Key Takeaway
To make Pale Ale, you’ll need to obtain Hops and a Keg. Hops Starters, which can be purchased, are needed to grow Hops, which will normally take 11 days to grow. Kegs can be crafted at Farming level 8. Hold some Hops and interact with a Keg to begin brewing Pale Ale. This will take around a day and a half of in-game time.
Like it or not, making money is an important part of Stardew Valley. Having funds will allow you to build the best farm, and one way to make quick cash is by selling Artisan Goods. Pale Ale is one of the most profitable items, and making it isn’t too difficult.
Table Of Contents
What You Need to Make Pale Ale
Just like in the real world, you’ll need Hops to make Pale Ale, along with some Kegs.
To grow Hops on your farm, you’ll need a Hops Starter. These can be purchased from JojaMart for 75g if you don’t have a membership or 60g if you do. You can also buy them at Pierre’s General Store for 60g, at the Night Market on Winter 16, and at the Traveling Cart sporadically. It’s also possible to get Hops Starters by inserting Hops into a Seed Maker.
You can grow Hops on your island during Summer. Hops will grow in the Greenhouse and on Island Farms year-round. Hops grow on a trellis, so you’ll want to leave space to walk so you can water and harvest them.
Normally, Hops will take 11 days to grow, meaning that you can harvest Hops on the 12th day after planting and every day after. If you fertilize the starters with Speed-Gro or if you have the Agriculturist Profession, this time can be reduced.
| Time Saved | Time to Harvest | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | - | 12 days |
| Speed-Gro | 10% | 10 days |
| Deluxe Speed-Gro | 25% | 9 days |
| Hyper Speed-Gro | 33% | 8 days |
| Agriculturist (without fertilizer) | 10% | 10 days |
| Agriculturist + Speed-Gro | 20% | 9 days |
| Agriculturist + Deluxe Speed-Gro | 35% | 8 days |
| Agriculturist + Hyper Speed-Gro | 43% | 8 days |
To transform the Hops into some tasty Pale Ale, you’ll need a proper Keg. The crafting recipe for the Keg becomes available at Farming level 8. It’s also possible to receive the Keg recipe as a reward from both the Artisan Bundle and the Brewer’s Bundle. The recipe will be in the Pantry for both bundles.
To craft a Keg, you’ll need:
- 30 Wood
- 1 Oak Resin
- 1 Copper Bar
- 1 Iron Bar
Brewing Pale Ale
You have your Hops and your Keg ready to go. Great! All you need to do is grab the Hops and interact with a Keg to get things started. Making Pale Ale takes around a day and a half of in-game time.
Aging Pale Ale
Aging Pale Ale will increase its quality, making it more valuable. You’ll need Casks to age your Pale Ale, which will unlock after upgrading your house for the final time and adding a basement. To obtain the Cellar upgrade, bring 100,000g to Robin after upgrading your house for the second time.
While the Cellar comes with 33 Casks automatically, it’s possible to add more. You’ll learn the Cask recipe automatically after purchasing this upgrade. All you need is 20 Wood and 1 Hardwood.
To age your Pale Ale, simply interact with a Cask with the Ale in your hand. Here’s how long it will take to increase your drink’s quality.
| Base to Silver | Silver to Gold | Gold to Iridium | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time | 9 days | 8 days | 17 days |
| Total Time | 9 days | 17 days | 34 days |
Why You Should Brew Pale Ale
In Stardew Valley, Artisan Goods are valuable items crafted using Artisan Equipment. While processing these items can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days of in-game time, you’ll be well-rewarded for your efforts. Pale Ale is one of the most profitable Artisan Goods, pulling in a minimum of 300g per bottle.
Note that if you have the Artisan Profession, the selling price will increase by 40%. Remember, you can choose the Artisan Profession after reaching Farming level 10.
When selling Pale Ale, you can expect to bring in the following:
- Base quality: 300g / 420g (Artisan Profession)
- Silver quality: 375g / 525g (Artisan Profession)
- Gold quality: 450g / 630g (Artisan Profession)
- Iridium quality: 600g / 840g (Artisan Profession)
In addition to making bank, you’ll want to either find or brew some Pale Ale for the quest titled “Pam is Thirsty.” This quest will appear in your mailbox on Summer 14. All you’ll need to do is bring Pam a single bottle of Pale Ale for a full friendship heart and a generous 350g.
Pale Ale is also universally liked by all villagers in the game–with the exception of children, of course.
If you’re a fan of beer, you can also drink your product. This will reduce your Speed by 1 for 30 seconds thanks to the Tipsy buff, but it will also restore health and energy. The higher the quality of the Pale Ale, the more health and energy will be restored, ranging from between 22-58 health and 50-130 energy.
