Interesting observation this evening and I thought I'd share it...
I've been working on dialing in my Hazy IPA recipe for the better part of two years, brewing and tweaking every couple of months or so. The last version (recipe posted at the end of this post) was as close to perfect for my taste as possible. I brewed it on October 1 and it reached its final gravity on October 7 (I use Tilt Hydrometers - cannot recommend them enough!). It was kegged on October 12 and force carbonated by setting the regulator to the appropriate PSI for the given temperature and vigorously rocking back and forth for roughly 20 minutes. Worth noting, this batch was my first using the Clear Beer Draught Systems I'd recently ordered. Like I always do, I poured a small sample into a 6 oz. tasting glass, just to try it out, and it was so good, right out of the gates, I bet I drank 8-10 of those glasses that night alone. It seemed to peak about a week in and held for about another week or so and has slowly fallen off ever since. To the point that that each time I have poured some over the past week or so I have lamented the fact that I didn't drink it up sooner. Not bad, mind you, just a shadow of its former self. To be clear, what was falling off was the flavor. The aroma was still a complete passionfruit bomb but the flavor went from being full and round to very thin and one dimensional. One thing I noticed was that as the flavor fell off, the clarity improved. Tonight, when I poured a 1/2 pint for dinner it was crystal clear. I wish I'd taken a "BEFORE" photo. Anyhow, I pondered this for a while and wondered if the fact that any yeast or hop particulates that were once in suspension were now sitting at the bottom of the keg, and if the fact that the Clear Beer Draught System was pulling from the top of the liquid was what was causing the decline flavor. I decided to give the half-empty keg a bit of a shaking (something I have NEVER done) and then poured another glass. The pour was hazy, identical to the the first week or so, and more importantly, the flavor was back to what it was when it was at its peak. As I finish this post, I'm on my sixth pint. I can't quit going back for more. Not sure what the science is... but clearly the haze is a critical component of the flavor for this style.
Here it is, post shaking
The Sabbaticant
Size: 6.5 gal
Original Gravity: 1.068
Terminal Gravity: 1.014
Color: 6.11 SRM (Morey)
Alcohol: 7.09%
Bitterness: 83.2 (Tinseth)
Ingredients:
7.0 lb (35.9%) 2-Row Malt - added during mash
7.0 lb (35.9%) Pilsner Malt (American) - added during mash
5.0 lb (25.6%) Flaked Barley - added during mash
0.5 lb (2.6%) Crystal 40L - added during mash
5.0 ea Ferm-Cap S - added during boil, boiled 70.0 m
7.0 g (2.7%) Chinook (Pellet) (13.1%) - added during boil, boiled 60.0 m
1.0 ea Whirlfloc Tablets - added during boil, boiled 15.0 m
0.5 tsp Wyeast Nutrient - added during boil, boiled 15.0 m
28.0 g (10.8%) Citra (Pellet) (14.0%) - added after boil, steeped 20.0 m
28.0 g (10.8%) Galaxy (Pellet) (15.2%) - added after boil, steeped 20.0 m
28.0 g (10.8%) Vic Secret (Pellet) (18.4%) - added after boil, steeped 20.0 m
1.0 ea Wyeast WY1028 London Ale (Worthington White Shield)
28.0 g (10.8%) Citra (Pellet) (14.0%) - added dry to primary fermenter
28.0 g (10.8%) Galaxy (Pellet) (15.2%) - added dry to primary fermenter
28.0 g (10.8%) Vic Secret (Pellet) (18.4%) - added dry to primary fermenter
28.0 g (10.8%) Citra (Pellet) (14.0%) - added dry to primary fermenter
28.0 g (10.8%) Galaxy (Pellet) (15.2%) - added dry to primary fermenter
28.0 g (10.8%) Vic Secret (Pellet) (18.4%) - added dry to primary fermenter
Mash Rest: 60.0 m @ 154.0 °F
Notes
Day 01: Pitch @ 63F
Day 03: Raise to 64F
Day 05: Raise to 66F and add 1st dry hop addition
Day 07: Raise to 68F and add 2nd dry hop addition
Day 10: Crash
Day 12: Keg & Carbonate
Results generated by BeerTools Pro 2.0.22
I've been working on dialing in my Hazy IPA recipe for the better part of two years, brewing and tweaking every couple of months or so. The last version (recipe posted at the end of this post) was as close to perfect for my taste as possible. I brewed it on October 1 and it reached its final gravity on October 7 (I use Tilt Hydrometers - cannot recommend them enough!). It was kegged on October 12 and force carbonated by setting the regulator to the appropriate PSI for the given temperature and vigorously rocking back and forth for roughly 20 minutes. Worth noting, this batch was my first using the Clear Beer Draught Systems I'd recently ordered. Like I always do, I poured a small sample into a 6 oz. tasting glass, just to try it out, and it was so good, right out of the gates, I bet I drank 8-10 of those glasses that night alone. It seemed to peak about a week in and held for about another week or so and has slowly fallen off ever since. To the point that that each time I have poured some over the past week or so I have lamented the fact that I didn't drink it up sooner. Not bad, mind you, just a shadow of its former self. To be clear, what was falling off was the flavor. The aroma was still a complete passionfruit bomb but the flavor went from being full and round to very thin and one dimensional. One thing I noticed was that as the flavor fell off, the clarity improved. Tonight, when I poured a 1/2 pint for dinner it was crystal clear. I wish I'd taken a "BEFORE" photo. Anyhow, I pondered this for a while and wondered if the fact that any yeast or hop particulates that were once in suspension were now sitting at the bottom of the keg, and if the fact that the Clear Beer Draught System was pulling from the top of the liquid was what was causing the decline flavor. I decided to give the half-empty keg a bit of a shaking (something I have NEVER done) and then poured another glass. The pour was hazy, identical to the the first week or so, and more importantly, the flavor was back to what it was when it was at its peak. As I finish this post, I'm on my sixth pint. I can't quit going back for more. Not sure what the science is... but clearly the haze is a critical component of the flavor for this style.
Here it is, post shaking
The Sabbaticant
Size: 6.5 gal
Original Gravity: 1.068
Terminal Gravity: 1.014
Color: 6.11 SRM (Morey)
Alcohol: 7.09%
Bitterness: 83.2 (Tinseth)
Ingredients:
7.0 lb (35.9%) 2-Row Malt - added during mash
7.0 lb (35.9%) Pilsner Malt (American) - added during mash
5.0 lb (25.6%) Flaked Barley - added during mash
0.5 lb (2.6%) Crystal 40L - added during mash
5.0 ea Ferm-Cap S - added during boil, boiled 70.0 m
7.0 g (2.7%) Chinook (Pellet) (13.1%) - added during boil, boiled 60.0 m
1.0 ea Whirlfloc Tablets - added during boil, boiled 15.0 m
0.5 tsp Wyeast Nutrient - added during boil, boiled 15.0 m
28.0 g (10.8%) Citra (Pellet) (14.0%) - added after boil, steeped 20.0 m
28.0 g (10.8%) Galaxy (Pellet) (15.2%) - added after boil, steeped 20.0 m
28.0 g (10.8%) Vic Secret (Pellet) (18.4%) - added after boil, steeped 20.0 m
1.0 ea Wyeast WY1028 London Ale (Worthington White Shield)
28.0 g (10.8%) Citra (Pellet) (14.0%) - added dry to primary fermenter
28.0 g (10.8%) Galaxy (Pellet) (15.2%) - added dry to primary fermenter
28.0 g (10.8%) Vic Secret (Pellet) (18.4%) - added dry to primary fermenter
28.0 g (10.8%) Citra (Pellet) (14.0%) - added dry to primary fermenter
28.0 g (10.8%) Galaxy (Pellet) (15.2%) - added dry to primary fermenter
28.0 g (10.8%) Vic Secret (Pellet) (18.4%) - added dry to primary fermenter
Mash Rest: 60.0 m @ 154.0 °F
Notes
Day 01: Pitch @ 63F
Day 03: Raise to 64F
Day 05: Raise to 66F and add 1st dry hop addition
Day 07: Raise to 68F and add 2nd dry hop addition
Day 10: Crash
Day 12: Keg & Carbonate
Results generated by BeerTools Pro 2.0.22