After many disappointing attempts, I finally brewed a good (at least I and a few others who have tried it think it is good) "session" IPA. All of my previous attempts seemed to turn out thin, dry, astringent, weak, etc..... At any rate, this last attempt seems destined to get drunk up pretty quickly as it is only 18 days from brew day and a couple gallons are already gone. This is my latest attempt:
64% Rahr 2 Row
10% Dark Munich
12% Vienna
5% Wheat
5% Flaked Oats
2.5% Carapils
2.5% Caramel 60
86% Efficiency, 6.5 gallon batch - so adjust to your system.
FWH = .25oz. Centennial and .5 oz. Cascade
Flameout/Hopstand for 45 min. with a slow chill = 1.5 ounce each of Citra, Mosaic and Cascade
Dryhop 3 days = .5 ounce each of Cascade, Centennial, Citra, Mosaic
1968/002 yeast @ 64-68 for about 12 days. Dry hop in primary last 3 days. Straight into keg, carb and drink.
Water = 100%RO with low additions (.6 gr/gallon gypsum and .4 gr/gallon CaCl). Calcium =70, Sulfate = 90, Chloride = 50. Mash pH = 5.4 Yellow Bitter Brun water profile as a guideline.
Mash @ 155
OG = 1.049
FG = 1.015
ABV = 4.45%
The munich/vienna combo was mainly because of the amt. I had on hand of those two grains.... nothing special about the exact proportion. But, I would definitely keep a 20-25% portion for munich, or maybe a munich/vienna or munich/golden promise type mix. In general, very happy with the grain bill - beer is not thin and has nice body for a 4.5% beer. The only real change for the grain in the future is I would like to scale it back to about 4% if possible and maintain the body/maltiness.
Hops - I am happy with them. Although, I may experiment with the same amts/types of additions - but some other varieties. Maybe use some columbus to bitter the next one instead of cascade/centennial. Perhaps some simcoe? Centennial seems to have a bit of a "drying" effect that I would like to eliminate. The hops really shine through with this one though and I cannot complain at all.
Yeast - 002/1968 for sure from here on in with my "smallish" IPA/APA type beers. It really left the perfect amt. of body and it drops clear easily too.
Water - Scaling back on gypsum was significant I think. In the past, I tried to maintain 150-200-250 levels of sulfate to accentuate hops and the beers just came off as dry/chalky/thin....... I think the 100% RO water and balanced mineral profile really helped this one.
At any rate, thought I would share and see if any others have had successes with "small" IPA type beers. I have been trying to brew a decent, low alcohol "IPA" for a couple years and was starting to lose hope. Even the vast majority of the commercial ones I have tried have been very disappointing - so was beginning to think it was a "white whale."
Be interested in any success others have had with this style and what they thought some of the keys were.
Updated with "best to date attempt":
4.6% abv. This came out as a great session IPA. Definitely hoppier/more bitter(assertive) than last few. No harshness at all. Wish I could take all the credit for it - but hop schedule is not mine (Kelsey McNair recipe - see link below.) This is easily my best attempt so far.
68% Rahr 2 Row
17% Munich
4.5% Wheat
4.5% Flaked Oats
2% Carapils
2% Caramel 20
1% Honey Malt
Hops:
.75 oz. Warrior (60)
.25 oz. Columbus (30)
.33 oz. Amarillo (10)
.33 oz. Simcoe (10)
1oz. each at flame out, with 30 minute hopstand @180ish: Citra, Simcoe, Columbus, Amarillo, Chinook
1oz. each of the same (as flameout) for dry hop. In a CO2 purged secondary for 5 days.
Used 1056.
Water targets were:
Ca = 64
MG = 8
Na = 8
Sulfate = 150
Chloride = 30
Bicarb = 16
Mash pH 5.36
100% RO water
*Basically, I used my grain bill with the hop schedule found in the following thread - Kelsey McNair Session IPA with Stone/Ballast Point.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/stone-ballast-point-kelsey-mcnair-collaboration-201080/
I rebrewed this same beer but took out the chinook and replaced with Centennial/Cascade (Chinook is not a huge favorite of mine). I also used Conan yeast in recent batch. Not sure how it is yet - still in primary.
64% Rahr 2 Row
10% Dark Munich
12% Vienna
5% Wheat
5% Flaked Oats
2.5% Carapils
2.5% Caramel 60
86% Efficiency, 6.5 gallon batch - so adjust to your system.
FWH = .25oz. Centennial and .5 oz. Cascade
Flameout/Hopstand for 45 min. with a slow chill = 1.5 ounce each of Citra, Mosaic and Cascade
Dryhop 3 days = .5 ounce each of Cascade, Centennial, Citra, Mosaic
1968/002 yeast @ 64-68 for about 12 days. Dry hop in primary last 3 days. Straight into keg, carb and drink.
Water = 100%RO with low additions (.6 gr/gallon gypsum and .4 gr/gallon CaCl). Calcium =70, Sulfate = 90, Chloride = 50. Mash pH = 5.4 Yellow Bitter Brun water profile as a guideline.
Mash @ 155
OG = 1.049
FG = 1.015
ABV = 4.45%
The munich/vienna combo was mainly because of the amt. I had on hand of those two grains.... nothing special about the exact proportion. But, I would definitely keep a 20-25% portion for munich, or maybe a munich/vienna or munich/golden promise type mix. In general, very happy with the grain bill - beer is not thin and has nice body for a 4.5% beer. The only real change for the grain in the future is I would like to scale it back to about 4% if possible and maintain the body/maltiness.
Hops - I am happy with them. Although, I may experiment with the same amts/types of additions - but some other varieties. Maybe use some columbus to bitter the next one instead of cascade/centennial. Perhaps some simcoe? Centennial seems to have a bit of a "drying" effect that I would like to eliminate. The hops really shine through with this one though and I cannot complain at all.
Yeast - 002/1968 for sure from here on in with my "smallish" IPA/APA type beers. It really left the perfect amt. of body and it drops clear easily too.
Water - Scaling back on gypsum was significant I think. In the past, I tried to maintain 150-200-250 levels of sulfate to accentuate hops and the beers just came off as dry/chalky/thin....... I think the 100% RO water and balanced mineral profile really helped this one.
At any rate, thought I would share and see if any others have had successes with "small" IPA type beers. I have been trying to brew a decent, low alcohol "IPA" for a couple years and was starting to lose hope. Even the vast majority of the commercial ones I have tried have been very disappointing - so was beginning to think it was a "white whale."
Be interested in any success others have had with this style and what they thought some of the keys were.
Updated with "best to date attempt":
4.6% abv. This came out as a great session IPA. Definitely hoppier/more bitter(assertive) than last few. No harshness at all. Wish I could take all the credit for it - but hop schedule is not mine (Kelsey McNair recipe - see link below.) This is easily my best attempt so far.
68% Rahr 2 Row
17% Munich
4.5% Wheat
4.5% Flaked Oats
2% Carapils
2% Caramel 20
1% Honey Malt
Hops:
.75 oz. Warrior (60)
.25 oz. Columbus (30)
.33 oz. Amarillo (10)
.33 oz. Simcoe (10)
1oz. each at flame out, with 30 minute hopstand @180ish: Citra, Simcoe, Columbus, Amarillo, Chinook
1oz. each of the same (as flameout) for dry hop. In a CO2 purged secondary for 5 days.
Used 1056.
Water targets were:
Ca = 64
MG = 8
Na = 8
Sulfate = 150
Chloride = 30
Bicarb = 16
Mash pH 5.36
100% RO water
*Basically, I used my grain bill with the hop schedule found in the following thread - Kelsey McNair Session IPA with Stone/Ballast Point.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/stone-ballast-point-kelsey-mcnair-collaboration-201080/
I rebrewed this same beer but took out the chinook and replaced with Centennial/Cascade (Chinook is not a huge favorite of mine). I also used Conan yeast in recent batch. Not sure how it is yet - still in primary.