Simple Blonde Ale
American Blonde Ale · 5 gallons
A light, easy-drinking blonde ale perfect for beginners. Clean, crisp, and crowd-pleasing — this is the beer that converts non-craft drinkers.
Ingredients
Grains & Extracts
Or 6.6 lbs Light LME
Steeped for body and head retention
Hops
Yeast
Safale US-05 (American Ale) or Wyeast 1056
Instructions
Heat 2.5 gallons of water to 155°F. Place crushed Carapils in a muslin bag and steep for 20 minutes. Remove bag and let drain — do not squeeze.
Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in all the DME until completely dissolved. Return to a boil.
Once boiling, add 0.75 oz Cascade hops. Start your 60-minute timer.
With 5 minutes remaining, add 0.5 oz Cascade hops for aroma.
At 60 minutes, turn off heat. Cool wort to 65-70°F using an ice bath or wort chiller.
Transfer cooled wort to sanitized fermenter. Top off with cold water to reach 5 gallons total.
Take an original gravity reading with your hydrometer (target: 1.045).
Sprinkle yeast on top of wort. Seal fermenter with airlock.
Ferment at 64-68°F for 2 weeks. Airlock activity should start within 24 hours.
After 2 weeks, take a gravity reading on consecutive days. If readings are stable (target: 1.010), beer is ready to bottle.
Boil 3/4 cup corn sugar in 1 cup water. Cool and mix into beer in bottling bucket. Fill and cap bottles.
Condition bottles at room temperature for 2 weeks before refrigerating and enjoying.
Brewer's Tips
This recipe is designed for extract brewing — no mash required.
Keep fermentation temperature below 70°F to avoid fruity off-flavors.
If you don't have DME, substitute with 6.6 lbs of Light LME (liquid malt extract).
Carbonation takes 2 weeks in bottles. Patience pays off here.