IPA recipe/taste test

I made this beer two weeks ago (10.5 gallon batch):

8 lbs Pale Ale Malt 2-Row (Briess) (3.5 SRM) Grain 4 34.3 %
8 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM) Grain 5 34.3 %
4 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 6 17.2 %
1 lbs Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 7 4.3 %
1 lbs Caramel Malt - 40L (Briess) (40.0 SRM) Grain 8 4.3 %
1 lbs Caramunich I (Weyermann) (51.0 SRM) Grain 9 4.3 %
5.1 oz Acidulated (Weyermann) (1.8 SRM) Grain 10 1.4 % (for pH adjustment)


1.00 oz Northern Brewer [10.00 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 11 17.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Ahtanum [4.50 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 12 4.6 IBUs
1.00 oz Cascade (Homegrown) [5.00 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 13 4.7 IBUs
1.00 oz Centennial [11.90 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 14 10.1 IBUs
1.00 oz Ahtanum [4.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 15 2.8 IBUs
1.00 oz Cascade (Homegrown) [5.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 16 2.8 IBUs
2.00 oz Ahtanum [4.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 17 3.1 IBUs
1.00 oz Centennial [11.90 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 18 4.0 IBUs

WLP001

OG 1.060 FG 1.012

I just opened it up to see what I want to dryhop it with. I rarely use ahtanum, and I wasn't sure what would "go" with it.

But, as it turns out, it's really really good the way it is! I'm very pleased with this beer so far, and I don't think I am going to dryhop it. Maybe I'll try dryhopping one keg, and not the other, just to make sure the hops nose doesn't fade too much before I get to the second keg.

I was a little concerned that it would be too heavy/malty with the Munich and the crystal, but it really turned out nice. There is a distinctly firm bitterness even though it's only 49 IBUs.

Nice! I like my IPAs and DIPAs with a nice malt backbone.

Caramunich and C-40 is a wicked combo.

I'm going to keg this today, and put one keg right in the kegerator.

I think what I'm tasting (and like!) is the ahtanum hops. I bought them a while ago, planning to do a Stone pale ale clone, but never did so they've been in my freezer for a while and I thought it was time to use them!

Ahtanum is a great supporting cast hop. I'm not one for floral bomb Ipas like Odell's but floral is a great "in addition to" flavor IMO.

I think Ahtanum is a big part of Surly Furious's je ne sais quoi

Xpertskir said:

Ahtanum is a great supporting cast hop. I'm not one for floral bomb Ipas like Odell's but floral is a great "in addition to" flavor IMO.

I think Ahtanum is a big part of Surly Furious's je ne sais quoi

Click to expand...

I think you're right- I don't think I'd like ahtanum alone and haven't really used it all that much because of my great love for citrusy amarillo type of IPAs. But I think this came out "just right" if I do say so myself!

It's a good day- kegging 10 gallons of beer, degassing a 6 gallon wine kit, and watching the Packers! Tonight for dinner, grass fed beef steaks on the grill with avocado salsa. Life is good!

Ahtanum is herbal, a little musky, and reminiscent of orange zest... that's what I got from the Sam Adams Latitude single hop version.

I have been wanting to try Ahtanum, as I know Stone uses it in beers I buy.

Might have to go for it - thanks for the post!