Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Clone Recipe (5-Gallon All-Grain)
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale didn't just define American craft brewing, it taught a generation of drinkers that beer could be something more than whatever came out of a can.
First brewed in 1980, it became the blueprint for the American Pale Ale style. Clean malt backbone. Bright, unmistakable Cascade hop aroma. Balanced bitterness that invites another sip. Over four decades later it's still one of the best-crafted beers in the country.
It's also one of the most rewarding beers you can clone at home.
Sierra Nevada has been relatively open about their process over the years. Their house yeast strain is closely related to the Chico strain, the same strain that US-05 is derived from. Their hop bill is Cascade-forward with clean bittering hops. Their malt bill is straightforward American 2-row with a small crystal malt addition for color and body.
This recipe captures the essential character of the original. It won't be chemically identical, no homebrew clone ever is, but it'll remind anyone who knows the beer exactly what you were going for. In our experience, a fresh homebrew version can actually give the original a run for its money.
The Recipe
Batch Size: 5 gallons
Method: BIAB or traditional all-grain
Boil Time: 60 minutes
Fermentation Temp: 65°F–68°F
Target Stats:
- OG: 1.053
- FG: 1.012
- ABV: ~5.4%
- IBU: ~38
- SRM: ~6 (golden amber)
- Yield: ~48 twelve-ounce bottles
Grain Bill
- 10 lb 2-Row Malt — Briess
- 0.5 lb Caramel 60L — Briess
- 0.5 lb Carapils — Briess
Mash: 152°F for 60 minutes. Target mash pH 5.3–5.4. New to mash pH? Read our guide on why mash pH matters.
Hop Schedule
- 0.75 oz Magnum Hops @ 60 min — Clean neutral bittering
- 0.5 oz Perle Hops @ 30 min — Mild spicy flavor
- 0.75 oz Cascade Hops @ 5 min — Citrus and floral aroma
- 0.75 oz Cascade Hops — Dry hop 3–5 days after primary fermentation
Yeast
- 1 packet US-05 American Ale Yeast
Sierra Nevada's house strain is closely related to the Chico strain that US-05 is derived from. It's clean, neutral, and highly attenuative — exactly what this beer needs to let the hops and malt speak for themselves.
Water Profile
Target a balanced profile with moderate sulfate to let the Cascade hops shine without becoming harsh:
- Calcium: 75–100 ppm
- Sulfate: 100–150 ppm
- Chloride: 50–75 ppm
- Mash pH: 5.3–5.4
If you're on city water, a small addition of gypsum and a mash pH adjustment with lactic acid will get you close. Read our mash pH guide for details.
Brew Day Notes
Strike water: Heat to approximately 163°F before adding grain. Adding grain should drop you to the 152°F mash target.
Boil: Keep a steady rolling boil throughout. Watch for boilovers during the first few minutes — a 5-gallon batch in a 7-gallon kettle can get exciting.
Chilling: Cool wort to 65°F–68°F before pitching yeast. An immersion wort chiller makes this much faster but an ice bath works fine for homebrew scale.
Dry hopping: Add Cascade dry hops after primary fermentation slows, usually around day 4–5. Leave for 3–5 days then package. Don't dry hop too early or the hops can contribute grassy flavors.
Conditioning: This beer is drinkable after 2 weeks in the bottle but noticeably better after 3–4 weeks. The Cascade aroma peaks around week 3 then slowly fades, so drink it fresh.
Tasting Notes
What to expect in the finished beer:
Appearance: Clear golden amber, persistent white head, good lacing.
Aroma: Bright Cascade citrus and floral hop aroma up front, clean bready malt underneath.
Flavor: Balanced malt sweetness with clean hop bitterness. Cascade flavor comes through mid-palate with citrus and light floral notes.
Finish: Clean, dry, moderately bitter. Invites another sip.
Troubleshooting
Too bitter: Reduce Magnum addition slightly. Make sure you're hitting your volume targets, a lower than expected final volume concentrates bitterness.
Not enough hop aroma: Increase dry hop to 1 oz and extend to 5–7 days. Make sure you're dry hopping after primary fermentation is complete.
Too sweet: Check your mash temperature — mashing too high leaves unfermentable sugars. Also verify fermentation completed fully with a hydrometer reading.
Hazy: Cold crash for 48–72 hours before packaging. A Whirlfloc tablet at 10 minutes in the boil also helps significantly.
Ready to Brew?
We've put together everything you need in one kit — fresh-milled grain, pre-measured hops, and yeast. No hunting down individual ingredients, no guessing quantities.