Pines, an old trestle, autumn light
An amber session lager named for the South Fork of the Boise, 4.5%, for long afternoons on the bank.
Brewed to order
Blowtorch South Fork Session Lager wears a label showing a timber trestle bridge across a gorge of pines and mossy cliffs. The label is olive green and cream, with dark stencil capitals and a small fly at the foot.
- ABV
- 4.5%
- IBU
- 26
- Colour
- 14SRM
- OG to FG
- 1.0441.010
- Session lager, 4.5% ABV, 26 IBU
- Pilsner and Munich malt, gentle caramel
- Hallertau, Tettnang and Saaz hops
- Lagered three weeks cold for clarity
- Trestle bridge and pines, olive and cream
In the glass
Copper amber, bread crust, light toffee, soft herbal hops, clean dry finish
- Serve
- 45°F in a tall pilsner glass
- Alongside
- Smoked trout, rye crackers, sharp cheddar
A timber trestle bridge crosses a gorge of pines and mossy cliffs, with a second span small in the distance. Olive green frames the scene, cream sits behind the stencil capitals, and a little fly rests at the foot like a signature.
It pours copper amber, with bread crust, a touch of toffee and a soft herbal hop. Clean and dry, light enough for a second. Open one on an autumn bank between runs, while the line dries on the grass.
The diacetyl rest is the step to get right. Let the beer warm to 60°F for three days before the long cold lagering, or a buttery note stays behind.
The numbers
4.5%Alcohol by volume
(1.044 − 1.010) × 131.25
26Bitterness, IBU
Bitterness only means anything against the style. This one is a Session lager.
14Colour, SRM
The swatch above is this number on the standard reference ramp, not an impression of it.
Gravity1.044 down to 1.010 — 77% apparent attenuation.
Details
Details
- River
- South Fork Boise River
- Style
- session lager
- ABV
- 4.5%
- Tasting notes
- bread crust, light toffee, herbal hops, clean dry finish
- Colors
- olive green, cream, brown, forest green, silver
Make it yourself
At a glance
- Style
- Session lager
- Gravity, OG → FG
- 1.044 → 1.010
- ABV
- 4.5%Derived from OG and FG
- Bitterness
- 26 IBU
- Colour
- 14SRMdeep amber
- Difficulty
- Second batchthe beer needs steady cold temperature control for weeks.
- First pint
- 35 daysFrom brew day, including conditioning
- Brew day
- 2 h 10 minKettle on to kitchen clean. The rest is the yeast.
- You supply
- 8-gallon kettle, mash tun, fermenter with airlock, temperature-controlled fridge, wort chiller, hydrometer, thermometer, sanitiser, bottling bucket, caps and capper
- Written for
- 5 gal (18.9 L)
- Efficiency assumed
- 72%Brew-in-a-bag, full-volume. House guidance
Grain bill
4 malts · 8.63 lb for 5 gal
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilsner malt | 69.6% | 1.5 lb (0.68 kg) | 6 lb (2.72 kg) | 18 lb (8.16 kg) |
| Munich malt | 17.4% | 6 oz (170 g) | 1.5 lb (0.68 kg) | 4.5 lb (2.04 kg) |
| Caramel 60L | 11.6% | 4 oz (113 g) | 1 lb (0.45 kg) | 3 lb (1.36 kg) |
| Carafa Special II | 1.4% | 0.5 oz (14 g) | 2 oz (57 g) | 6 oz (170 g) |
| Total grain | 100% | 2.16 lb (0.98 kg) | 8.63 lb (3.91 kg) | 25.88 lb (11.74 kg) |
Hop schedule
3 additions · 60 min boil
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hallertau Mittelfrüh | Boil | 60 min | 7.1 g (0.25 oz) | 28 g (1 oz) | 85 g (3 oz) |
| Tettnang | Boil | 20 min | 7.1 g (0.25 oz) | 28 g (1 oz) | 85 g (3 oz) |
| Saaz | Boil | Flameout | 7.1 g (0.25 oz) | 28 g (1 oz) | 85 g (3 oz) |
Yeast and pitch
Saflager W-34/70 · 1 dry pack for 5 gal
Saflager W-34/70, 23 g. Pitch at 50°F.
| Yeast | 12-pack batch · 1.25 gal | Classic · 5 gal | 12×12 batch · 15 gal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saflager W-34/70 | 1 dry pack | 1 dry pack | 3 dry 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
7.94 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 | 2.07 gal (7.8 L) | 7.94 gal (30.1 L) | 19.32 gal (73.1 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 | 0.17 gal (0.7 L) | 0.69 gal (2.6 L) | 2.07 gal (7.8 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 Soft water with low sulfate and a little chloride keeps the malt round and the hops gentle.
Mash
150°F · 60 min
The mash turns starch into sugar. Hold the temperature steady and the beer finishes the way the recipe intends.
- Rest150°F for 60 minutes
- Strike waterHeat to 160°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 ina cooler rest keeps the body light and the finish dry
- Mash outthis stops the enzymes and loosens the sugars
Boil
60 min · 3 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 minHallertau Mittelfrüh
- 20 minTettnang
- FlameoutSaaz
- 15 minA kettle fining (whirlfloc or Irish moss) clears the beer if you have one. House guidance
- Chillto 50°Fpitch cold so the yeast starts clean
Fermentation
3 steps · first pint in 35 days
The recipe's own schedule, in order. Temperature control matters more than almost anything else on this page.
- 10 days at 50°F
- 3 days at 60°F for a diacetyl rest
- 21 days at 34°F
First pint 35 days from brew day.
Packaging and carbonation
2.5 volumes CO₂ · bottle or keg
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 | 1.01 oz (29 g) | 4.05 oz (115 g) | 12.14 oz (344 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 60°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
4 tips
- Chill the wort all the way to 50°F before the yeast goes in.From the recipe
- Start the diacetyl rest when the gravity is about two-thirds of the way down.From the recipe
- Hold the lagering near freezing for the full three weeks to drop the haze.From the recipe
- Keep the Carafa Special II to 2 oz; it brings colour without roast.From the recipe
Every kit size
Ingredients only
Ingredient kit · 12-pack batch
$19.61
$1.63 a bottle
Grain milled, hops bagged per addition, yeast, priming sugar and 12 caps, for 1.25 gal.
Includes Pilsner malt · Munich malt · Caramel 60L · Carafa Special II · and 8 more
Every item in this kit · 12 items
Ingredients
- Pilsner malt$3.44
- Munich malt$0.97
- Caramel 60L$0.72
- Carafa Special II$0.09
- Hallertau Mittelfrüh (60 min)$1.50
- Tettnang (20 min)$1.50
- Saaz (flameout)$1.50
- Saflager W-34/70$6.49
- Milling and kitting$3
Packaging
- Corn sugar for priming$0.40
- Crown capsIncluded
Guide
- Printed brew guideIncluded
Ingredient kit · 12×12 batch
$136.85
$0.95 a bottle
Grain milled, hops bagged per addition, yeast, priming sugar and 144 caps, for 15 gal.
Includes Pilsner malt · Munich malt · Caramel 60L · Carafa Special II · and 8 more
Every item in this kit · 12 items
Ingredients
- Pilsner malt$41.22
- Munich malt$11.66
- Caramel 60L$8.67
- Carafa Special II$1.08
- Hallertau Mittelfrüh (60 min)$11.97
- Tettnang (20 min)$11.97
- Saaz (flameout)$11.97
- Saflager W-34/70$19.47
- Milling and kitting$8
Packaging
- Corn sugar for priming$4.84
- Crown caps$6
Guide
- Printed brew guideIncluded
Complete home brewery
Complete home brewery · 12-pack batch
$213.43
$17.79 a bottle
Bought separately $234.97 · 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 22 more
Every item in this kit · 26 items
Equipment
- 5 gal stainless stockpot$49.99
- Fine-mesh brew bag$9.99
- 1.5 gal glass fermenter with drilled bung$17.99
- 3-piece airlock$2.49
- No-rinse sanitizer, 4 oz$12.99
- Hydrometer and test jar$15.99
- Digital probe thermometer$14.99
- Mini auto-siphon with tubing$13.99
- Spring-tip bottle filler$5.99
- 12 oz amber bottles$16.99
- Wing capper$19.99
- Brewery wash, 1 lb$9.99
- 0.1 g kitchen scale$14.99
- Long stainless spoon$8.99
Ingredients
- Pilsner malt$3.44
- Munich malt$0.97
- Caramel 60L$0.72
- Carafa Special II$0.09
- Hallertau Mittelfrüh (60 min)$1.50
- Tettnang (20 min)$1.50
- Saaz (flameout)$1.50
- Saflager W-34/70$6.49
- Milling and kitting$3
Packaging
- Corn sugar for priming$0.40
- Crown capsIncluded
Guide
- Printed brew guideIncluded
Complete home brewery · 12×12 batch
$1,232.85
$8.56 a bottle
Bought separately $1,354.63 · 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 25 more
Every item in this kit · 29 items
Equipment
- 30 gal stainless kettle with ball valve and thermometer$399
- 72,000 BTU propane burner and stand$99
- 30 gal brew bag$44.99
- 50 ft copper immersion chiller$129
- 7.9 gal fermenting buckets with lids and airlocks$89.97
- No-rinse sanitizer, 32 oz$32.99
- Brewery wash, 4 lb$34.99
- Hydrometer and test jar$15.99
- Refractometer$29.99
- Digital thermometer$24.99
- ½" auto-siphon with tubing$24.99
- Bottling buckets with spigots$55.98
- Bottle filler$5.99
- 12 oz amber bottles (6 cases)$119.94
- Bench capper$59.99
- Mash paddle$24.99
- Digital scale$24.99
Ingredients
- Pilsner malt$41.22
- Munich malt$11.66
- Caramel 60L$8.67
- Carafa Special II$1.08
- Hallertau Mittelfrüh (60 min)$11.97
- Tettnang (20 min)$11.97
- Saaz (flameout)$11.97
- Saflager W-34/70$19.47
- Milling and kitting$8
Packaging
- Corn sugar for priming$4.84
- Crown caps$6
Guide
- Printed brew guideIncluded
The creator
How it was made
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Remixes
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Where this came from
“a beer brewed for South Fork Boise River, Idaho”
river beer · made
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- blowtorch
- south fork boise
- boise river
- idaho
- session lager
- amber lager
- trestle bridge
- pines
- fly fishing
- homebrew
- lager recipe
- saaz