Recipe: Encampment American Strong Ale

A classic style in the modern American pantheon, this hop-and-malt-forward strong ale serves as a great starting point for experimentation—for example, by subbing in your favorite hop varieties.

By Josh Weikert

February 5, 2026

Subscriber

You can tinker with the specialty malts here to see what works best for you—just keep an eye on color to ensure you’re staying in the 18-ish SRM range. Likewise, hops are flexible here—try your favorites or some newer varieties. Like many American ale styles, this one allows for a relatively high degree of experimentation.

For more about this style, see Make Your Best American Strong Ale.

ALL-GRAIN

Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.076 (18.4°P)
FG: 1.019 (4.8°P)
IBUs: 54
ABV: 7.5%