Posted by Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is likely my favorite staple beer. I can drink it anywhere, it never get old, never loses it’s zing. It’s my ‘ole reliable that is ALWAYS on tap. I tried my hand at brewing a Sierra Nevada Pale ale clone recipe and it was interesting to say the least – the flavor was incredible and almost identical, however Sierra Nevada brewery brews their pale ale at around 5.4% abv. I followed their recipe (publicly available online) to a TEE and mine came to 7.4%.. My wife calls it “Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Senior” because this beer sure has some kick to it!
Recipe
Please note I brewed this with my Anvil Foundry 10.5 gal so you may need to make adjustments according to your system – I recommend using the Brewfather App.
If you would like a brewing refresher, please visit my instructional page.
Stats
Batch Volume – 6.6 gal
O.G. – 1.056-1.060
F.G. – 1.010 – 1.014
ABV – 5.0 – 7.0%
IBU – 40 – 45
SRM – 8 – 14
Fermentation Temp – 68-72°
Ingredients
Water Additions (pre-mash)
4 g Calcium Chloride (CaCl2)
5 g Gypsum (CaSO4)
Malt
14.5 lbs Pale Malt, 2 Row
1.25 lbs Caramel Malt
Mash Schedule
Strike Temp – 158°
Mash Temp – 154°
– 60 min mash
Sparge Temp – 170°
Hops
5.5 oz Cascade (pellets)
Boil – 60 mins
0.5 oz Cascade
Boil – 30 mins
2.5 oz Cascade
Boil – Flameout
2.5 oz Cascade
Yeast
White Labs California Ale Yeast
Fermentation
Pitch Temp – 68°
Fermentation Temp – 68-72°
Expected Fermentation Time – 10-13 days
Fermentation Notes
A starter is recommended but not required. OG is high enough that a starter would be a good idea but a fresh liquid yeast pack should be able to handle the fermentation.
Day -1: Begin starter 18-24 hours before brewing
Day 0: Pitch yeast starter slurry when wort has cooled to 68°. Allow temperature to rise but to not exceed 72°
Day 10: Cold crash to 55°
Day 11: Cold crash to 40° hold for 24-48 hours
Day 13-14: Closed transfer to keg or bottle
Cheers! I hope you too are able to nail this Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone!
