This is a modified version of the Northern Brewer Bacon Red Ale extract kit

If you are using a liquid yeast, make a starter 24 to 48 hours in advance.

1) Steep grains in 2.5 gal of water for 20 minutes in 170 degree water. Remove bag and discard.

2) Bring water to full boil and stir in 3 lbs Amber DME and 1 lb Wheat DME.

3) Add 1 oz Willamette hops and boil for 60 min

4) 15 min before end of boil, add 3.15 lbs of Dark Malt Syrup

5) At the end of the boil, add in 30 mL of bacon extract

6) Cool wort, add to fermenter, add water to bring level to 5 gal of liquid, aerate, and add yeast

7) Let sit for 14 days and rack to secondary

8) Add maple syrup in at secondary as to not stress the yeast, and so that most of the flavor does not come out during the fermentation.

9) This step is optional. Cook 1 to 2 lbs of smoked bacon. Put the fat/grease and a few bacon pieces into a container with 1 cup of alcohol (use scotch or vodka). Let sit throughout primary and secondary fermentation. 2 or 3 days before bottling, remove bacon pieces, allow fat to settle on top of alcohol, and place in freezer. Remove as much of the fat and grease as possible from on top of the alcohol and use a coffee filter to strain the remaining fat from the alcohol. Add the bacon infused alcohol into the bottling bucket on bottling day. This will raise the alcohol content and give more bacon flavor to the final product.

10) After 7 days in secondary, add 5 oz priming sugar and bottle or keg

Note - Let the brew age in the bottle or keg for 1 to 2 months for optimal taste