8.5% Iipa

I've racked my Midwest Hop Head IPA to the secondary carboy today. OG was 1.074 eleven days ago when I brewed it. Today, I measured 1.011 which is results an 8.5% if I'm not mistaken. Suggested FG is 1.017. It tastes good (actually really really very good ), looks nice, smells even better. I intend to wait about ten more days before I bottle it and forget it for a few months at least. I am so excited, I just wanted to share.

That's some impressive attenuation, what yeast did you use?

If you don't drink it for a couple months, aren't you risking losing some of the fresh hop flavor?

I've heard 2 months after brewing an IPA can lose a drastic amount of hop flavor. Do you do anything special to keep the hop flavor fresh?

I've substituted dry yeast comes with the kit by default with Wyeast American Ale (#1056). The recipe calls for grains to be steeped 10-30 minutes at 155F and let sit another 10 minutes off the stove. I did 30 + 10. Also, deviating from the recipe, I boiled with full 5 gallons instead of 2 gallons. I can't tell if it makes any difference but that's all I can say.

My first batch was an IPA as well and after two+ months, it still tastes refreshingly hoppy.

Cheers.

You may lose some of the overwhelming hoppiness, but the flavors blend and meld and make a better overall beer if it was good to begin with.