Hop9 DuckRiver Brewing

Hop9
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Batch size 5 gallons
Boil size 6.9 gallons
Boil time 60 minutes
Grain weight 13 pounds
Efficiency 75%
Original gravity 1.072
Final gravity 1.017
Alcohol (by volume) 7.2%
Bitterness (IBU) 87
Color (SRM) 9.1°L

Yeast
White Labs WLP001 California Ale ( Make a LARGE starter)

Grains/Extracts/Sugars
13 pounds

Pale Malt 3.5°L 5 pounds 38.5%
2 Row Base 1.5°L 5 pounds 38.5%
Vienna 3°L 2 pounds 15.4%
Wheat 2°L 0.5 pounds 3.8%
Crystal 70L 0.5 pounds 3.8%

Hops
6 ounces

Simcoe hops 12.2%, Pellet 3 ounces
Columbus hops 14.2%, Pellet 2 ounces
Centennial hops 9.2%, Pellet 1 ounce

Mash
60 minutes, 8.4 gallons

Strike
Target 152°F 4.4 gallons 164°F
60 minutes (+0)

Sparge
Target 170°F 4.0 gallons 178°F

Boil
60 minutes, 6.9 gallons
Columbus hops 14.2%, Pellet 1 ounce
60 minutes (+0)
Simcoe hops 12.2%, Pellet 0.75 ounces 15 minutes (+45)
Columbus hops 14.2%, Pellet 0.5 ounces 15 minutes (+45)
Simcoe hops 12.2%, Pellet 0.75 ounces 5 minutes (+55)
Centennial hops 9.2%, Pellet 0.5 ounces 5 minutes (+55)

Ferment
14 days @ 65°F
Centennial hops 9.2%, Pellet 0.5 ounce 14 days DH
Columbus hops14.2%, Pellet 0.5 ounces 14 days DH
Simcoe hops 12.2%, Pellet 1.5 ounces 14 days DH

Note: (This is my technique) After 5 days of Primary toss DH's in for the remaining days. This should sit on yeast cake for at least 21 days. Secondary is not needed.

So, the wheat is for better head retention, or can you taste it in there?

Yes and Yes. The wheat is used for head rentention and body. But I also use it for taste. I find Wheat is much better than carapils or dextrin.

I made this recipe again with a few slight modifications to the hop schedule. It is by far the best IPA I have ever had. If you have not already tried this, please do and post back your results.

.75 Columbus 60
.25 Columbus 30
.75 Simcoe 15
.25 Simcoe 10
.25 Centennial 10
.25 Simcoe 5
.25 Centennial 5
.25 Columbus 0
.25 Simcoe 0

.5 Centennial DH
.75 Columbus DH
1.5 Simcoe DH

ctoungette said:

Yes and Yes. The wheat is used for head rentention and body. But I also use it for taste. I find Wheat is much better than carapils or dextrin.

Click to expand...

I'm thinking the same, based upon a recent torrified wheat added to a similar recipe. I had slightly different hops and a little Munich added, and it was the best IPA I've ever brewed. I think the wheat gets at least some of the credit.

You should really try this recipe. I pretty much only make IPA's and this is by far the best I have ever made or had commercially! All the flavors are perfectly balanced.

There's been some overlap between the American wheat category and American IPAs lately. The most obvious is Gumballhead, but there are quite a few other line-straddlers out there now, I'm thinking.

Personally I like less hops with my wheat, but that's just a preference on my part.

The .5 is so minimal that is really does not cross lines. I know several microbreweries that use a touch of wheat in thier IPA's a Pale Ales for head retention and roundness. There is not question that this is a bold IPA with delicious smooth hop flavor.

See, everyone is doing it! I knew it!! The IPA has matured as a style so much that to be original anymore you have to resort to different techniques, ingredients, etc.

I think wheat is well suited to the American palate. I think it tastes a bit sweeter than barley malt, and it is definitely a better feel in the mouth. Basically it is the second most perfect grain for beer... so why not use both wheat and barley? Everyone seems to be coming to the same conclusion -- even the BMCs.

I'm not a purist, I wouldn't accuse anyone who put wheat in their IPA of violating some sort of holy code (although Reinheitsgebot does prohibit wheat). I'm just saying that American wheats are getting hoppier, and IPAs are getting wheat-ier. It's just the way that the art is evolving.

Don't overhop a wheat if you want to sell it to *me*, though.

Using a 1/2 pound of wheat and saying it crosses the lines of beer styles is like saying using Munich in an IPA would be crossing the line with a Munich Lager. The quality of a wheat beer is derived mostly from the yeast. One of my favorite IPA's is Sweetwater out of Atlanta. They use a touch of wheat as well and it has won so many awards.

I'd say if you use 20% wheat or so, it's noticeable in the flavor. Some people have better palates than mine, though. Even wheat beers don't tend to use more than 50-60% wheat.

I totally agree. I hate wheat beers, yet don't think adding < 1/2 lb. is bad for an IPA or is "crossing lines".

In IPAs and IIPAs, it's all about highlighting the hops. You can't be heavy handed with Crystal, Munich, wheat, or any other non-pale grain and do that.

Rich

This beer just placed 3rd in a competition out of 18 beers in its category. It scored a 41/50.