Brewery

5 gallons of Brita-filtered tap water

8 pounds of plain malt extract syrup (William's Maris Otter, pure malt)

3 pounds of dry malt extract (William's American Amber)

2 pounds of crushed pale ale malt (3 L?)

1 pound of flaked barley

1 pound of crushed, roasted barley (580 L?)

32 fluid ounces of "real" prune juice

8 ounces of Northern Brewer hops pellets (alpha acid: 6.5%)

1 packet (11.5g) of ale yeast (Fermentis, Safale US-05)

1 packet (5g) of champagne yeast (Lalvin, EC-1118)

Heat 1 gallon of water to 153?F.

Add the pale ale malt and the flaked barley, return temperature to 153?F.

Maintain temperature for 60 minutes.

"Sparge" into another brewpot using 1 gallon of water @ 155?F.

Add 1 gallon of hot water to the brewpot.

Add the roasted barley to the brewpot, and bring to a boil

"Sparge" into another brewpot using 1 gallon of water @ 180?F.

Add the malt extracts to the brewpot, stir to dissolve, and bring to a boil.

Boil for 5 minutes.

(Remove 2 cups of wort for priming.)

Add 5 ounces of the hops pellets, stir them in, and return to a boil.

Boil for another 25 minutes.

(Add 1 spoonful of wort to 1 cup of boiled-and-cooled water; add the ale and champagne yeasts.)

Boil for another 30 minutes.

Add 2 ounces of the hops pellets.

Boil for another 10 minutes.

Reduce temperature to 80?F as quickly as possible (I use a wort chiller).

Using the remaining hops pellets (1 ounce) and an automatic drip coffee maker, prepare a 12-cup pot of hop tea.

Add the tea to 2 gallons of cold water in the fermentor.

Add the (cold) prune juice to fermentor.

Add the yeasts to the fermentor.

Siphon and strain the wort into the fermentor.

Add any necessary "make-up" water.

Measure the specific gravity.

Stage 1: Ferment for 14 days.

Stage 2: Transfer to another fermentor, and ferment for 28 days.

Measure the specific gravity, and calculate the alcohol content.

Prime using the reserved wort (15-minute boil), and bottle.

Don't start drinking it for at least a month!