Harpoon IPA recipe, fermented for only 4 days?

[WaterViper15]

Hey All!

I'm working on another Harpoon IPA clone, this time using the recipe from Mitch Steele's IPA: Brewing Technique Recipes and Evolution of India Pale Ale.

In it is the purportedly real recipe for Harpoon IPA: http://books.google.com.hk/books?id...=onepage&q=harpoon IPA crash to -1.5C&f=false

They mention fermenting for ONLY four days at 70 F (21 C), then cold crashing to 29 F (-1.5C) for 1.5 weeks, then (I assume) warming back to 70 F for a final week while dry hopping.

This seems like the most ass backwards fermenting schedule I've ever read. It seems to me that cold crashing after only 4 days will render most of the yeast to the bottom of the fermenter, while I doubt I'll hit its TG of 1.012 after only 4 days, and then warming it back up again simply will get the yeast back in suspension eating up the remaining sugar.

Anyone mind interpreting the best schedule for fermenting a Harpoon IPA clone like this?

Cheers!

 

[dyqik]

With a big pitch of active yeast in a big commercial fermenter, fermentation can be done in 4 days easily. WY1968/WLP002 will generally be done even on a homebrew scale in 4-5 days anyway, particularly at 70F, or if you raise temps from around 64 towards 70F through the fermentation. My 1.044 OG bitter with WLP002 is fermented out in 3-4 days with that kind of schedule. Remember that they know their process well, and so don't need to do the homebrewers technique of waiting for the gravity to be stable for several days to know that they are done.

The link also doesn't mention warming back up for dry-hopping. It reads to me as if they are dry-hopping cold for the final half week of the 1.5 week lagering period.

I'd suggest pitching a home brew starter a little cooler than desired fermentation temperature, say 65-67F in this case, then letting it rise to 70F and holding until FG is reached, before cold crashing, and cold dry-hopping.

 

[WaterViper15]

Thanks dude! I'll try this today and let you know how it turns out!

Cheers!

 

[Cyclman]

I would be sure it is fully attenuated before cold crashing it. Homebrew yeast / fermentation conditions aren't a pro brewery, you don't want a sweet IPA!

 

[dyqik]

I would be sure it is fully attenuated before cold crashing it. Homebrew yeast / fermentation conditions aren't a pro brewery, you don't want a sweet IPA!

Yes, be sure you have reached your predicted/desired FG before cold crashing, or that it's as low as it will go. The checking FGs three days apart process wouldn't hurt your process at all.

Bottle bombs are the other possible downside to not getting to FG, or at least overcarbonation.