Imperial pale ale fermentation time, need clarification

I'm brewing an imperial pale ale, specifically the recipe found in Sam Calagione's book Extreme Brewing (p. 92 if you've got the book), and I was wondering if anyone could clarify what the fermentation time should be for this beer.

The recipe steps, 12-14, which describe the fermentation process are as follows:
12. After fermentation takes off (1 or 2 days), add the light brown sugar to the carboy by dissolving it in 2 cups (470ml) of boiling water.
13. Once fermentation is over (no more bubbling in the air lock) [estimated in ingredient list to be days 5-7], add the Cascade hops for dry hopping.
14. In about 10 days, your beer should be ready to package.

Reading it, it seems to be a 15-17 day fermentation time which seems wrong to me. It seems as though it's worded in a weird way and that the entire fermentation time should be 10 days.

If anyone could clarify whether it's 10 or 15-17 days to me, that'd be great.
Thanks!

Don't have the book but it appears as though he is saying dry hop for 10 days and then package. So 15-17 days.

Can you post the entire recipe?

I'd say follow his instructions but ignore the actual number of days listed. When fermentation is done (or just baaaaarely creeping along in the cleanup phase), add the dry hops. Dry hop for 10 days because that's a definitive amount of time that correlates with flavor.

It wouldn't be unreasonable for the beer to finish fermentation within 5 days, but it could take 10 or more! (If you pitch the right amount and ferment at proper temps, it shouldn't take more than say 2 weeks).

kanzimonson said:

I'd say follow his instructions but ignore the actual number of days listed. When fermentation is done (or just baaaaarely creeping along in the cleanup phase), add the dry hops. Dry hop for 10 days because that's a definitive amount of time that correlates with flavor.

It wouldn't be unreasonable for the beer to finish fermentation within 5 days, but it could take 10 or more! (If you pitch the right amount and ferment at proper temps, it shouldn't take more than say 2 weeks).

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This is good advice. Always ignore the amount of days listed in a recipe or kit for fermentation. Each fermentation is different. Dryhopping on the other hand impacts the flavor of your beer and does not change with each fermentation and so those times should be followed. Great advice for all people following recipes.

Just put this together last week - my fermentation took off within 4 hours of pitching, added the sugar 2 days later, and now it's just starting to slow down bubbling... 8 days later. So it looks like 10 days fermentation is what I'm looking at, so I'm going to throw in the hops in 2 days, let it sit for 10 days and then bottle.

Just goes to show that every fermentation time is different!

What's an imperial pale ale?

tennesseean_87 said:

What's an imperial pale ale?

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Pretty much the same as a Double IPA.