El Dictador IIPA

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Saccharomyces

Be good to your yeast...
HBT Supporter
Joined
Jun 17, 2008
Messages
5,438
Reaction score
166
Location
Pflugerville, Texas
Recipe Type
All Grain
Yeast
London Ale
Yeast Starter
3L
Batch Size (Gallons)
5.5
Original Gravity
1.090
Final Gravity
1.012
Boiling Time (Minutes)
90
IBU
100+
Color
Copper
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
28 @65*F
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
21 @72*F
Tasting Notes
Maharaja clone, very nice full bodied and balanced imperial IPA.
This beer is a clone of Maharaja Imperial Pale Ale from Avery Brewing in Colorado, which is my favorite commercial beer. Credit is due to Avery for sharing the grain and hop bill. The hops do vary from year to year, so the character of the clone is slightly different from what you get in the bottle, but it is strikingly close to the original. If you like hoppy beers this one definitely will not dissapoint! Mine is based on the 2006 version but with Zeus used for the late kettle and whirlpool additions vs the original which used Magnum.

Awards:
  • NHC Old West first round best in subcategory 14C (score 44) for a gold certificate.
  • Second place in category 14 at 2009 Alamo City Cerveza Fest.

dsc01744.jpg

The recipe given is for 5.5 gallons @65% efficiency, to scale the recipe enter each % below in pounds in the software, input your brewhouse efficiency, scale the recipe to OG 1.090, and then enter the hops. I recommend allowing extra volume since the large quantity of hops will retain a lot of wort and finished beer, leaving you with less finished product.

Grain Bill:
90% 2-row (19 lb)
7% Victory (1 lb 14 oz)
3% Crystal 120L (10 oz)

Single infusion mash at 151*F for 75 minutes.

Hop Schedule:
1.5 oz Simcoe 90
1.5 oz Centennial 90
.75 oz Zeus 30
.75 oz Zeus 15
2.5 oz Simcoe DH, 21 days
1 oz Centennial DH, 21 days
1 oz Crystal, DH 21 days

Notes:
I used Wyeast 1028, WLP013 is similar. This strain is rumored to be very similar to Avery's house strain. My 3L starter was aerated with an O2 stone. Fermentation at 65*F was vigorous and complete in 6 days. If you don't have an O2 stone I recommend you get one if you plan on brewing big beers. :)
I saved the leftover dry hops and used them for a late hop IPA since all those alpha acids were still intact!
 
I gotta try some of this. You Soper and I should plan another brew trade! I've got a number of beers that can go in a box.
 
Latest Zymurgy just arrived and theres a Maharaja clone as part of their "Best Beers In America" article. Matt Thrall @ Avery provided some guidance on the recipe. You were pretty damn close Sacc!

Heres what Zymurgy says

5g batch, 90 min boil
1.089 OG 75% eff

15.5lbs pale male
0.5lbs 120L malt
0.5lbs victory malt

1.25oz columbus pellet 13.9%aa @ 60 (not at 90? odd)
1.00oz columbus pellet 13.9%aa @ 30
2.00oz centennial pellet 13.9%aa @ 0
2.00oz simcoe pellet 11.4%aa @ 0

4.5oz Simcoe pellet dry hop
2.25oz centennial pellet dry hop
2.25oz chinook dry hop

california ale yeast

90 minute 147F single infusion.
Ferment at 74f ad then condition at 60f for at least one week.
 
just over two weeks old and I can't wait for this beer to be done. The first few days were full of STRONG fermentation. The dry hops do look to be a bit excessive and i am contemplating toning it down just a little.
 
just over two weeks old and I can't wait for this beer to be done. The first few days were full of STRONG fermentation. The dry hops do look to be a bit excessive and i am contemplating toning it down just a little.

I re-used the dry hops to make an IPA. Worked great! There was still all the bitterness and flavor, just not the aroma.
 
I re-used the dry hops to make an IPA. Worked great! There was still all the bitterness and flavor, just not the aroma.

I've contemplated doing this myself, but I mainly use pellets. I suppose I could purge my conical of trub & yeast before I drop in my first dryhop charge and then collect after.

I suppose this is why hop tea can give such big flavors since it uses heat. Hmmm
 
I re-used the dry hops to make an IPA. Worked great! There was still all the bitterness and flavor, just not the aroma.
that is a really good idea. I am not sure why i have not thought of that myself. I am a hop head and have been spending way too much money on hops and by just reusing the dry hops i might save some money.
 
I am currently drinking the June 2009 batch of the Maharaja from Avery. Awesomeness in a bottle. By far my favorite IIPA.

I am definitely going to brew this one in the near future. Thanks for the recipe and the pics.
 
I took a growler of the El Dictador to the club meeting last night. It was gone within an hour and I got a few pats on the back for it being so good.

Great recipe Sacc!
 

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