In Stardew Valley, producing and selling Artisan Goods is a profitable moneymaking venture. These products are usually simple to craft and can be sold at high prices. One of the best Artisan Goods that stands out for its exceptional return on investment is Pale Ale.
Pale Ale is an alcoholic drink that players can consume or gift to the residents of Pelican Town. When consumed, it causes a “Tipsy”debuff, temporarily reducing the player’s speed by 1 point. Apart from being a valuable income source, Pale Ale plays a significant role in a Story Quest named “Pam is Thirsty”. This guide covers everything players need to know about making Pale Ale in Stardew Valley from scratch.
How to Make Pale Ale in Stardew Valley
As compared to regular, plain Beer that uses Wheat, Pale Ale is prepared using Hops. The requirements for making Pale Ale in Stardew Valley are fairly simple – players only need a Keg and seasonal Hops.
Crafting a Keg
A Keg is an Artisan equipment used to process various crops, fruits, and other ingredients into beverages, such as wine, coffee, or Pale Ale. The crafting recipe for Kegs is unlocked when players reach Farming Level 8. The following materials are required:
- 30 pieces of Wood
- 1 Oak Resin
- 1 Copper Bar
- 1 Iron Bar
Besides crafting, completing the Artisan Bundle in the Pantryor the Brewer’s Bundle in the Remixed Community Center rewards players with a Keg.
Growing Hops on the Farm
Hops are a vegetable crop in Stardew Valley that can be grown during the Summer only. They are bitter and tangy flowers primarily used to produce alcoholic beverages, such as Pale Ale. To grow Hops on the farm, players need a ‘Hops Starter’. It is a type of seed available for purchase at Pierre’s General Store for 60 g. They can also be purchased at JojaMart for 75 g and are occasionally available at the Traveling Cart for 100–1,000 g.
Planting large amounts of Hops Starters is a great way to quickly level up the player’s Farming Skill within their first Summer.
Once planted, it takes 11 days for a Hops Starter to reach maturity. A fully grown plant yields Hops every day since it regrows within 1 day after harvest. This leads to a steady supply of Hops for players to brew Pale Ale.
Hops require a wooden trellis to support their growth. Players should leave a walking space between the crops, as they cannot walk through the Hops at any growth stage.
Players can cut down the growth times by using Speed-Gro fertilizer when planting a Hops Starter. The growth time varies for different fertilizers as shown below:
| Fertilizer | Time Saved | Ready for Harvest |
| Normal | – | 11 days |
| Speed-Gro | 10% | 9 days |
| Deluxe Speed-Gro | 25% | 8 days |
| Hyper Speed-Gro | 33% | 7 days |
All crops grow 10% faster ( with or without adding fertilizers ) if players have selected the Agriculturist Profession.
Brewing Pale Ale
The primary use of Hops in Stardew Valley is to process them into Pale Ale using Kegs. Players need to simply hold the Hops from their inventory and click on the Keg. This automatically places the Hops inside, ready to be processed. It takes 2250 minutes (equivalent to 1 and a half in-game day) for the Keg to transform the Hops into Pale Ale. During this time, players won't be able to access the Keg and must wait patiently.
Processing Hops in the Keg yields the second-highest daily profit of any crop in Stardew Valley, right after Starfruit.
Aging Pale Ale
Similar to other alcoholic beverages in Stardew Valley, Pale Ale can be aged to enhance its quality, leading to increased selling prices. Once brewed, Pale Ale can be aged from normal quality to silver, gold, or iridium star qualities by placing it inside a Cask.
Pale Ale Quality | Time Spent Aging | Selling Price |
|---|---|---|
Normal | – | 300 g |
Silver | 9 days | 375 g |
Gold | 17 days | 450 g |
Iridium | 34 days | 600 g |
The selling prices of Pale Ale are increased by 40% for players who have picked the Artisan Profession in Stardew Valley .
Casks are Artisan equipment that come with the final Farmhouse upgrade. The upgrade costs a hefty 100,000 gold – making it one of the most expensive things players can buy in Stardew Valley. This upgrade unlocks a Cellar in the basement of the Farmhouse that comes equipped with 33 Casks. To craft more Casks, players would need 20 pieces of Wood and 1 piece of Hardwood. By selling aged Artisan goods, such as Pale Ale, players can establish a profitable revenue stream within the game.
Regardless of its quality or the player’s in-game Profession, selling Pale Ale is a quick way to make money in Stardew Valley. Many residents of Pelican Town appreciate receiving Pale Ale as a gift, making it a dual-purpose asset for boosting both income and Friendships in the game.
Stardew Valley is available now for Android, iOS, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.