Boise River Trout Pale Ale

Evening light on a fast canyon river

An American pale ale themed on the Boise River, amber and piney at 5.5%, for a cold one after the last cast.

Brewed to order

A trout leaps from a turquoise river while an osprey dives above it, framed by rust canyon walls on this pale ale label. Cream ground, pine-green trees, sage brush and deep brown lettering carry the scene.

ABV: 5.5%
IBU: 38
Colour: 14SRM
OG to FG: 1.0541.012

American pale ale, 5.5% ABV
38 IBU, 14 SRM amber
Idaho 7 and Cascade dry hop
Caramel, apricot and pine
Osprey and leaping trout on turquoise water

In the glass

14SRM

Caramel and toast up front, then apricot, orange peel and pine, with a dry, firm finish

Serve: 45°F in a nonic pint
Alongside: Grilled trout, smoked cheddar, green chile burgers

A turquoise river bends between rust-red cliffs. An osprey drops in from the left, talons out, and a trout breaks the surface below. Pines and sage stand at the edges on a cream ground.

It pours amber and drinks easy. Caramel and toast come first, then apricot, orange peel and pine, ending dry and clean. Open one when the light goes gold on the canyon walls.

Idaho 7 does the heavy lifting here. Give it a cool whirlpool and a four-day dry hop, and keep oxygen out, or the apricot fades to tea.

The numbers

5.5%Alcohol by volume

(1.054 − 1.012) × 131.25

38Bitterness, IBU

Bitterness only means anything against the style. This one is a American pale ale.

14Colour, SRM

The swatch above is this number on the standard reference ramp, not an impression of it.

Gravity1.054 down to 1.012 — 78% apparent attenuation.

Details

River: Boise River
Style: American pale ale
ABV: 5.5%
Tasting notes: caramel, toasted malt, apricot, orange peel, pine
Colors: cream, forest green, turquoise, rust orange, sage

Make it yourself

A home brew day set up in a garage: kettle steaming on a burner, mash tun and chiller beside it.

At a glance

Style: American pale ale
Gravity, OG → FG: 1.054 → 1.012
ABV: 5.5%Derived from OG and FG
Bitterness: 38 IBU
Colour: 14SRMdeep amber
Difficulty: Second batchthe whirlpool and dry hop timing reward a brewer who has finished one beer already.
First pint: 35 daysFrom brew day, including conditioning
Brew day: 2 h 30 minKettle on to kitchen clean. The rest is the yeast.
You supply: brew kettle, mash tun, wort chiller, fermenter with airlock, thermometer, hydrometer, bottling bucket or keg system, sanitiser
Written for: 5 gal (18.9 L)
Efficiency assumed: 72%Brew-in-a-bag, full-volume. House guidance

Grain bill

4 malts · 10.25 lb for 5 gal

Piles of pale, amber and dark malted barley on a wooden bench beside a scale.

Milled grain, weighed for each batch size. The percentage is each malt's share of the grist and stays the same at every size.

Malt	% of grist	12-pack batch · 1.25 gal	Classic · 5 gal	12×12 batch · 15 gal
Pale 2-row	78%	2 lb (0.91 kg)	8 lb (3.63 kg)	24 lb (10.89 kg)
Munich	9.8%	4 oz (113 g)	1 lb (0.45 kg)	3 lb (1.36 kg)
Crystal 60	7.3%	3 oz (85 g)	12 oz (340 g)	2.25 lb (1.02 kg)
Crystal 120	4.9%	2 oz (57 g)	8 oz (227 g)	1.5 lb (0.68 kg)
Total grain	100%	2.56 lb (1.16 kg)	10.25 lb (4.65 kg)	30.75 lb (13.95 kg)

Hop schedule

6 additions · 60 min boil

Whole green hop cones and hop pellets on slate, one cone split to show the yellow lupulin.

Pellet hops, weighed in grams. Boil times count down to the end of the boil, so 60 minutes means the first thing in the kettle.

Hop	Use	Time	12-pack batch · 1.25 gal	Classic · 5 gal	12×12 batch · 15 gal
Centennial	Boil	60 min	3.5 g (0.13 oz)	14 g (0.5 oz)	43 g (1.5 oz)
Idaho 7	Boil	10 min	7.1 g (0.25 oz)	28 g (1 oz)	85 g (3 oz)
Idaho 7	Whirlpool	20 min	7.1 g (0.25 oz)	28 g (1 oz)	85 g (3 oz)
Cascade	Boil	Flameout	7.1 g (0.25 oz)	28 g (1 oz)	85 g (3 oz)
Idaho 7	Dry hop	4 days	14 g (0.5 oz)	57 g (2 oz)	170 g (6 oz)
Cascade	Dry hop	4 days	7.1 g (0.25 oz)	28 g (1 oz)	85 g (3 oz)

Yeast and pitch

Wyeast 1056 American Ale · 1 liquid pack for 5 gal

Wyeast 1056 American Ale. Pitch at 64°F.

Yeast	12-pack batch · 1.25 gal	Classic · 5 gal	12×12 batch · 15 gal
Wyeast 1056 American Ale	1 liquid pack	1 liquid pack	3 liquid packs

One pack per 5 gal, and one more above 1.060 OG in a batch over 3 gal. Never fewer than one. House guidance

Water

8.07 gal into the mash for 5 gal

Full-volume brew-in-a-bag: all the water goes in at the start and there is no sparge. Volumes are the total to heat, so the kettle has to hold the mash and still leave room to boil: the 12-pack kit sells a 5 gal stockpot and the 12×12 kit a 30 gal kettle for that.

Water	12-pack batch · 1.25 gal	Classic · 5 gal	12×12 batch · 15 gal
Into the mash	2.1 gal (8 L)	8.07 gal (30.5 L)	19.71 gal (74.6 L)
Boiled off	0.5 gal (1.9 L)	1.25 gal (4.7 L)	1.25 gal (4.7 L)
Held by the grain	0.21 gal (0.8 L)	0.82 gal (3.1 L)	2.46 gal (9.3 L)
Left as trub	0.15 gal (0.6 L)	1 gal (3.8 L)	1 gal (3.8 L)
Into the fermenter	1.25 gal (4.7 L)	5 gal (18.9 L)	15 gal (56.8 L)

Boil-off, grain absorption and trub are typical figures for a stovetop pot and a propane kettle, not measurements of your own gear. Brew once, note what you end up with, and adjust. House guidance

Water profile Moderate sulfate with a gentle chloride balance keeps the hops crisp without hiding the caramel.

Mash

152°F · 60 min

The mash turns starch into sugar. Hold the temperature steady and the beer finishes the way the recipe intends.

Rest152°F for 60 minutes
Strike waterHeat to 162°F; the grain cools it to the rest temperature. House guidance
Mash-outRaise to 168°F and hold 10 minutes, then lift and drain the bag. House guidance

Mash inhold it steady, because this rest sets the body
Mash outit stops conversion and loosens the sugars

Boil

60 min · 4 hop additions

Hops go in on a countdown from the end of the boil. Early additions give bitterness; late ones give aroma.

Length60 minutes
60 minCentennial
20 minIdaho 7 (whirlpool)
10 minIdaho 7
FlameoutCascade
15 minA kettle fining (whirlfloc or Irish moss) clears the beer if you have one. House guidance

Chillto 64°Fpitch cool so the yeast stays clean

Also on the recipe's brew-day card:

Whirlpool20 min at 175°Fcooler wort keeps the hop oils from boiling off

Fermentation

4 steps · 2 dry hop · first pint in 35 days

A glass fermenter of amber beer with foam on top and an airlock.

The recipe's own schedule, in order. Temperature control matters more than almost anything else on this page.

66°F for 7 days
Add dry hops
Raise to 68°F for 4 days
Cold crash at 36°F for 2 days

Dry hopIdaho 7, 4 days
Dry hopCascade, 4 days

First pint 35 days from brew day.

Packaging and carbonation

2.5 volumes CO₂ · bottle or keg

Plain aluminium cans and a small keg on a workbench beside a priming-sugar measure.

Target 2.5 volumes of CO₂.

Bottling	12-pack batch · 1.25 gal	Classic · 5 gal	12×12 batch · 15 gal
Corn sugar to prime	1.1 oz (31 g)	4.39 oz (124 g)	13.17 oz (373 g)
12 oz bottles it fills	12	50	144

Dissolve the sugar in a little boiled water, stir it gently into the beer, then bottle. The amount is worked out for 68°F, the warmest the beer got while it fermented.

Kegging Set the regulator to 11.2 psi at 38°F.

Kegging instead Skip the bottles with 3 × 5 gal ball-lock kegs, 1 × 5 lb CO₂ tank, 1 × dual-gauge regulator, 1 × gas and beer lines with picnic taps: the kegging upgrade for the 15 gal home brewery, $594.

Brewer's notes

3 tips

Add the dry hops once the krausen falls, so the yeast does not scrub away the aroma.From the recipe
Keep the crystal malts fresh; stale caramel malt tastes papery.From the recipe
Purge the fermenter with CO2 when you open it for dry hops.From the recipe

A fermenter, airlock, siphon, hydrometer, thermometer and bench capper. — The kit

Every kit size

Ingredients only

Ingredient kit · 12-pack batch

$31.06

$2.59 a bottle

Grain milled, hops bagged per addition, yeast, priming sugar and 12 caps, for 1.25 gal.

Includes Pale 2-row · Munich · Crystal 60 · Crystal 120 · and 11 more

Every item in this kit · 15 items

Ingredients

Pale 2-row$4.582 lb (0.91 kg) · Milled to order
Munich$0.654 oz (113 g) · Milled to order
Crystal 60$0.543 oz (85 g) · Milled to order
Crystal 120$0.362 oz (57 g) · Milled to order
Centennial (60 min)$1.503.5 g (0.13 oz)
Idaho 7 (10 min)$1.507.1 g (0.25 oz)
Idaho 7 (whirlpool, 20 min)$1.507.1 g (0.25 oz)
Cascade (flameout)$1.507.1 g (0.25 oz)
Idaho 7 (dry hop, 4 days)$214 g (0.5 oz)
Cascade (dry hop, 4 days)$1.507.1 g (0.25 oz)
Wyeast 1056 American Ale$11.991 pack · Liquid yeast, shipped cold
Milling and kitting$31

Packaging

Corn sugar for priming$0.441.1 oz · Primes to 2.5 volumes of CO₂
Crown capsIncluded12

Guide

Printed brew guideIncluded1

Ingredient kit · 12×12 batch

$206.63

$1.43 a bottle

Grain milled, hops bagged per addition, yeast, priming sugar and 144 caps, for 15 gal.

Includes Pale 2-row · Munich · Crystal 60 · Crystal 120 · and 11 more

Every item in this kit · 15 items

Ingredients

Pale 2-row$54.9624 lb (10.89 kg) · Milled to order
Munich$7.773 lb (1.36 kg) · Milled to order
Crystal 60$6.502.25 lb (1.02 kg) · Milled to order
Crystal 120$4.341.5 lb (0.68 kg) · Milled to order
Centennial (60 min)$5.9943 g (1.5 oz)
Idaho 7 (10 min)$11.9785 g (3 oz)
Idaho 7 (whirlpool, 20 min)$11.9785 g (3 oz)
Cascade (flameout)$11.9785 g (3 oz)
Idaho 7 (dry hop, 4 days)$23.94170 g (6 oz)
Cascade (dry hop, 4 days)$11.9785 g (3 oz)
Wyeast 1056 American Ale$35.973 packs · Liquid yeast, shipped cold
Milling and kitting$81

Packaging

Corn sugar for priming$5.2813.2 oz · Primes to 2.5 volumes of CO₂
Crown caps$6144

Guide

Printed brew guideIncluded1

Complete home brewery

Complete home brewery · 12-pack batch

$224.88

$18.74 a bottle

Bought separately $246.42 · you save $21.54

All the equipment, then the ingredient kit, for 1.25 gal. Works on a kitchen stove.

Includes 5 gal stainless stockpot · Fine-mesh brew bag · 1.5 gal glass fermenter with drilled bung · 3-piece airlock · and 25 more

Every item in this kit · 29 items

Equipment

5 gal stainless stockpot$49.991
Fine-mesh brew bag$9.991
1.5 gal glass fermenter with drilled bung$17.991
3-piece airlock$2.491
No-rinse sanitizer, 4 oz$12.991
Hydrometer and test jar$15.991
Digital probe thermometer$14.991
Mini auto-siphon with tubing$13.991
Spring-tip bottle filler$5.991
12 oz amber bottles$16.9912
Wing capper$19.991
Brewery wash, 1 lb$9.991
0.1 g kitchen scale$14.991
Long stainless spoon$8.991

Ingredients

Pale 2-row$4.582 lb (0.91 kg) · Milled to order
Munich$0.654 oz (113 g) · Milled to order
Crystal 60$0.543 oz (85 g) · Milled to order
Crystal 120$0.362 oz (57 g) · Milled to order
Centennial (60 min)$1.503.5 g (0.13 oz)
Idaho 7 (10 min)$1.507.1 g (0.25 oz)
Idaho 7 (whirlpool, 20 min)$1.507.1 g (0.25 oz)
Cascade (flameout)$1.507.1 g (0.25 oz)
Idaho 7 (dry hop, 4 days)$214 g (0.5 oz)
Cascade (dry hop, 4 days)$1.507.1 g (0.25 oz)
Wyeast 1056 American Ale$11.991 pack · Liquid yeast, shipped cold
Milling and kitting$31

Packaging

Corn sugar for priming$0.441.1 oz · Primes to 2.5 volumes of CO₂
Crown capsIncluded12

Guide

Printed brew guideIncluded1

Complete home brewery · 12×12 batch

$1,302.63

$9.05 a bottle

Bought separately $1,424.41 · you save $121.78

All the equipment, then the ingredient kit, for 15 gal. You supply a propane tank and water.

Includes 30 gal stainless kettle with ball valve and thermometer · 72 · 30 gal brew bag · 50 ft copper immersion chiller · and 28 more

Every item in this kit · 32 items

Equipment

30 gal stainless kettle with ball valve and thermometer$3991
72,000 BTU propane burner and stand$991
30 gal brew bag$44.991
50 ft copper immersion chiller$1291
7.9 gal fermenting buckets with lids and airlocks$89.973
No-rinse sanitizer, 32 oz$32.991
Brewery wash, 4 lb$34.991
Hydrometer and test jar$15.991
Refractometer$29.991
Digital thermometer$24.991
½" auto-siphon with tubing$24.991
Bottling buckets with spigots$55.982
Bottle filler$5.991
12 oz amber bottles (6 cases)$119.94144
Bench capper$59.991
Mash paddle$24.991
Digital scale$24.991

Ingredients

Pale 2-row$54.9624 lb (10.89 kg) · Milled to order
Munich$7.773 lb (1.36 kg) · Milled to order
Crystal 60$6.502.25 lb (1.02 kg) · Milled to order
Crystal 120$4.341.5 lb (0.68 kg) · Milled to order
Centennial (60 min)$5.9943 g (1.5 oz)
Idaho 7 (10 min)$11.9785 g (3 oz)
Idaho 7 (whirlpool, 20 min)$11.9785 g (3 oz)
Cascade (flameout)$11.9785 g (3 oz)
Idaho 7 (dry hop, 4 days)$23.94170 g (6 oz)
Cascade (dry hop, 4 days)$11.9785 g (3 oz)
Wyeast 1056 American Ale$35.973 packs · Liquid yeast, shipped cold
Milling and kitting$81

Packaging

Corn sugar for priming$5.2813.2 oz · Primes to 2.5 volumes of CO₂
Crown caps$6144

Guide

Printed brew guideIncluded1

The creator

Dekasso

@dekasso

Wherever the truck rolls to a stop.

See everything by @dekasso

How it was made

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Remixes

No remixes yet — make your own version.

Where this came from

“Make it perfect for someone from Nampa, Idaho”

river beer · made October 10, 2026

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