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IPA Pickles?!?

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Well once the homebrews were ready I've stopped drinking from my kegerator. Then all my friends got out of the army or got transferred. SO, a keg of beer plus 4 cornys of homebrew plus my liquor cabinet and my constant experimentation with different craft brews, makes it hard to drink it all.
 
Ok so I haven't pickled anything in approx 6 years, so I don't remember pickling being as easy as this was. But I don't know why it would have been any harder. The whole thing probably took about 20 minutes.

In the first pic you see the ingredients laid out as well as my Genesee cream ale clone alongside the real Genesee cream ale. So I was able to conduct my head to head test as I prepared the pickles. (I was also baking a loaf of bread using the leftover mash my today's Raging Irish Red brew, but that's neither her, nor there.)

Bottom line, it was easy and I can't wait to sample the finished product. The only thing I would do differently is buy full sized cucumbers and cut them down to size, rather than paying a lot more for the mini cucumbers.

After I started I realized that my garlic had begun to sprout. Is that malted garlic? (I pulled the sprouts out.)

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Here's the label I designed for the lid.


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I bought Avery 22808 brown "Kraft paper" round print to edge labels, downloaded the word template, then created the design in photoshop elements. I'm quite proud of the hop/cucumber vine. I just changed the beer name for the other two batches.
 
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I just ate an entire jar.....

They are amazingly delicious.....But not two hearted enough for me....either I will double up the beer next time, or I will reduce it to concentrate the flavors....and definitely want some real hops in there.

Can't wait to try the Torpedo and the Founders.
 
Just made these...I added a tablespoon of sugar to balance out the acidity/heat. I can't imagine these NOT being good:

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I haven't updated this, I've tried them all, and so far my favorite has to be the batch with the Torpedo DIPA. Still not noticeably hoppy but really complex. I still want to either concentrate the beer for the next batch, use twice as much or use something really over the top hoppy, and I definitely want to add hop cones or hop vines into the pickling liquid when it's still hot to get more hoppy goodness. And dryhop in the jar.
 
I haven't updated this, I've tried them all, and so far my favorite has to be the batch with the Torpedo DIPA. Still not noticeably hoppy but really complex. I still want to either concentrate the beer for the next batch, use twice as much or use something really over the top hoppy, and I definitely want to add hop cones or hop vines into the pickling liquid when it's still hot to get more hoppy goodness. And dryhop in the jar.

Revvy, I literally put my jar in the fridge just now. I used a Sculpin IPA. Do you think I should add some hop pellets to the jar as well? :) Won't it get "gunky" on the pickles?
 
I wouldn't use pellets. I'd go with cones.

Good point...I have some cones that my sister-in-law gave me that have been in the freezer for about 2-3 months. I have no idea what they are, but I think they're more of a noble hop than a big in-your-face hop. Think I should just load a bunch of them into the jar anyway? Can't hurt, right?
 
Good point...I have some cones that my sister-in-law gave me that have been in the freezer for about 2-3 months. I have no idea what they are, but I think they're more of a noble hop than a big in-your-face hop. Think I should just load a bunch of them into the jar anyway? Can't hurt, right?

I'd give it a try. That's the fun of experimenting.
 
Got the stuff to try this tonight. I'm going to use a ruination clone I have. I'll let y'all know in a week or so!
 
I'm drinking Alchemy Hour Double IPA by Great Lakes. It would make an awesome pickle. In fact it's a little sweet, so I bet with some sugar, it would be a good beer for an IPA sweet pickle.
 
Made four jars. The brine I made only filled two though, oh well, just made another batch up real quick. Processing them now. Look an smell pretty good.
 
Made 3 jars tonight with Full Pint Brewery Chinookie IPA (Pittsburgh, PA). Also made a jar with hard boiled eggs instead of pickles(ran out of cukes, but already measured out my spices and garlic into the jar...didn't want to waste it). Boiled up a sliced onion in the beer/vinegar/salt mixture. I hope they turn out good.
 
I boiled my cans in my pressure cooker with no weight for 10 min. Will instill need to refrigerate them or are they ok in my pantry?
 
So I tried these last night, decent taste but they were soft and not crisp at all. Kinda disappointed in this. Any suggestions?
 

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