IPA Recipe Repeat with Changes - Opinions Please

Yakima 728
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Added my 1st dry hop addition today, and took a quick sample. Refractometer corrected puts me at a .017 growing slightly concerned with the attenuation of my conan. I'm hoping for a .012. Hopefully it gets there. I didn't sniff taste or anything. Just popped open ferm and quickly hopped sampled and closed. Minimizing oxygen as much as possible.
 
Good bet is that only the most educated palate will be able to tell the difference at that point. Also has not been in there that long. Jack the temp to between 60 and 70 for two or three days and see what happens.
 
Added my second dry hop today, took another sample for the refractometer. Came up at 8 brix - Same story corrected to .017 - So I missed my target OG by .010, and I am missing my FG by .005. Its still holding at 66-68deg. Beersmith putting my measured eff at 60%. Not unerstanding this one, my last 2 batches were 72% measured eff. My real reason to pay attention to numbers on this batch is my yeast. My conan is coming in at 65.6% attenuation. Not that this matters a whole bunch to anyone else, since I am the only one using this yeast.. But just keeping with the thread and sharing all I can from my experience with this one..
 
Realizing that one guy said he didn't like keg hopping I think its a game changer. Put equal amounts citra/mosaic directly in the keg and let it sit warm for three days. Use hops straight from nitrogen flushed bags, not vacuum sealed stuff. Might try 72 degrees and rousing the yeast to see if you squeeze out a couple more points. I recently had a Conan ferm get too hot as well and it doesn't taste very good, almost bland for lack of a better description.
 
Hudini56 said:
Added my second dry hop today, took another sample for the refractometer. Came up at 8 brix - Same story corrected to .017 - So I missed my target OG by .010, and I am missing my FG by .005. Its still holding at 66-68deg. Beersmith putting my measured eff at 60%. Not unerstanding this one, my last 2 batches were 72% measured eff. My real reason to pay attention to numbers on this batch is my yeast. My conan is coming in at 65.6% attenuation. Not that this matters a whole bunch to anyone else, since I am the only one using this yeast.. But just keeping with the thread and sharing all I can from my experience with this one..
Click to expand...

did you correct for alcohol?
A hydrometer is much more accurate after fermentation starts.
 
JoeMamasIPA said:
Realizing that one guy said he didn't like keg hopping I think its a game changer. Put equal amounts citra/mosaic directly in the keg and let it sit warm for three days. Use hops straight from nitrogen flushed bags, not vacuum sealed stuff. Might try 72 degrees and rousing the yeast to see if you squeeze out a couple more points. I recently had a Conan ferm get too hot as well and it doesn't taste very good, almost bland for lack of a better description.
Click to expand...

Ive keg hopped my last 4 batches. No issues yet. But I havnt come up with a good way to remove them if wanted. I tried to tie off a piece of fishing line but couldnt get my keg to seal. So just like the other batches, the hop sacks are sitting in the bottom of the keg.

I have seen the mention of leaving kegs warm for a few days with hops. Do you pressurize the keg after filling/hopping then remove the c02 line? My c02 tank and keg fridge is in my garage, and its only about 40deg at best out there this time of year, somedays colder..
 
Hudini56 said:
Ive keg hopped my last 4 batches. No issues yet. But I havnt come up with a good way to remove them if wanted. I tried to tie off a piece of fishing line but couldnt get my keg to seal. So just like the other batches, the hop sacks are sitting in the bottom of the keg.
Click to expand...

unflavored dental floss works better.

Hudini56 said:
I have seen the mention of leaving kegs warm for a few days with hops. Do you pressurize the keg after filling/hopping then remove the c02 line? My c02 tank and keg fridge is in my garage, and its only about 40deg at best out there this time of year, somedays colder..
Click to expand...

you can do it either way.
its its warm enough you can disconnect but at 40 F your probably better off leaving it pressurised.
 
Hudini56 said:
Ive keg hopped my last 4 batches. No issues yet. But I havnt come up with a good way to remove them if wanted. I tried to tie off a piece of fishing line but couldnt get my keg to seal. So just like the other batches, the hop sacks are sitting in the bottom of the keg.

I have seen the mention of leaving kegs warm for a few days with hops. Do you pressurize the keg after filling/hopping then remove the c02 line? My c02 tank and keg fridge is in my garage, and its only about 40deg at best out there this time of year, somedays colder..
Click to expand...

I would pressurize it and bring it inside then hit it with gas once a day until day 3 where it can get chilled for serving. 24psi is typically good for indoor temps.
 
Also, I just use loose pellets in the keg as I have one of those clear beer draught systems with the float and a screen on the pickup tube. I have no intention/method of retrieval. Its a great way to keg as I can take the keg to a party and there is still no sediment being poured because of the floating pick up. I have not gotten any harsh flavors from leaving the hops in too long but I think making sure pH is on the lower side helps with this.
 
I've never tried adjusting PH after the beer has fermented, maybe that's my problem with extracting that harsh mouth drying bitterness. What PH do you look for? I had really high hopes for keg hopping since in theory that would give you the freshest possible hop flavor and aroma. I might need to give this technique another try!
 
crusader1612 said:
did you correct for alcohol?
A hydrometer is much more accurate after fermentation starts.
Click to expand...

Yes I did. I didnt want to spend too much time with ferm open and grabbing a large sample for the hydrometer, so I went the quick way. I plan on transferring to keg tomorrow evening. So I will take a reading then. It will be what it will be either way. I did warm it up a bit in hopes of grabbing another point or 2. We will see.:mug:
 
I kegged tonight. Hydrometer reading came in at .011 - .012 PERFECT! I guess I cant trust the refractometer post ferm. Aroma was very grapefruit forward. Taste bitter/sweet and dry, the dryness lingered in the palette for a while. Color very NEIPA, cloudy yet clean. Some floaties. Kegged about 4.5 gallons. A bit of loss due to the amount of hopping etc.

Purged keg by filling with idofer (yesterday) and drawing out idofer via c02. Opened keg to a very cloudy mist of c02.

My primary has a opening big enough for my racking cane, so very little O2 introduced (as little as possible given my system)

Pressurized keg with 20psi to seal, then backed off to 12psi. Its about 40deg in my garage, so I wrapped the keg in blankets.

Measured Abv per beersmith 5.1% with attunuation 75.6%

To note I had a hell of a yeast cake on the bottom of ferm. First time with this conan strain I am using that I have had a true cake. I almost wish I set up to wash but with the amount of hop material it still would have been a royal PITA!

I did warm it up for 2 days into the 69deg range. Maybe it helped close in a few points. Dont know.

pics to follow.
 
will have to live vicariously through your taste buds..... Looks awesome so far
 
Nice old boy! Here's the million dollar question...how's it smell?
 
Aroma was very citrus/grapefruit upfront. Taste was juicy, yet dry with that uncarbonated sweetness. I like the color, but my conan yeast has proved the 2 times Ive used it that it darkens up after a few days conditioning. Will take a sample probably in 4 days or so. See what its looking like.

In the transfer to keg I did pick up a bit more sediment that I would have liked. So Im sure the first few pours will be chunky..
 
For me I named it Hailstorm ipa. Only because the day I brewed it we had a decent little hailstorm while I was boiling.. only seemed fitting..
 
A little back story of the original recipe I posted when this thread started regarding a name is this..

I am a mechanic, I did a job for a neighbor/friend on his truck. Waterpump on a hemi ram. Finished it up, knowing this guy has a few kids, works hard like me, all that, I gave a deal. I made a little, he saved a lot, we were all happy. I wasnt out to get rich. Either way, He picks up his truck, I wasnt home. Leaves me a envelope with some $$, he leaves a extra $80 with a note - Brew a beer, and name it Alan.. I laughed, and decided I would..

So the first round of this batch is Alan - it was with S04 yeast.. At the same time, I was working with a younger kid named Alex - Alex has a nickname - Tug Boat. Not sure why, but Tugs, Tugger, Tugboat it all stuck.. Good dude..

So I brewed it as a 10 gallon and split the yeast, S04 and wy1318..

I will be going back to a modified recipe to revisit the original, after I get this one on tap and see where it stands..

I only got into naming my beers after a good friend I kept giving growlers said "dude if you dont name these beers I will never remember which one I am drinking"

So names followed...
 
Day 5 in keg. Poured a glass.. first one crazy amount of hop material.. I transferred more than I wanted.. but anyway. Got a good pour after that.. a little dirty, but reasonable. Bitterness is minimal. But good. Juicy, thin body. Grapefruit all the way. Even lingers on the tongue, slightly dry tongue feel still. Probably needs a few more days..
 
This is a great beer. I have had a few glasses of it so far. It seems to have mellowed out, and cleaned up. Still nice and hazy. At this time, the only change I would be looking for is body. It is super thin. Perhaps increasing the mash temp slightly, maybe 152deg. Also a change to the grains a bit, I higher abv would be a potential improvement.

Would the GNO help any with body? Maybe a little Carapils?

Thoughts??
 
Hudini56 said:
This is a great beer. I have had a few glasses of it so far. It seems to have mellowed out, and cleaned up. Still nice and hazy. At this time, the only change I would be looking for is body. It is super thin. Perhaps increasing the mash temp slightly, maybe 152deg. Also a change to the grains a bit, I higher abv would be a potential improvement.

Would the GNO help any with body? Maybe a little Carapils?

Thoughts??
Click to expand...

Will stick by GNO. Used it and love it. It adds a wonderful character to the beer in terms of both body and character.
 
5 Days later, much better beer. Mellowed out, even got a bit more body.. And its juicy! Solid beer. Still need that slight change. But I am thinking now it might be in the form of yeast. Maybe 1318 or s05, s04. Need to rebrew when the weather gets a little better. Next time 10 gallon, split with 2 diff yeast. May stick to the same grain bill - Possibly add the GNO for the vienna. Add a bit of keg hop. Either way, collectively we came up with an awesome beer here..
 
Will the GNO smooth out the body/bitterness? I am finding that now, a few weeks into the brew, it has slowly taken on a rather bitter almost bite to the pallet that seems to be a little overpowering. While the aroma and juiciness remains. I dont think it's the FWH - But it makes me want to knock that down a bit - and possibly start adding in the simcoe on like a 20-15-10-5-FO (maybe .5oz each hoping to gather the piney side of simcoe) Aroma wise, its still solid, possibly changing the water chem in the future. I dont want to make too many changes at once on this. I think it's so so close. Just needs a tweak..

Further thoughts anyone? For what I have been shooting for on the NEIPA style, and what Ive had, its so close! Will be brewing again possibly as soon as next thursday or the following monday. Still considering the 10 gal split for yeast experimentation.
 
Brewing this again Saturday. Adding Chinook 20 15 10 5 schedule. Will add flour this time as well. Some to the mash, and a couple tbl spoons to the late boil. Otherwise all else remains the same.. will post back with results.

But this keg kicked the fastest of any hb I've made. Friends stopping by to have a pint more and more and requests for growlers all the time. Think we are on to something
 
Awesome to have a brew like that!

Adding the extra chinook just got me a little excited.
 
For me, I have been using WY1968 in lower ABV IPA type stuff. It compliments juicy. Attenuation has been fantastic. Finishing out from 1.065 - 1.058 range to typically about 1.012. That one does a great job with fruity and juicy. As a thought, keep the current grain bil and change the yeast. That single change makes a difference in flavor the same way your different strains changed color in a previous post.
 
I already made the starter with Conan, so I will use that. But my store got gno back in Stock, so I grabbed a couple pounds. Probably sub that for the flaked oats. Chinook as stated before. Will see how that goes. Can always go back to the original next time with yeast changes..
 
Hudini56 said:
I already made the starter with Conan, so I will use that. But my store got gno back in Stock, so I grabbed a couple pounds. Probably sub that for the flaked oats. Chinook as stated before. Will see how that goes. Can always go back to the original next time with yeast changes..
Click to expand...

I only get to brew once a month and March already set for an Old ale, but my April brew will be the best of what you come up with on this. I will be following for sure what you do as this is way too yummy looking and I just HAVE to know how it turns out on my equipment!!!
 
Nice, well I am all in for tomorrow morning, Starters started, hops an grains purchased. Equipment cleaned and sanitized. Bru n water calculations done, beersmith adjustments made. Notes on hand.. 8am start. Here is the updated recipe

5 Gal

9lb 2 row
2lb white wheat
.75lb GNO
.5lb Vienna

Mash at 150 for 60min

.25oz Apollo FWH

.25oz Chinook 20min
15min
10min
5min
1oz Mosaic FO 20 min steep
whirlpool 2 steps
1.25oz Citra and .75 Mosaic (temp should be 180deg) hold for 20min
repeat at 160deg for 20min

Ferm at 66deg
1st dry hop during late fermentation

3oz Simcoe and 4oz Citra for 4 days
repeat same 3 days

Into keg

suggested OG 1.065 FG 1.014 (I think my conan buddies with finish lower)

And for fun this batch I am brewing 10gallons. But a good buddy of mine is taking 5 and going to bottle it. I will keg my 5gal. Will be interesting to see 2 things, can my conan friends hang on long enough to carbonate a beer in bottles? And is there a difference when carb with sugar compared to force carbed.

Will post back with details.. Thank you Redlantern for all the input and sticking around on this thread. Next time I will do yeast changes.. That is my favorite part about being able to do 10 gal batches.. Yeast experiments!
 
Everything went according to plan. Og is a .069 (guess my efficiency was a little better than expected)

Hoping I still finish at a 12 or 11. The smell on this batch was unreal. Reminded me immediately of my trips to tree house. Going into the ferm bucket the aroma was strong. Much more than last batch. Pitched at 68. Will see what I get in a few days. It was 26 deg today, so brew day was tough. Frozen, had the heat cranking in the garage all day. Mash at 150 on the dot for 60min.

Very hopeful for this batch!
 
It's just about gone, but this was it. This brew was all around perfect for me. I am not sure I would change a thing.. red lantern did you brew this?
 
Have been chasing family events and soccer tournaments for a bit and have not had time to brew anything new. Had time to do something with ingredients on hand and not a new recipe at that - but this one is slated for my (been pushed out three times) May brew.

I cannot wait!!!
 
The good news I can share beside it being awesome fresh is it holds up for a while. Only getting better really
 
Another bump to this brew

I made this batch again, only change was I upped the chinook in the boil. Mashed at 149 - Again, all went well, numbers were really good, .068og to .011fg into keg. At 10days is good, and at 14 days will be even better I bet. Still used my conan yeast, but they are getting alittle weak. Good news is I just got a few cans of heady, so I can make up a new starter.

Anyone else try this? I am telling you its damn good!
 

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