American IPA My 2-time gold winning American IPA

[slym2none]

Don't under-hop it. Go big or go home, with IPAs & DIPAs.

 

[xRapture]

Don't under-hop it. Go big or go home, with IPAs & DIPAs.

I too am planning on brewing this beer next weekend. Would you consider the current hop schedule enough? Or is it a bit "under-hopped"? A lot of people have said this is not a 'hop-bomb', but I tend to like hoppier, more aromatic beers. What would you change in this recipe to make it a bit more hop forward?

This will be my second brew, but my first AG-BIAB method.

 

[TxBigHops]

I am brewing this, this weekend ... any general do's/donts for a newbie brewing first IPA?

I too am planning on brewing this beer next weekend. Would you consider the current hop schedule enough? Or is it a bit "under-hopped"? A lot of people have said this is not a 'hop-bomb', but I tend to like hoppier, more aromatic beers. What would you change in this recipe to make it a bit more hop forward?

This will be my second brew, but my first AG-BIAB method.

This recipe doesn't have a 60 min addition, so it is somewhat within form with the recent popularity of late addition IPAs. You could always add a flame-out or whorlpool addition and up the dry hop by an ounce or two. But something drew you to this recipe and made you want to brew it. So why not brew the original recipe first, and then decide if you want to make adjustments. This recipe makes a damn fine beer!

 

[BobSacamano]

I just femented this brew ...

A few things ...

1) I did this BIAB
2) Mashed with about 4.5 gallons water @ 154
3) Sparged "pour over" style with about 1.5 gallons 162deg water ... also did the "tea bag" effect in the pot
4) Added extra 0.5 ounce of williamette @ 15 mins
5) had about 4.25 gallons of cooled wort after chilling in ice bath
6) added about 0.75 gallons of water to top off in fermenter
7) pitched yeast @ 68 degrees
8) OG of 1.062

I know OG is supposed to be 1.065 ... i used about 1.75 packets of dry yeast

Am I ok? Any issues to look for? I am going to rack to secondary in about 10 days

Any input helps thanks

 

[bleme]

I know OG is supposed to be 1.065 ... i used about 1.75 packets of dry yeast

Sounds like you should be fine. Personally, I'd only use 1 pack of yeast and no secondary but you could have 100 of us make the same beer and see 100 different little variations.

 

[BobSacamano]

I just took a Secondary Gravity reading ... it was 1.018

Can I expect the gravity to hit a lower # at this point?

Also, I was going to rack to a secondary and dry hop, but with the higher reading I decided to leave it in the primary and dry hop there.

 

[slym2none]

Wait 2-3 more days & take another reading. If it's still at 1.018, then you're done. If it drops, wait some more.

 

[TexasDroughtBrewery]

Sounds like you should be fine. Personally, I'd only use 1 pack of yeast and no secondary but you could have 100 of us make the same beer and see 100 different little variations.

I agree with this 1 pack and no secondary. You can dry hop in primary just fine

 

[pukexxr]

I brewed up a 6.5gal batch of this but after siphoning to my carboy only have about 4.5 gal of beer. Is it okay for me to just add a couple gallons of drinking water (bottled) to my fermenter before adding yeast, or is this just doomed to be a really big version of this beer?

 

[burninator]

What's your gravity? If it came in really high, I'd top off. If your low volume is due to a lot of loss, I wouldn't dilute it.

 

[xRapture]

I gave this recipe a shot a few weekends ago. This was only my second beer, and first time BIAB. This was certainly a learning experience!

I've only got an 8G kettle, and with 14# of grain I had to do a dunk sparge to get full volume. I missed my mash temp by 3* and it dropped quite a few over the hour long mash. (Lesson#1)
I used too much water in my dunk sparge and ended up with about 7.25G in the kettle after all was said and done. (Lesson#2)
Boiled for 90 minutes and was left with about 6.25G post boil. Made me realize my two burners on my stovetop aren't really up to the challenge of a boiling 7+ gallons. So I'm going to look into an outdoor burner... (Lesson#3)
I chilled the kettle in my sink with an ice bath. This takes way too long for my liking... Going to invest in a wort chiller. (Lesson#4)
Pitched my 2L starter of Conan yeast into wort that was around 80*, it was getting late and I was getting impatient Hope this wasn't much of a shock to my yeast. (Lesson#5) Fermented at 67* for 3 days, 68* for 2 days, 69* for 2 days, now it's sitting at 70* til I bottle.

Starting Gravity: 1.052
Original Gravity: 1.060
Final Gravity: 1.012 (Test #1: 9 days in primary)
So from my noob calculations I think my brewhouse efficiency was around 66%, but I think that's from adding too much sparge water and not a heavy enough boil.

Even with all my mistakes, the OG wort tasted amazing! The FG sample was delicious (pre-dry hopped). Dry hopped last night and should bottle on Saturday or Sunday.

 

[pukexxr]

I gave this recipe a shot a few weekends ago. This was only my second beer, and first time BIAB. This was certainly a learning experience!

I've only got an 8G kettle, and with 14# of grain I had to do a dunk sparge to get full volume. I missed my mash temp by 3* and it dropped quite a few over the hour long mash. (Lesson#1)
I used too much water in my dunk sparge and ended up with about 7.25G in the kettle after all was said and done. (Lesson#2)
Boiled for 90 minutes and was left with about 6.25G post boil. Made me realize my two burners on my stovetop aren't really up to the challenge of a boiling 7+ gallons. So I'm going to look into an outdoor burner... (Lesson#3)
I chilled the kettle in my sink with an ice bath. This takes way too long for my liking... Going to invest in a wort chiller. (Lesson#4)
Pitched my 2L starter of Conan yeast into wort that was around 80*, it was getting late and I was getting impatient Hope this wasn't much of a shock to my yeast. (Lesson#5) Fermented at 67* for 3 days, 68* for 2 days, 69* for 2 days, now it's sitting at 70* til I bottle.

Starting Gravity: 1.052
Original Gravity: 1.060
Final Gravity: 1.012 (Test #1: 9 days in primary)
So from my noob calculations I think my brewhouse efficiency was around 66%, but I think that's from adding too much sparge water and not a heavy enough boil.

Even with all my mistakes, the OG wort tasted amazing! The FG sample was delicious (pre-dry hopped). Dry hopped last night and should bottle on Saturday or Sunday.

1) you def need to get a mash tun (I installed a valve on a 10 gal picnic beverage cooler and it works great, there's plenty of instructional stuff on this around, it's cheap, effective and necessary). That 3* isn't that big of a deal, but that drop could be.

2) I think the excess volume is okay, it's because you added too much water, not because your range isn't good enough (I use my kitchen stove and a 10 gal pot w no problems)

3) 80* is no big, there's plenty of yeast cells that will be able to get you to where you want to be.

I think you're over analyzing things. RDWHAHB and that brew will turn out fine. You can screw up pretty hard and still wind up with something drinkable.

 

[GoodDogBadDog]

subbed

 

[xRapture]

1) you def need to get a mash tun (I installed a valve on a 10 gal picnic beverage cooler and it works great, there's plenty of instructional stuff on this around, it's cheap, effective and necessary). That 3* isn't that big of a deal, but that drop could be.

2) I think the excess volume is okay, it's because you added too much water, not because your range isn't good enough (I use my kitchen stove and a 10 gal pot w no problems)

3) 80* is no big, there's plenty of yeast cells that will be able to get you to where you want to be.

I think you're over analyzing things. RDWHAHB and that brew will turn out fine. You can screw up pretty hard and still wind up with something drinkable.

After trying one of my bottles after only 5 days of carbonation, you are completely right - I was absolutely over analyzing it! Everything worked out great! This IPA is fantastic! Even after only 5 days conditioning, it's mighty tasty and waaay too easy to drink! Not very hoppy, but super smooth as of now. Very well balanced. I love it!

 

[pukexxr]

After trying one of my bottles after only 5 days of carbonation, you are completely right - I was absolutely over analyzing it! Everything worked out great! This IPA is fantastic! Even after only 5 days conditioning, it's mighty tasty and waaay too easy to drink! Not very hoppy, but super smooth as of now. Very well balanced. I love it!

Glad to hear it! I had a similar situation recently where I made a hop bomb and it was a horrible chlorophyll mess when I first bottled, but it turned out great. I have brewed almost 300 gal now and have only ever had one beer that didn't age out of any unpalatable flavors when it was green, and that was because of a poorly controlled sour mash, so obvs my fault.

I'm still waiting to bottle this recipe but am psyched to see how it turns out.

 

[BobSacamano]

I just took a Secondary Gravity reading ... it was 1.018

Can I expect the gravity to hit a lower # at this point?

Also, I was going to rack to a secondary and dry hop, but with the higher reading I decided to leave it in the primary and dry hop there.

I bottled this today ... FG came in at 1.012 ... so it did need a couple more weeks to ferment. I moved it from my cellar back up to the 1st floor after the last gravity reading, Im thinking that might have helped

I took a taste of this today also, and WOW. This is really an excellent beer. Im bummed I have to wait 3 weeks to get a true taste of it, but this is really an impressive recipe!

 

[SDBob]

Props on this recipe. I brewed it and 12 friends blind tasted it against 3 of the highest rated IPAs in the world. It was picked first six times, picked last once. Skal!

 

[TBMaster]

Just wanted to add to the commendations. Brewed this 2.5 weeks ago. I dumped the hops at flame out rather than dry hop. It's in the keg, clearing and well carbed. It's a cracking drop. Will brew again. Thanks!!

 

[raaabs]

Skal!

Skål !

 

[Shenanigans]

Just wanted to add to the commendations. Brewed this 2.5 weeks ago. I dumped the hops at flame out rather than dry hop. It's in the keg, clearing and well carbed. It's a cracking drop. Will brew again. Thanks!!

I was thinking of doing the same thing.
Most beers I have dry hopped tasted amazing for about a month and then the aroma starts to disappear.
I guess with whirl pooling the aroma wont be as intense at first but it will last longer than with dry hopping.

Did you reduce the boil hops to account for the extra IBUs from the whirlpool or you just let it ride and got a calculated 75 to 80 IBUs instead of 65 - 70 IBUs??

 

[TBMaster]

I don't dry hop because it always gives me hazy beer....and it doesn't seem to drop with time.

Re the IBUs, I used a hop sock for the 30 min hops (so I guess the his limited the bittering a bit), but I don't really believe that addition at flame out adds IBUs. As per the original poster this is more subtle than in your face bitterness.

 

[mikkol79]

Is the original recipe for 5 gallons?

edit: cellphone was doing tricks..didn't show it all...

 

[benco]

Yo!

 

[Buckeye_Brewer1]

Hey,



Just brewed this yesterday and I don't have a filter for hops yet and man a ton of hop residue made it into the carboy. Did others have same issue or do most use a hop screen / filter. Thinking about buying either the blichmann hop filter or filter that hooks on to the top of the kettle and you put all the hops into it.



Any suggestions?

 

[bleme]

Hey,
Just brewed this yesterday and I don't have a filter for hops yet and man a ton of hop residue made it into the carboy. Did others have same issue or do most use a hop screen / filter. Thinking about buying either the blichmann hop filter or filter that hooks on to the top of the kettle and you put all the hops into it.

I ferment in buckets so I put a StarSan soaked 5gal paint strainer in the bucket, pour in the wort, and pull out the strainer. With a lot of hops, I have to roll the bag back and forth to get most of the wort out. Sometimes I squeeze the bag.

 

[jmfran0]

I have been brewing this for the past 5 years as my house beer. Never fails to get complements. Even from those that are not big into IPA. I sometime cut the base grain for more a session IPA. Works well

 

[Buckeye_Brewer1]

I just tired after two weeks of bottle conditioning and man it tastes great. Thanks for the recipe and will gladly brew again.

 

[mikkol79]

Just did this. Was in the primary for 2 weeks, one in the secondary.. Two weeks in bottle. Taste is ****ing amazing. The only weird thing is I got yeast in suspension like never before... Did not cold crash. Maybe that's why? Any other suggestions? Thanks for an amazing recipe.

 

[AkTom]

I just bottled a couple of weeks ago. I've been busy so it was in secondary for about 3 weeks. I didn't use any findings or cold crash. Dang, I say Dang Boy ;-). This is one of my clearest beers.
Cheers

 

[Lunkerking]

This sounds great I hope to make it sometime!