New England IPA "Northeast" style IPA

[Braufessor]

So 8-12% of the total adjuncts like flaked wheat, oats, or barley.

yes- 8-12% of the total grain bill is what i have been putting in. Generally, that has been a 50/50 split of flaked barley and flaked oats. But, like I said, I have not really experimented that much with which flaked grain is better or worse.

 

[TxBigHops]

Thanks @Braufessor! Not sure how I missed this thread until today. subbed to come back and read every word later tonight. Something along this line is planned to brew very soon. Both a session variety, and a bit stronger (6.5 - 7%) one.

 

[mtnagel]

I think amarillo and simcoe would work well. I think it is more the traditional "dry/crisp/bitter/assertive" hops that might not play so well...... or, at least they haven't for me so far.

Thanks. Makes sense. I think I will give it a shot and post back.

 

[dunbruha]

Thanks for posting this recipe! I brewed it last Saturday, and am ready to add the first batch of dry hops tomorrow. It smells delicious!

Perhaps a little OT, but why do you use a separate dry-hop keg (and then transfer into a serving keg), instead of just serving out of the keg with the hops?

 

[Braufessor]

Thanks for posting this recipe! I brewed it last Saturday, and am ready to add the first batch of dry hops tomorrow. It smells delicious!

Perhaps a little OT, but why do you use a separate dry-hop keg (and then transfer into a serving keg), instead of just serving out of the keg with the hops?

I primarily started to use the dry hop keg to cut down on any chance of picking up 02. Throwing dry hops in serving keg would work too.... but, I don't really like to leave the dry hops in that long. A lot of what I have read indicates the bulk of the extraction takes place in perhaps as little time as a single day. So, I like to just hit that second dry hop for 2-3 days.

Additional benefits of the dry hop keg is that it basically filters all the debris out and it is just clean beer going into the serving keg.

However, to be fair, I would really need to do a couple kegs side by side to tell if the method I use makes a substantial difference. Often, we do things primarily because "that's the way we do things." I don't think putting dry hops in the serving keg would make my beer better. I do think there is at least a chance it could make it worse as the hops sat for extended period of time.

Hope your beer turns out well for you

 

[whovous]

Dumb question time: Do you ever dry hop before hitting your FG?

 

[Braufessor]

Dumb question time: Do you ever dry hop before hitting your FG?

Yes - that first dry hop at day #5 or so..... that is probably going in with a few points left above FG. Not a lot, and I don't always measure it or anything, but I would guess that gravity is maybe 1.015-1.018 perhaps, and there are a few points left that will ferment out after that dry hop. I usually finish around 1.011-1.012

 

[drunkmonk59]

Brau, great recipe, going in my to brew list. I'm brewing up a dry Irish Stout this weekend, and I'm going to use your water profile with a little baking soda
to bring the mash PH down to 5.4 Cheers!

 

[whovous]

Yes - that first dry hop at day #5 or so..... that is probably going in with a few points left above FG. Not a lot, and I don't always measure it or anything, but I would guess that gravity is maybe 1.015-1.018 perhaps, and there are a few points left that will ferment out after that dry hop. I usually finish around 1.011-1.012

I ask because I did a three day dry hop around day 4 and a second one at day 7, only to find I was still at 1.018 when my BrewSmith target was 1.011. I thought perhaps dry hopping might have contributed to my problem, but apparently it did not.

 

[Braufessor]

I ask because I did a three day dry hop around day 4 and a second one at day 7, only to find I was still at 1.018 when my BrewSmith target was 1.011. I thought perhaps dry hopping might have contributed to my problem, but apparently it did not.

I would say, generally, to the contrary.... sometimes the addition of dry hops can kind of stir up the wort, resuspend yeast, and reinvigorate a little more fermentation. Should not "stop" it.

*Temperature falling off? This can cause fermentation to stall sometimes.

*Were you checking for FG at day 7? That could be a bit early.

*Was it extract or all grain? Extract notoriously finishes high.

*Was it Conan yeast, first generation? A lot of people find it to finish higher than they like first generation. Other yeasts could be similar perhaps. But, I know I have experienced it with Conan.

*High gravity without a starter? Sometimes that can prevent a thorough ferment.

Those would be some of the things I would consider

 

[whovous]

Forgive the thread highjacking, but if you can help me figure this out, I'd appreciate. And if you won't, just say so and I'll stop highjacking.

I am trying to clone KneeDeep's Breaking Bud APA:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=568585

I followed your RO water suggestions from this thread, and I used a full package of San Diego Super liquid yeast after oxygenating a little over two gallons of wort.

To your specific questions:

1. I started with my fermentation chamber at 61F on a Sunday night and had good activity the next morning. I increased to 65F after about three days and to 68F another four days later.

2. I checked for FG at about day 10. I got 1.018 instead of the projected 1.011. I went ahead and cold crashed because I wanted these 2015 crop hops to taste as fresh as possible.

3. All grain all the time. I've never made an extract.

4. San Diego Super in the new "Pure Pitch" packaging. Date on the package indicated it was about two weeks old.

5. No starter. Target OG was 1.063, but I actually hit 1.059. And, as noted above, I pitched a full package of SDS into a bit over two gallons of wort. I got quite vigorous activity and the krausen started dropping around day 3.

Any thoughts?

 

[brettwasbtd]

Forgive the thread highjacking, but if you can help me figure this out, I'd appreciate. And if you won't, just say so and I'll stop highjacking.

I am trying to clone KneeDeep's Breaking Bud APA:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=568585

I followed your RO water suggestions from this thread, and I used a full package of San Diego Super liquid yeast after oxygenating a little over two gallons of wort.

To your specific questions:

1. I started with my fermentation chamber at 61F on a Sunday night and had good activity the next morning. I increased to 65F after about three days and to 68F another four days later.

2. I checked for FG at about day 10. I got 1.018 instead of the projected 1.011. I went ahead and cold crashed because I wanted these 2015 crop hops to taste as fresh as possible.

3. All grain all the time. I've never made an extract.

4. San Diego Super in the new "Pure Pitch" packaging. Date on the package indicated it was about two weeks old.

5. No starter. Target OG was 1.063, but I actually hit 1.059. And, as noted above, I pitched a full package of SDS into a bit over two gallons of wort. I got quite vigorous activity and the krausen started dropping around day 3.

Any thoughts?

Confirm your hydrometer reads 1.000 in water? What temp did you mash at, and are you sure your thermometer is accurate?

 

[whovous]

Confirm your hydrometer reads 1.000 in water? What temp did you mash at, and are you sure your thermometer is accurate?

I have not checked the hydrometer lately, but it has read 1.000 in water in the past. Will check again in a few days. I would love for that to provide the explanation. I've missed a couple of FGs lately.

I mashed at 152F and I am pretty confident in the accuracy of my BrauSupply set-up. It is recirculating mash, no sparge, and it monitors the temp of the wort as it puts it back into the lid and hose at the top of the kettle. That could mean it is a little bit higher than 152F in the kettle proper.

 

[dunbruha]

I primarily started to use the dry hop keg to cut down on any chance of picking up 02. Throwing dry hops in serving keg would work too.... but, I don't really like to leave the dry hops in that long. A lot of what I have read indicates the bulk of the extraction takes place in perhaps as little time as a single day. So, I like to just hit that second dry hop for 2-3 days.

Additional benefits of the dry hop keg is that it basically filters all the debris out and it is just clean beer going into the serving keg.

However, to be fair, I would really need to do a couple kegs side by side to tell if the method I use makes a substantial difference. Often, we do things primarily because "that's the way we do things." I don't think putting dry hops in the serving keg would make my beer better. I do think there is at least a chance it could make it worse as the hops sat for extended period of time.

Hope your beer turns out well for you

Thanks. I haven't noticed any off-flavors from having the hops in the serving keg. So I'm going to try it that way and see. Thanks for the recipe!

 

[Braufessor]

Forgive the thread highjacking, but if you can help me figure this out, I'd appreciate. And if you won't, just say so and I'll stop highjacking.

I am trying to clone KneeDeep's Breaking Bud APA:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=568585

I followed your RO water suggestions from this thread, and I used a full package of San Diego Super liquid yeast after oxygenating a little over two gallons of wort.

To your specific questions:

1. I started with my fermentation chamber at 61F on a Sunday night and had good activity the next morning. I increased to 65F after about three days and to 68F another four days later.

2. I checked for FG at about day 10. I got 1.018 instead of the projected 1.011. I went ahead and cold crashed because I wanted these 2015 crop hops to taste as fresh as possible.

3. All grain all the time. I've never made an extract.

4. San Diego Super in the new "Pure Pitch" packaging. Date on the package indicated it was about two weeks old.

5. No starter. Target OG was 1.063, but I actually hit 1.059. And, as noted above, I pitched a full package of SDS into a bit over two gallons of wort. I got quite vigorous activity and the krausen started dropping around day 3.

Any thoughts?

I have to say, I have ZERO idea why that beer, with that yeast would finish out that high. Other than a faulty reading somehow...... I just don't see how it would not finish that beer out (especially 2 gallons).

I guess the two thoughts I would possibly have are these:

1.) At day 3 when the Krauesen started to drop..... that might have been the time to put it somewhere around 70-72 degrees to finish out. Fermentation drives the temperature up.... as it starts to slow, that temp begins to drop back.... if it drops back too fast the yeast could stall out possibly because the wort temperature might fall5 degrees or so.

2.) There is something to be said for having "actively fermenting" yeast when you pitch. Now, that should not be a huge problem in a 2 gallon beer, but, perhaps the 1.060 gravity was a touch high for the fresh yeast????? Just a thought. I would possibly try making even a 300-500ml starter 18 hours before your brew day, and pitch the entire thing into your beer and see if that does not make a difference in FG.

Those are the only two things that occur to me.... to be honest, what you did seems like it should be ok. However, obviously, it wasn't/

 

[whovous]

One thing I left out was that my wort was fairly cold when I first pitched the yeast. I don't have my notes with me, but I think it was mid to upper 50s. I was worried that might have more effect on the yeast, or at least slow it down a bit, but I had decent activity by the following morning. At that time, my FC was at about 61 or 62F and the Fermometer on the side of my Brew Demon was only about a degree higher, and it never got more than about 3F higher than the FC. My experience has been mostly with US-05 being noticeably warmer than the ambient in the FC.

This was my first experience with liquid yeast. I've always been a bit chary of going liquid, as it just seemed a lot more complicated to my novice brain. SD Super sounded right for my style, and I got some assurances that I could direct pitch like I did, so I figured this would be a good time to dip my toes in the liquid, so to speak.

I get home tomorrow afternoon, and I am really hoping my hydrometer tells me my water is about 1.005 or so. It does not seem likely, given that I have tested it in water in the past, but perhaps these things can change?

 

[brewski09]

They can change but it's not too likely. I think San Diego Super Yeast attenuates a little less that Cali ale (wlp001, us-05, wy1056?) from what I've heard. No direct experience myself though.

 

[madscientistbrewNq]

Well braufessor, if the conan had attenuated like I wanted I think I might have gotten it right and it's all because of you. By the way, jumping the beer was a mess. Any recommendations... I got major foaming. Not sure what I did wrong or if that's just the nature of the beast.

 

[KirkMN]

I was finally able to brew this recipe today. Just finishing up the whirlpool now. I'll report back with how it came out.

Cheers

 

[Braufessor]

Well braufessor, if the conan had attenuated like I wanted I think I might have gotten it right and it's all because of you. By the way, jumping the beer was a mess. Any recommendations... I got major foaming. Not sure what I did wrong or if that's just the nature of the beast.

Looks great. Sorry to hear it did not go just right...... Been there myself. I have had a couple finish too high, and have had problems with the keg jump 2-3 times too.

Foaming...... In the lines or in the keg??

Foaming can be the result of a couple things - loose posts, loose disconnects in particular. Hop debris caught in a disconnect or post somewhere.

Did you use a double sleeve type filter on the dip tube?

Couple things I have found that help the transfer process.

*Receiving keg I fill with Starsan and push that out with CO2 so it is 100% purged.
*I pull the pressure relief or you can put a CO2 disconnect on so that the incoming beer is not fighting any pressure in the keg. De-gas the keg pressure before you start the fill.
*I put the dry hop keg up on my chest freezer and the receiving keg on the floor - so I have gravity plus pressure in my favor.
* I let the first 4 ounces or so go into a glass (that is the stuff that is most likely to have hop debris in it) and then put the other liquid disconnect on it.
*Connect the two kegs - liquid disconnect to liquid disconnect. I generally hit it with about 20psi to start to get it flowing. I will back it off later in the transfer when it is flowing ok.

If it seems to be plugged, disengage the CO2, vent keg, check disconnect - possibly rock the keg to loosen hop cake at the bottom of keg. Might need to loosen the out keg post and check if it is plugged, maybe move the dip tube a bit, pull it up/down a bit in case hops are plugging it. Keep things sanitary. Spray bottle of star san.

As far as finishing gravity - did you use a starter? I REALLY prefer an actively fermenting 1L starter that is 18-24 hours old and I pitch the entire thing..... I don't cold crash it or decant it.

Color and haziness looks great - hop it comes out ok for you. Could leave the keg sit at room temp for a week and hope you get a couple more gravity points out of it, and some natural carbonation in the keg....

 

[madscientistbrewNq]

I placed the pellets in a bag with floss it was probably half way in the volume of beer. Post were tight. Beer was foaming. Seemed like it was transferring way too quick potentially. I don't think there were any debris issues. I didn't do a starter as I used giga 1st gen if you will.

 

[madscientistbrewNq]

Maybe it wasn't sealed up well enough... thanks again.

 

[Braufessor]

Maybe it wasn't sealed up well enough... thanks again.

That is my first thought..... did you leave the hops in during transfer? maybe the floss in the o-ring is enough to break the seal. Maybe try taking it out and resetting the lid. Should have no problems with clogging with your strategy.

 

[madscientistbrewNq]

I did and honestly not sure I got the seal I wanted... but figured well I wouldn't have to worry about o2 coming in

 

[olotti]

Brau, I know you keg but do you do a purposeful cold crash with this or if not I'm assuming once the keg is in your rotation it will naturally cold crash over time just from being in a colder serving environment. I ask as I just brewed my second IPA using Conan, I did a small 24 hr cold crash with the first one but I'm thinking of just moving this back to my basement for the second dry hop, it's 62-64 deg down there now then just bottling without a purposeful cold crash just to see if keeping more yeast and dry hop material in suspension will do anything to the flavor and appearance. The first has been bottled two weeks and the sample bottles I pulled are opaque but not that crazy murky look like some treehouse, trillium and HF beers. I also didn't pick up this whole peaches flavor from the Conan in the samples I've tried so far so don't know if that's because a lot dropped the 24 hr cold crash or what. Peak ferm temps hit 68 then I moved the carboy upstairs to 72 to finish out then back downstairs to dry hop for 5 days and then 24 or 36 hr cold crash before bottling. This time same process for fermentation temps but I'm gonna try your technique and dry hop 2oz at day 5 then 2oz again at day 10 with a gravity sample then prob bottle 2 days later. Any thoughts?

 

[Braufessor]

Brau, I know you keg but do you do a purposeful cold crash with this or if not I'm assuming once the keg is in your rotation it will naturally cold crash over time just from being in a colder serving environment.

I have done a cold crash some times, but I did not notice a substantial enough difference to really worry that much about it. My beers settle out fairly well in primary and then the dry hop keg filters most everything else out.

....just to see if keeping more yeast and dry hop material in suspension will do anything to the flavor and appearance. The first has been bottled two weeks and the sample bottles I pulled are opaque but not that crazy murky look like some treehouse, trillium and HF beers.

My beers are Hazy - not murky. Personally, I don't really want a lot of yeast in suspension. I think most of mine is hop and protein haze. Some yeast too.... but, I don't think Conan hangs in suspension as much as some other yeasts. I would say the two yeasts I have used (that would both work well for this beer too) that really stay in suspension are 1318 and Denny's Favorite 50. I have brewed beers with Denny's yeast and they just never dropped clear. I find mine stay hazy pretty much their whole life in the keg. The last few pints seem to clear up, but that is it. I also (not sure why) feel that the higher pH (5.45 prevail pH), higher post fermentation pH (4.6) results in a hazier beer perhaps.

I also didn't pick up this whole peaches flavor from the Conan in the samples I've tried so far

I have never really gotten the "peachy" flavor in my beers using conan..... and I brew A LOT of beers with the yeast..... probably have brewed at least 75 with it. I have gotten it in starters a few times, but, not so much in full batches. Probably need to play around with fermentation temps, pitching rates, oxygen to really dial that in.

This time same process for fermentation temps but I'm gonna try your technique and dry hop 2oz at day 5 then 2oz again at day 10 with a gravity sample then prob bottle 2 days later. Any thoughts?

That sounds good. Biggest thing is that it is really hard to brew a beer exactly the way you want the first time you do it. I have brewed this beer 40 times??? Maybe more - I am still tweaking it a little here and a little there. There is no substitute for brewing, rebrewing and rebrewing some more.... good records, get the process down and make minor changes to see what you like.

 

[olotti]

Thanks for the reply. To point #2 I agree that my attempts even using 001 and 04 have been hazy not murky so that leads me to believe it's more the grain bill than yeast in suspension, I did a no cold crash with the 04 and didn't like it as much with all the yeast hanging around, my preference but it was a good experiment. That also makes me think like has been said here these guys use a crazy amount of hops to dry hop with putting a lot left in suspension when canning, I typically only do 4oz in a 5.5 gal batch with bottling 5 gal. I'm new in the water chemistry game so my mash ph I've targeted so far has been 5.2-5.3 per advice given but maybe I'll try one in the 5.4 range next.

Re the peach flavor of Conan I never even really tasted it in heady even though klimmich remarks on it in some you tube vids that beer is more dank and resinous to me than fruity and peachy. I did smell it in the first starter I did but even in this last starter that was missing, weird crazy yeasts. Lol.

Point 3. I agree with the rebrew process. I've been finally finding a grain bill I really like so now I'm just using a new yeast and playing with water chemistry one by one don't want to many different variables. The last ipa I did, first with Conan I used your thoughts of highe chloride and lower sulfate where I've been doing he higher sulfate lower chloride before that. It produced tasty bee so I'm curious to see if I can tell or my goat palate can tell any difference. The possibilities seem endless when tweaking beer recipes I love it but So much to brew and so little time.

 

[olotti]

To follow up brau how do you check your final beer pH? Do you use pH strips?

 

[Braufessor]

To follow up brau how do you check your final beer pH? Do you use pH strips?

I have a pretty good pH meter - Milwaukee 102.

But, what I have really found is that once you have a consistent process, everything really falls in place. I don't always take pH readings anymore, simply because they are always the same.

For people that don't have a pH meter, the "general" water suggestions I gave on the first page using RO water should put things right in the ball park.

If you do use pH strips (which I have in the past) - the colorphast strips are the best ones to use.

For people that brew a lot, and think they will continue to brew a lot - you can really learn a lot with a good pH meter. I messed around with a cheap, crappy pH meter to start - it is a waste of money. If a pH meter is in someone's future, get a good one

 

[whovous]

Confirm your hydrometer reads 1.000 in water? What temp did you mash at, and are you sure your thermometer is accurate?

I just tested some warmish tap water. 1.004.

I guess I missed my FG by quite a bit less than I thought. Although this also means I missed my OG by that much more as well, so I suppose my ABV is still gonna be mid 5s.