American IPA Re-balanced IPA

I finally managed to get my hands on the yeast strain purported to originate from the Alchemist's Heady Topper. It's called Conan for some reason and you can get it from several of the smaller yeast companies: Gigayeast Vermont IPA / Yeast Bay Vermont Ale / Omega Yeast DIPA. I took my first taste of a week old bottle to check on it and I immediately thought to myself: ...This is the culmination of every accomplishment I've made in my life thus far.
I hope it turns out well if anyone else tries it.

===============================================
9.0lb / 69% Maris Otter
1.5lb / 12% Wheat
1.0lb / 8% Vienna
0.5lb / 4% Golden Naked Oats
0.375lb / 3% Carapils/Dextrine
0.625lb / 5% Cane sugar @20min

FHW: 1 oz Columbus
@0min: 1.5 oz Amarillo, 1.5 oz Simcoe, 1.5 oz Mosaic
@~20min after flameout: 1.5 oz Amarillo, 1.5 oz Simcoe, 1.5 oz Mosaic
Dry hop: 0.5 oz Amarillo, 0.5 oz Simcoe, 0.5 oz Mosaic

1/2 tsp gypsum added (I have no idea what my water content is)

Mash at 149 for 75min
Optional: 10min mashout at 168F

60min boil
~20min hopstand at flameout before chilling
===============================================

This was the first brew I did with the strain. I must say, it's an outstanding yeast for an IPA. I don't know if I'd ever go back to WY1056/WLP001/US-05. Conan has got everything you'd want for an IPA yeast and more. It's highly attenuating (I've got +80% in later generations) with a clean finish but instead of having simply getting out of the way for the hops, it has this amazing peach/apricot flavor which is perfect to compliment American/New World varieties. It also seems to leave the beer with a softer silky body which is a nice change from most IPAs. I've already tried it several different sub-styles of IPA.

The idea for this brew was to cram in as much hop character as I could without the jaw-clenching bitterness that lingers on the palate. I've been trying to get every person and their mother to try this and both fans and haters of IPAs have absolutely loved it. One guy at a recent Oktoberfest event even poured his Schlafly on the ground after taking a sip of this.

The concept for this recipe was largely influenced by an article I found the Bear-Flavored blog while searching for recommended fermentation regimens for the yeast. Sorry I don't have an IBU value. I couldn't figure out how to estimate what a 20-min hopstand would impart.

Holly ****...this recipe is almost identical to what I was going to brew with this yeast...been impatient waiting to get my yeast and brew a beer similar to what you have...white wheat, Marris otter, simcoe, mosaic...your a genius!! I am going to whack mine hard with galaxy, citra, and simcoe; maybe mosaic. This will be one of my house strains for sure. I can't believe nobody has not responded to this post. Keep following those old IPA recipes I guess, but this is the one, I promise!


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

Nice! I'm actually doing another batch this weekend since I've got less than 10 left. I'm switching up the hops with some new varieties I got. I think it will steer it a bit more into the Piney-region. Simcoe, Rakau, Kohatu, and maybe a bit of Chinook. I'm also going to try and get a better crush on the Naked Oats. They are too damn slender for my regular mill setting...

I like the piney resinous IPA, so they will be interesting! I usually go with dry English ale when I am going that direction so let me know how it goes. Are you going to use white wheat...and tell me how these oats make a difference? Excited to work together with different ideas on this.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

I guess its white wheat. Just have a big sack of weyermann

Golden naked oats are different from regular rolled oats in a few ways. They still give the nice silky texture and head retention. But they are a crystal type of malt so you cant use them to sub for a portion of the base malts. The best thing about them is this sweet berry kind of flavors they can add. They taste so good, I have to resist munching on handfuls. They aren't pre gelatinized so also need to be milled and mashed.

These things are my new favorite malt. I think only one maltser (Simpsons) makes them so not all sites carry them

I'm on board with your ideas, we think the same I feel. Like that you use sugar as an adjunct, it's a must for IIPAs. What temp are you mashing? I am going for 153. If you would like to try another dank IPA...use 2 row or Maris otter, wl007, warrior for bittering at 45, simcoe and citra at 5min, then dry hop it after 5 days for 1week with the same as 5 min addition..use a **** load of hops at 5 and dry hop. And of course Belgian candied sugar as an adjunct. It's another beautiful IPA.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

I usually try to mash a bit lower, like 150ish, for my IPAs. But then again, this is a reading from a 2" temperature probe coming from the side weld of a mash kettle so it may very well be a few degrees warmer in the mash's center. I give it a good stir every 10 min or so to distribute the temperature.

I actually tried to do a "dank bomb" IPA with Simcoe, Nelson Sauvin, and Citra with Columbus for bittering I think. I bottled it last night so we'll see how it turns out. I may end up asking you about that recipe to tweak it.

I like this recipe. I see it's been about a year since the last post.. do you still have no idea what your water is like? Do you filter your water or use campden tablets? Any kind of treatment besides the gypsum?

I havent done a water analysis but I'm thinking about looking into it. Ive just been adding a bit of gypsum in the mash and boil for my IPAs and it seems to help, could be placebo effect though. I just have a brita filter on my faucet and use that for all my beer water. Drinking water I take right from the tap and it tastes the same to me so I doubt theres anything too weird with my water profile...