Pennsylvania Traditional Lager 5 Gallon

STEP 1: Sanitizing

Cleaning is one of the most important steps in brewing. It kills microscopic bacteria, wild yeast, and molds that may cause off-flavors in your beer. Make certain to clean all equipment that comes in contact with your beer by following the directions below:

1. Fill clean fermenter with 8 liters (2 Gallons) of warm water, then add 1 pack of No-Rinse Cleanser and stir until dissolved.

2. Use your measuring cup to scoop the liquid up and run it down the side of the Coopers Fermenter. Do this around the entire fermenter a few times. Then add your krousen kollar and repeat. Then take some of the solution and pour it into the lid and allow it to sit for 2 minutes. (If you have a different fermenter sanitizing may be different.) 

3. To clean the spigot, open it fully and allow the liquid to flow for 5 seconds, and then close.

4. Pour some of the solution from the fermenter into a large bowl. You need enough to fully cover your brewing utensils. Place your spoon/whisk, can opener, and measuring cup into the bowl to keep them cleaned throughout the brewing process. Leave them immersed for at least 2 minutes in the cleaning solution prior to use. Any remaining solution in your fermenter can be discarded.

5. After all, surfaces have been thoroughly cleaned, do not rinse or dry the keg or utensils. Return lid to the top of the fermenter, proceed immediately to brewing.

STEP 2: BREWING

Brewing beer is the process of combining a starch source (in this case, a malt brewing extract) with yeast. Once combined, the yeast eats the sugars in the malt, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2). This process is called fermentation.

1. Remove the yeast packet from under the lid of the can of Brewing Extract (you won’t be using this), then place the unopened can in hot tap water.

2. Place the 4 packets of pellet hops into a hop sack tying them closed, then trim away excess material.

3. Place the Carapils Malt and Flaked Corn into 2 hop sacks tying them closed, then trim away excess material.

4. Using the measuring cup, pour 1 gallon of water into your clean brew pot. Increase your heat to medium-high until the water reaches 150° F, then turn off the heat.

5. Add the grains and cover, steep for 30 minutes. Discard the grain sack after steeping is complete.

6. Mix in both of the DMEs and slowly bring the grain water to a boil. Add in your hopsack and allow this mixture to boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

7. Once 10 minutes have passed (step 6), remove the pot from heat.

8. Open the can of Brewing Extract and pour its contents into the hot mixture in your pot. Stir until thoroughly mixed and this mixture of unfermented beer is called wort.

9. Fill your plastic fermenter with 2-gallons of cold water.

10. Pour the wort, including the hop sack(s), into your fermenter, and then bring the volume of the fermenter to 5-gallons with more cold water. Leave the hop sack in the wort for the duration of fermentation.

11. Stir your wort mixture vigorously with your sanitized spoon or whisk until there is some foam on the surface.

12. Sprinkle the Safale S-04 yeast packet into the fermenter and cover/seal. Do not stir.

Put your fermenter in a location with a consistent temperature between 70° and 76° F (21°-24° C), and out of direct sunlight. Ferment for 14 days.

STEP 3: Bottling & Carbonating

After 14 days, taste a small sample to determine if the beer is fully fermented and ready to bottle. If it tastes like flat beer, it is ready. If it’s sweet, then it’s not ready. Let it ferment for 3 more days (17 total). At this point, it is time to bottle. Do not let it sit in the fermenter for longer than 24 days total.

1. When your beer is ready to bottle, fill 3 1-gallon containers with warm water, then split the remaining pack of the No-Rinse Cleanser between them and mix until dissolved. Once dissolved, it is ready to use.

2. Distribute the cleaning solution equally among the bottles. Screw-on caps (or cover with a metal cap if using glass bottles) and shake bottles vigorously. Allow to sit 10 minutes, then shake the bottles again. Remove caps and empty all cleaning solution into a large bowl. Use this solution to clean any other equipment you may be used for bottling. Do not rinse.

3. Add 2 Carbonation Drops to each 740-mL bottle. For 1-liter bottles, add 2 ½ drops; for ½-liter bottles add 1 drop. Alternatively, you can add table sugar using this table as a guide. 

4. Holding the bottle at an angle, fill each bottle to about 2 inches from the bottle’s top.

5. Place caps on bottles, hand tighten, and gently turn the bottle over to check the bottle’s seal. It is not necessary to shake them.

6. Store the bottles upright and out of direct sunlight in a location with a consistent temperature between 70°-76°F or 21°-24°C. Allow sitting for a minimum of 14 days. If the temperature is cooler than suggested it may take an additional week to reach full carbonation. 

Tip from our Brewmasters

After the primary carbonation has taken place your beer is ready to drink. We recommend putting 1 bottle in the refrigerator at first for 48 hrs. After 48hrs. give it a try and if it is up to your liking put the rest of your beer in the fridge. If it does not taste quite right, leave the bottles out at room temp for another week or so. Keep following this method until your brew tastes just how you like it. 

This process is called conditioning and during this time the yeast left in your beer can help clean up any off-flavors. Almost everything gets a little better with time and so will your beer.