Tag Archives: Encampment American Strong Ale

Encampment American Strong Ale

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It’s time for another Thanksgiving beer! I always make a special small batch for friends and family, usually aiming for something a little bigger and richer than my usual. It’s a good opportunity to try new styles, or at least styles I rarely brew. The Fall 2025 issue of Craft Beer & Brewing highlighted an American Strong Ale recipe, which seemed like a perfect Thanksgiving kind of ale. It’s a bit bigger, bolder, and maltier, getting close to IPA territory but not directly inside of it.

My attempt at the recipe is a touch more bitter than the original, at an estimated 65 IBU versus 54 IBU’s, and I used similar but not identical hops for the bittering and late additions (Columbus and Amarillo instead of Nugget and Motueka, respectively). I also used WLP066 (London Fog) instead of the recipe’s Wyeast 1318 (London Ale III). According to David Taylor’s Yeast Master chart, WLP066 is close to 1318, which is good enough for me. The grain bill is pretty much identical, so my interpretation is still in the ballpark.

Encampment American Strong Ale

  • 3.75 lb. Munich malt (BEST, ~7.6 SRM)
  • 3.75 lb. Maris Otter pale ale malt (Thomas Fawcett)
  • 10 oz. flaked barley
  • 8 oz. Victory malt (Briess)
  • 4 oz. Special B malt (Dingemans)
  • 4 oz. Viking caramel 100 (crystal 40 equivalent)
  • 0.5 oz. Columbus hop pellets (15.6% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 0.5 oz. Amarillo hop pellets (10.4% alpha), 10 minute boil
  • 0.5 whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 1.5 g yeast nutrient (White Labs WLN1000), 5 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Amarillo hop pellets (10.4% alpha), 10 minute whirlpool
  • 1 pkg. London Fog ale yeast (White Labs WLP066)

Target Parameters

  • 60 minute infusion mash, 154°, full volume mash
  • 1.075 o.g., 1.017 f.g., 7.8% abv, 65 IBU, 17 SRM
  • Claremont tap water adjusted to hit target of 92 ppm Ca, 24 ppm Mg, 102 ppm Na, 200 ppm SO4, 130 ppm Cl, 10 ppm bicarbonate
  • 2.5 gallon yield

Procedure

  • I collected 4.1 gallons of tap water, adding a Campden tablet, 4.2 mL of 88% lactic acid, 3.5 g of gypsum, and 1 g of epsom salt to hit my water target.
  • Next, I heated the strike water to 162°, added the grains, and held at 154° with recirculation for 60 minutes. Finally, I heated the mash to 168° for 10 minutes, before removing the grains.
  • In total, I collected 3.5 gallons of runnings at 1.055, for 57% mash efficiency. That’s pretty dismal, but I suppose not surprising given the amount of grains used. Additionally, I’ve noted that this Maris Otter malt has been low on efficiency overall.
  • I heated the runnings to a boil, adding hops and finings per the recipe. I boiled at a higher level of vigor, to raise the gravity a bit.
  • After the 60 minute boil, I turned off the heat, added the whirlpool hops, and recirculated for 10 minutes before removing the hops and chilling to 78° before transferring to the fermenter.
  • I chilled the beer down to 64° before pitching the yeast.
  • I brewed this beer on 13 September 2025. Starting gravity was 1.072.
  • Fermentation kicked off within 24 hours, showing slight signs of fermentation on the surface of the beer. Active bubbling was evident within 36 hours.
  • I fermented the beer at 64°, and moved it to ambient on 21 September 2025.
  • I kegged the beer on 5 October 2025, with 2.7 oz. of corn sugar dissolved in 3/4 cup of water.
  • After two weeks, I moved the beer into the conditioning chamber and force carbonated the rest of the way.
  • Final gravity was 1.024, for 6.4% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Amber-orange beer with a medium-low level of haze, pouring with a persistent ivory head that leaves a moderate level of lacing on the glass.
  • Aroma
    • Medium level of malty and caramel aroma. Resin and pine hop aroma at a medium-low level, with a slight citrus hint. Very slight alcohol hot note on the aroma.
  • Flavor
    • Bready and malty sweet malt character at a medium level, with a light caramel backend. Medium high level of bitterness, with resiny and piney character.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium-high body, moderate carbonation, smooth finish, only slightly dry.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • This is a nice beer, and perfect for the holiday season! The haze puts it out of perfection for the style, so that dings it a little bit. I might like a touch more malt complexity, but I think it might improve with more aging or dropping the yeast out via finings.
  • Overall
    • 7/10