Ballast Point Even Keel Session IPA clone help

[Nesto]

Had this on tap recently and was blown away by how much flavor and aroma BP managed to back into a 3.8%/40IBU beer. The only clues I've been able to find come from BP's website...
"Ten different malts and six different hops (Ahtanum, Cluster, and Spalt to name a few)."

I haven't tried to even make a session IPA. What are the secrets? Has anyone tried to clone Even Keel?

 

[troglodytes]

Subscribed.

This is the best session IPA I've ever had. Amazing flavor for such a small beer.

 

[hopstupid]

lot of hints on the site

Ten different malts and six different hops (Ahtanum, Cluster, and Spalt to name a few) combine to create this full-flavored, small beer. Even Keel features a silky malt backbone and a bright hop flavor and aroma that come from the late kettle additions and dry hopping with 1.5 pounds per barrel. Even more layers of flavor are created with fermentation being done by two strains of yeast. This session ale is herbaceous with additional citrus aromas of lemon and grapefruit. The orange to copper hue draws you in and the low alcohol volume keeps you coming back for more.

all late hopping and a huge dry hop and using that new blend of california ale yeast and english ale yeast. They make some great beer, sculpin at the brewery smells like fruit punch I could huff that beer all day.

 

[MEPNew2Brew]

I have been thinking quite a bit about session IPAs lately. Wouldn't melanoidin be a good specialty grain to use? It is fairly lightly kilned, but really brings out the maltyness, which seems to be necessary when trying to make a session IPA.

 

[Broham1]

Some great guidelines for session ales: http://www.themadfermentationist.com/2012/01/vienna-malt-session-ipa-recipe.html?m=1

I've brewed the recipe from the article and it was excellent!

 

[Nesto]

Oops

 

[Nesto]

Some great guidelines for session ales: http://www.themadfermentationist.com/2012/01/vienna-malt-session-ipa-recipe.html?m=1

I've brewed the recipe from the article and it was excellent!

Thanks - this was the kind of general help I was looking for. I've read that it's easy to get crappy, watered-down session IPA. This should help.

 

[Nesto]

Found some other clues about the hops they might use in this. Here's my first draft. Any thoughts, suggestions? (If volumes and amounts look weird... sorry, I work metric!)



BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Listing Starboard
Brewer: Ernie, Pete, Keith
Asst Brewer:
Style: American Pale Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 6.68 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.79 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.37 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.10 gal
Estimated OG: 1.041 SG
Estimated Color: 6.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 42.0 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 74.7 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
4 lbs 6.5 oz Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 1 51.3 %
2 lbs 3.3 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 25.6 %
10.6 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 15L (10.0 SRM) Grain 3 7.7 %
10.6 oz Caravienne Malt (22.0 SRM) Grain 4 7.7 %
5.3 oz Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 5 3.8 %
5.3 oz White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 6 3.8 %
0.71 oz Cluster [7.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 7 9.6 IBUs
0.71 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Boil 15. Hop 8 19.2 IBUs
0.71 oz Ahtanum [6.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 9 3.3 IBUs
0.71 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 10 3.0 IBUs
0.71 oz Perle [8.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 11 4.4 IBUs
0.71 oz Spalter [4.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 12 2.5 IBUs
0.53 oz Ahtanum [6.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 13 0.0 IBUs
0.53 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 14 0.0 IBUs
0.53 oz Perle [8.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 15 0.0 IBUs
0.53 oz Spalter [4.50 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 16 0.0 IBUs
1.0 pkg California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [35. Yeast 17 -
1.0 pkg English Ale (White Labs #WLP002) [35.49 Yeast 18 -
0.71 oz Ahtanum [6.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 19 0.0 IBUs
0.71 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 20 0.0 IBUs


Mash Schedule: 00_BM20, Light Body, No sparge, Saison
Total Grain Weight: 8 lbs 9.6 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Ferulic Acid Rest Add 29.75 qt of water and heat to 113.0 113.0 F 15 min
Protein Rest Add 0.00 qt of water and heat to 132.8 132.8 F 30 min
Saccrificatin - a Add -0.00 qt of water and heat to 152.6 152.6 F 60 min
Mash Out Add -0.00 qt of water and heat to 170.6 170.6 F 20 min

Sparge: If steeping, remove grains, and prepare to boil wort
Notes:
------
Even Keel Session IPA Clone

Toast the oats at 176C (350F) for 20 minutes.

Created with BeerSmith 2 - http://www.beersmith.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Check out wlp200...

 

[Nesto]

Check out wlp200...

Never even heard of it before, but that might be a more economical choice!

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Never even heard of it before, but that might be a more economical choice!

Yep, it is pretty new. It is my understanding that it pretty much came about because of MoreBeer.

 

[Nesto]

Yep, it is pretty new. It is my understanding that it pretty much came about because of MoreBeer.

Looks like they optimized the mix of Cal Ale to English Ale too.

 

[Burnieslowdrippp]

Hey Nesto (or anyone else),
How did this beer work out?

 

[Nesto]

Hey Nesto (or anyone else),
How did this beer work out?

Worked out great! I can't find my tasting notes on it - I seem to recall that I wouldn't have called it cloned, but it was a delicious Session IPA all the same. I did end up using WLP200. If I brew it again (probably this fall), I will bag the dry hops separately so I can pull out the Cascade before grassy flavors come in (~3 days) and probably leave the Ahtanum in for 5 days.