Open fermented IPA?

[Rubs]

Hey'all!
Brewing my second verson of an ekstra bitter English style IPA today. As it so happened, my efficiency went through the roof when I tried a different sparge method. Anyways, I am now making a quite stronger beer, like a weak Imperial IPA or something. I though maybe I'd experiment a little, since it really won't be a true second verson of my previous beer after all.

So... Have anybody got experience with open fermenting an IPA?

I'll have it all cooled down, with my grainbag covering the top to keep the rats/monsters away. Last time I tried it, I did it with a witbier, and it turned out good. Much fruitier than my closed fermented witbier. I'm not looking for wild yeast, I'll be using an english yeast strain fit for an english IPA.

Also: Wort is cooling in the shower now, so I'm kind of in a hurry

Cheers!

 

[rhys333]

Sounds like a fun experiment. I can't offer any experience open fermenting an IPA, but l have done this with hefeweizen. If I were in your shoes, I'd just go for it and see what happens. Which english strain are you using?

 

[Natdavis777]

I second this. I've never open fermented but I'm intrigued at the idea. I wanted to do it on my last weissbier but it didn't happen.

Do it in the name of science and for the sake of beer!!


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[wilserbrewer]

So... Have anybody got experience with open fermenting an IPA?

I almost always "open ferment" in a stainless brew kettle with the lid on, usually when the kreusen drops, I will seal the lidded kettle with a plastic bag and a short length of string wrapped twice around the kettle and tied snuggly. Around 10-12 days I usually rack to a keg. IMO all these sealed fermenters with airlocks are kind of silly for fermentation as the beer is off gassing CO2 pretty rapidly. Airlocks are intended for long term conditioning wines and beers, not so much active intense fermentation.

Not sure I would use only a piece of cheesecloth, but that is what I understand they did years ago making "homebrew". The key IMO is to not leave it open for long once the yeast falls.

 

[Rubs]

I went for it!
I did a gravity reading the day after brewday, and it had dropped from 1,068 to 1,018.
My kreusen has dropped for good, and I put the lid on it.

As for the yeast, I'm using the Nottingham yeast from Lallemand. I usually use White Labs, but brewday was kind of improvised, so I didn't have time to step up a starter to get sufficient yeast cells.

Full recipe:
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
7,65 kg Pale Malt (2 Row) US (6,0 EBC) Grain 1 95,0 %
35,00 g Columbus (Tomahawk) [16,10 %] - Boil 60, Hop 4 44,3 IBUs
2,0 pkg Nottingham Yeast (Lallemand #-) [23,66 m Yeast 9 -
0,30 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (118,2 EBC) Grain 2 3,7 %
33,00 g Goldings, East Kent [5,00 %] - Boil 15,0 Hop 5 5,9 IBUs
33,00 g Goldings, East Kent [5,00 %] - Boil 5,0 Hop 7 2,4 IBUs
33,00 g Goldings, East Kent [5,00 %] - Dry Hop 7 Hop 10 0,0 IBUs
0,10 kg Cara-Pils/Dextrine (3,9 EBC) Grain 3 1,2 %
33,00 g Target [11,00 %] - Boil 15,0 min Hop 6 14,2 IBUs
33,00 g Target [11,00 %] - Boil 5,0 min Hop 8 5,7 IBUs
33,00 g Target [11,00 %] - Dry Hop 0,0 Days Hop 11 0,0 IBUs

EBC 16,5
ABV 7,2%
OG 1,068
FG 1,010
IBU 72,3

 

[tagz]

Wow. 50 points in one day! Looking forward to updates.

 

[Rubs]

Wow. 50 points in one day! Looking forward to updates.

I know, right? I had quite a lot of activity when I checked it in the morning, yeast going up and down, it almost looked like it boiled. The kreusen was making loud sputtering(is this the right word?) sounds.

 

[Rubs]

So, I've finally finished drinking this batch. It turned out way too alcoholic at first, but mellowed nicely over a few weeks. It was a bit dark-coloured, with a good head. The last few beers became too carbonated. Very dry, light body. Super fruity, I think of apples, kind of reminds me of a Saison. It smelled and tasted earthy, spicy and hoppy, and with a great yeast complexity. All together I think the beer works, it's definitely within the English IPA style, except from the fruitiness.

I want to give this beer another go, maybe try it with a Saison yeast. I think many of the hoppy saisons don't work, but it could work out with this as a starting point.

Open fermentation for the win!!!