Session IPA Q's

[bransona]

Hiya, everyone,

I'm a fairly new small batch brewer. I'm finally making some pretty decent beer but I'm also realizing how much a little bit of aging will do for my brews (especially since I make a lot of porters/browns/stouts). My brew partner and I are going to start a tri-weekly session IPA so that we don't run out of beer and start opening the others too young. It'll also be a great opportunity to experiment with flavors, so I thought I'd just list some general questions I have and see what advice you lovely people have to offer.

1) What hop varieties will give me an orange flavor? I've heard simcoe is good for this.

2) if I want juicy hop flavor, I believe the best method is low bittering and lots of hopstand/dry hop. Does that seem right?

3) When should I add strawberries for their freshest flavor? Secondary?

4) I've had a couple of very "grassy" beers that were amazing. How can I deliberately get that flavor? I was thinking a very long dry hop period. What hops would be best for this?

5) Is a typical session grain bill basically the same as any other ipa?

Thanks, fellas

 

[pablosbrewing]

Hiya, everyone,

I'm a fairly new small batch brewer. I'm finally making some pretty decent beer but I'm also realizing how much a little bit of aging will do for my brews (especially since I make a lot of porters/browns/stouts). My brew partner and I are going to start a tri-weekly session IPA so that we don't run out of beer and start opening the others too young. It'll also be a great opportunity to experiment with flavors, so I thought I'd just list some general questions I have and see what advice you lovely people have to offer.

1) What hop varieties will give me an orange flavor? I've heard simcoe is good for this.

2) if I want juicy hop flavor, I believe the best method is low bittering and lots of hopstand/dry hop. Does that seem right?

3) When should I add strawberries for their freshest flavor? Secondary?

4) I've had a couple of very "grassy" beers that were amazing. How can I deliberately get that flavor? I was thinking a very long dry hop period. What hops would be best for this?

5) Is a typical session grain bill basically the same as any other ipa?

Thanks, fellas

1) and 4) - hop aroma wheel for some ideas
https://www.hopunion.com/aroma-wheel/

2) yes

3) ... I hope this is not an IPA question

5) You can keep the ratio's about the same, might try reducing crystal and adding carapils as the gravity drops.

 

[brewprint]

Hiya, everyone,

I'm a fairly new small batch brewer. I'm finally making some pretty decent beer but I'm also realizing how much a little bit of aging will do for my brews (especially since I make a lot of porters/browns/stouts). My brew partner and I are going to start a tri-weekly session IPA so that we don't run out of beer and start opening the others too young. It'll also be a great opportunity to experiment with flavors, so I thought I'd just list some general questions I have and see what advice you lovely people have to offer.

1) What hop varieties will give me an orange flavor? I've heard simcoe is good for this.

2) if I want juicy hop flavor, I believe the best method is low bittering and lots of hopstand/dry hop. Does that seem right?

3) When should I add strawberries for their freshest flavor? Secondary?

4) I've had a couple of very "grassy" beers that were amazing. How can I deliberately get that flavor? I was thinking a very long dry hop period. What hops would be best for this?

5) Is a typical session grain bill basically the same as any other ipa?

Thanks, fellas

1) I get orange from galaxy.
2)Yes except not sure about less bittering. If you don't want bitterness you'll just have hop flavor. If you want bitterness and hop flavor add bittering hops.
3)No clue
4)What hops did you use to get a grassy flavor? I would use those along with an excessively long dry hop.
5)No. A session beer to me is around 1.04 OG and an IPA is around 1.06 to start. Same grain; yes. Same amount; no.

 

[m00ps]

I find these are the orangeyest hops in terms of most to least:
mandarina bavaria
amarillo
apollo (also resiny)
summit (can be garlicky)
armadillo
jaryllo (spice too)
summer (also apricot)
ahtanum
otto supreme
columbus (also pine/dank)

simcoe is nowhere near orange to me

I wrote on techniques for a juicy IPA in my article. also have a section discussing session IPA basics

 

[HomebrewSupply]

5) In general, yes - same types of grains, just smaller amounts. You could also consider mashing at a slightly higher temp or adding some body building malts (I like a small % of oats or flaked wheat) to keep the beer from getting too thin.

 

[bransona]

Thanks, everyone! I added oats to my dipa and love the body it has. Oh, also,

6) I currently have some nugget, goldings, saaz, and equinox. Plenty to play with. What would you guys do with these?

 

[HomebrewSupply]

Thanks, everyone! I added oats to my dipa and love the body it has. Oh, also,

6) I currently have some nugget, goldings, saaz, and equinox. Plenty to play with. What would you guys do with these?

Nugget is always a great option for bittering. Equinox could be an interesting option for a single-hop session IPA, especially since it's just a small batch.

 

[bransona]

1) and 4) - hop aroma wheel for some ideas
https://www.hopunion.com/aroma-wheel/

2) yes

3) ... I hope this is not an IPA question

5) You can keep the ratio's about the same, might try reducing crystal and adding carapils as the gravity drops.

Why couldn't it be an ipa question? :c I'm planning a beer with both grassy and strawberry notes as an artistic concept a friend of mine had. Strawberries sound awesome in an ipa, imo

 

[bransona]

Nugget is always a great option for bittering. Equinox could be an interesting option for a single-hop session IPA, especially since it's just a small batch.

My dipa was single hopped with equinox. Turned out great, so I'll definitely try that!

 

[pablosbrewing]

Why couldn't it be an ipa question? :c I'm planning a beer with both grassy and strawberry notes as an artistic concept a friend of mine had. Strawberries sound awesome in an ipa, imo

I would think secondary fruit fermentation would fade a lot of the hop aroma you spent so much money on in the hopstand.

 

[bransona]

I would think secondary fruit fermentation would fade a lot of the hop aroma you spent so much money on in the hopstand.

Makes sense :/ I fortunately wouldn't be out much if I tried it and didn't like it (2oz gave me a very bold dipa, YAY SMALL BATCHES), but is there a strawberry-ish hop you could recommend?

 

[m00ps]

Makes sense :/ I fortunately wouldn't be out much if I tried it and didn't like it (2oz gave me a very bold dipa, YAY SMALL BATCHES), but is there a strawberry-ish hop you could recommend?

check out belma for strawberry. huell melon too but its also cantaloupe tasting

 

[bransona]

check out belma for strawberry. huell melon too but its also cantaloupe tasting

Stellar! Looks like my Christmas money is gonna get very hoppy...

 

[CarbonTom]

+1 summit. If used for late additions and dry hopping it is a juicy sweet tangerine IME. I never got any savory or garlicky notes. I've read that its usually caused by early additions with it.

 

[slym2none]

Makes sense :/ I fortunately wouldn't be out much if I tried it and didn't like it (2oz gave me a very bold dipa, YAY SMALL BATCHES), but is there a strawberry-ish hop you could recommend?

I'd go with all-natural strawberry extract at bottling/kegging on an IPA.

 

[Jim311]

I didn't see it mentioned yet that IPAs do not benefit from aging. As long as they're properly carbonated, they taste best drank as fresh as you can drink them. Hop aromas fade quickly especially for us homebrewers.

 

[bransona]

I didn't see it mentioned yet that IPAs do not benefit from aging. As long as they're properly carbonated, they taste best drank as fresh as you can drink them. Hop aromas fade quickly especially for us homebrewers.

Yeah, definitely! Session ipas are the youngest of all that I can think of, other than like a 9 day mild. My dipa will probably age ok, but will be better fresh. I can't wait for all the fresh goodness. Praise be to homebrew!