Hopacles '09

It's time for Hopacles '09. I'll be brewing this year's version at a homebrew club group brew day. Hopefully this will last until I brew Hopacles '10 in late January/early February so that it still has some freaking nose when I send it off to NHC.

I like my IIPA's dry with a low finishing gravity and bitter as hell (a malty/balanced IIPA is kinda like a 100 IBU Bock - it just ain't right). I accomplish this with the 90 minute mash at 148 and the 2# of table sugar. Nottingham just destroys worts like this. Last year's version finished at 1.003 (I expected about 1.008 - 1.010).

I'm shooting for 8 gallons because that volume worked well for me last year. I ended up leaving about 1 gallon behind in the kettle, with 7 into the fermenter. I then left about another .5g when I racked to a bucket to dry hop. When racking to keg there was about another 1 gallon left behind and the remaining wort will be rigorously tested by a panel of experts (me) .

Why the Sterling and Vanguard you ask? Meh, because I have them sitting around and I honestly don't know what the hell else I'd ever use them in, so they go in here.

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Hopacles '09
Brewer: HopHed Brewhaus
Asst Brewer:
Style: Imperial IPA
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (41.0)

Recipe Specifications
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Batch Size: 8.00 gal
Boil Size: 9.40 gal
Estimated OG: 1.089 SG
Estimated Color: 5.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 304.1 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
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Amount Item Type % or IBU
22.25 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 89.90 %
0.50 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 2.02 %
2.00 oz Amarillo Gold [10.00 %] (0 min) (Mash HopHops -
6.00 oz Magnum [13.40 %] (60 min) Hops 118.5 IBU
6.00 oz Chinook [14.00 %] (60 min) Hops 137.6 IBU
2.00 oz Sterling [7.50 %] (15 min) Hops 12.2 IBU
2.00 oz Vanguard [5.50 %] (15 min) Hops 8.9 IBU
2.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (15 min) Hops 13.8 IBU
2.00 oz Cascade [8.00 %] (15 min) Hops 13.0 IBU
2.50 oz Chinook [14.00 %] (Dry Hop 14 days) Hops -
2.50 oz Amarillo Gold [10.00 %] (Dry Hop 14 days)Hops -
2.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (Dry Hop 14 days) Hops -
2.50 oz Crystal [3.10 %] (Dry Hop 14 days) Hops -
2.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
2.00 lb Sugar, Table (Sucrose) (1.0 SRM) Sugar 8.08 %
2 Pkgs Nottingham Yeast (Lallemand #-) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 22.75 lb
Total Hop Weight: 32 oz
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Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
90 min Mash In Add 7.05 gal of water at 162.6 F 148.0 F

A couple pounds of special B, some pale chocolate, and you're there.

I do wonder why you don't just dump your 60 minute hops in the first runnings and get some more utilization. I mean, it's not like you have to worry about going overboard.

Evan! said:

A couple pounds of special B, some pale chocolate, and you're there.

I do wonder why you don't just dump your 60 minute hops in the first runnings and get some more utilization. I mean, it's not like you have to worry about going overboard.

Click to expand...

Bah... IIPA's are meant for one thing, and it's not balance. I've put some Munich, Vienna and small amounts of 10L/20L Crystal in before and those all worked well, but this year I don't want any of that. Clean, dry and bitter with a great nose. That's how I like mine.

Ya know, I've thought about doing that. I'm tweaking a couple of things in the process of this version anyway, so I think I will just toss the 12 oz rockin in the kettle with the first runnings.

Me, overboard on an IIPA? nah...

You know, I was joking about the special B and PC. I liked your grain bill on last year's.

Evan! said:

You know, I was joking about the special B and PC. I liked your grain bill on last year's.

Click to expand...

I know you were, dude. I've actually seen IIPA's with those grains in them though.

Last year I had 3# of Munich that I'm subbing with additional 2-row this year

Kyle, I've been chomping at the bit to make an obscenely over the top IIPA, especially with the most recent haul of hops from Puterbaugh.

I love the simplicity of the grain bill! I'll have to make some substitutions re: hops, especially considering I've got all those Amarillo, Nugget and Columbus to use.

(Wiping a tear from the corner of my eye.) Sniff... sniff... it's... it's... just so beautiful... sniff.

Either Columbus or Nugget would make a good sub for the Chinook and you could sub more Amarillo for the Cascade.

IMO there isn't a cleaner bittering hop around than Magnum though. After I brew this I'm going to have to pick up another couple of pounds.

Can you taste food?

Sure. No tastbud damage on this one. This is a one-beer-per-sitting sipper.

Hmm, this one oughta make Pliny taste like Aquafina.

We shall see. I'm on a mission to medal Hopacles at NHC so I'm kicking this one up a notch over '08 (scored a 36) to compare and better prepare for brewing '10 in February for NHC.

Teh hopz will B sacrifized 4 good cause.

I must say if there is a more extreme IIPA than that entered... well, it would be rainwater squeezed out of a hop bundle.

Saccharomyces said:

Teh hopz will B sacrifized 4 good cause.

I must say if there is a more extreme IIPA than that entered... well, it would be rainwater squeezed out of a hop bundle.

Click to expand...

There are always more extreme IIPA's entered.... by Mike McDole.

H08 took the enamel off of my teeth and I saw the future.

how did this beer come out? honestly I cant make it I dont have enough hops but...I was wondering do you have pics?

I'm a hophead, so I thought it was great. I had a party the weekend after Labor Day and we actually had the last bottle of this. It was still plenty hoppy after almost a year of aging. So much so that (even at almost 1 year old), it made most commercial IIPA's seem weak.