Craft Ales head brewer Brian Seffer, here is a homebrew-scale recipe based on the strong, hoppy red ale that won two gold medals in the past three years at the Great American Beer Festival.

Brian Seffer Jul 11, 2021 - 2 min read

Recipe: Claremont Happy Days Imperial Red Ale Primary Image

Photo: Courtesy Claremont Craft Ales

ALL-GRAIN

Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.095
FG: 1.020
IBUs: 120
ABV: 9.8%

MALT/GRAIN BILL
16 lb (7.3 kg) pale two-row
1 lb (454 g) crystal/caramel 150L
2 oz (57 g) chocolate malt

HOPS & ADDITIONS SCHEDULE
3 oz (57 g) CTZ at first wort [120 IBUs]
1 lb (454 g) dextrose at flameout
6 oz (170 g) Mosaic at flameout/whirlpool
4 oz (113 g) Mosaic at dry hop for 3 days
4 oz (113 g) Simcoe at dry hop for 3 days

YEAST
White Labs WLP001 California Ale

DIRECTIONS
Mill the grains and mash at 154°F (68°C) for 60 minutes. Vorlauf until runnings are clear, then run off into the kettle with first-wort hops. Sparge and top up as necessary to obtain about 6.5 gallons (25 liters)—or more, depending on your evaporation rate. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at flameout. Whirlpool for 15 minutes, then rest 10 minutes. Chill to 66°F (19°C), aerate well, and pitch plenty of healthy yeast. Ferment at 68°F (20°C) for 2–3 weeks or until terminal gravity is reached. Add dry hops. After 3 days, cold-crash, package, and carbonate.

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