Tips for the Infamous "super hoppy" IPA/IIPA

[JohnSand]

Thanks Mtn. That stuff was covered above, but bears repeating. I'm reading Strong's Brewing Better Beer and Miller's Brew Like a Pro. Both talk about brewing water. Long
Island has excellent drinking water, very clean. But low on sulfate too. I just ordered some gypsum.

 

[yukonhijack]

I would be interested in learning a bit more about the use of hop extracts. Can anyone chime in on how much to use, when and what the results were like? I know that commercial brewers use hop extracts in their high IBU beers to prevent the large amounts of hop material, etc.

I would be interested in giving it a shot to up my game on my IBUs. I only brew IPAs and generally prefer them to be as hoppy as possible without detracting from the overall profile.

 

[mtnagel]

Here is the info on usage level.

I think they work great. I buy them in bulk, dose them into syringes and then use the amount I need. I used them in my Pliny clone and the bitterness level was awesome.

 

[yukonhijack]

Here is the info on usage level.

I think they work great. I buy them in bulk, dose them into syringes and then use the amount I need. I used them in my Pliny clone and the bitterness level was awesome.

Great info! Where do you buy your extract in bulk?

 

[mtnagel]

http://www.yakimavalleyhops.com/product_p/extractco2cans.htm

 

[yukonhijack]

Awesome, thanks!

 

[Brewmex41]

I went to my lhbs and noticed wyeast has a west coast ipa yeast. Im plannin on doing a 3 gal batch and splitting it up into 3 one gallon batches to compare Rogue pacman, my go to ipa yeast, against us05, and the ipa yeast

 

[gotbags-10]

What about hop additions at the 20,15,10,5 min? Are they worth doing or would taking those hops and splitting them between a flame out and then a whirlpool addition be better for getting the most flavor? I also am struggling with getting that super hoppy beer and thus far all my batches have been the standard timing additions.

 

[cantrell00]

What about hop additions at the 20,15,10,5 min? Are they worth doing or would taking those hops and splitting them between a flame out and then a whirlpool addition be better for getting the most flavor? I also am struggling with getting that super hoppy beer and thus far all my batches have been the standard timing additions.

I think you need either a FWH or 60 minute addition & then a relatively large flame out & whirlpool addition of anywhere from 4-6 oz each per 5-6 gallon batch.

30 min hop stand @ flame out. Reheat to 180 & then add the whirlpool hops for an additional 30 minutes. All while continuously recirculating..

2-4 oz dry hop for 7-10 days @ ale pitching temps. I prefer a contrasting hop or hops in the dry hop. Cascade/Centennial types late followed by dry hops of Simcoe/Amarillo/Columbus, or vice versa.

 

[TxBigHops]

Amazing post / thread. Thanks!

 

[m00ps]

I think you need either a FWH or 60 minute addition & then a relatively large flame out & whirlpool addition of anywhere from 4-6 oz each per 5-6 gallon batch.

30 min hop stand @ flame out. Reheat to 180 & then add the whirlpool hops for an additional 30 minutes. All while continuously recirculating..

2-4 oz dry hop for 7-10 days @ ale pitching temps. I prefer a contrasting hop or hops in the dry hop. Cascade/Centennial types late followed by dry hops of Simcoe/Amarillo/Columbus, or vice versa.

This is how I do my IPAs too. Ill sometime have a 10min addition of only like 1oz if i really want to stress that hops flavor, but IME most boil additions aside from the 60min are a waste. And its not a hopstand if its got less than half a pound

 

[cantrell00]

And its not a hopstand if its got less than half a pound

DAYUM! 8 ounces?

I gotta try that. I have a lb of citra that needs a home too.

 

[m00ps]

theres someone here (aprichman?) that is planning something like 3lbs of more in a hopstand. Hes gonna need some serious straining method to squeeze out the wort

but yeah I typically do between 8 and 12 oz divided into 2 additions. One at flameout the other at ~180F. I figure the 180F addition gets more aroma, less taste so i place my hops accordingly

 

[cantrell00]

theres someone here (aprichman?) that is planning something like 3lbs of more in a hopstand. Hes gonna need some serious straining method to squeeze out the wort

but yeah I typically do between 8 and 12 oz divided into 2 additions. One at flameout the other at ~180F. I figure the 180F addition gets more aroma, less taste so i place my hops accordingly

Ok.. Yeah, that I see.

I misunderstood. I thought you were saying 8 oz in the hopstandl and then another 8 oz in the whirlpool.

 

[m00ps]

well lets not rule anything out...

 

[cantrell00]

Heh. True.

I did a Maris/Munich/Vienna base once with a ctz & ahtanum FWH.

Then 1.5 oz each of chinook, cascade, & centennial hopstand.

Followed with 1.5 oz each of ahtanum, amarillo, & cascade whirlpool.

3 oz simcoe, 1 oz cascade dry hop.

 

[passedpawn]

[stickied]

 

[kevink]

I apologize if I missed it in this thread, but what hoppy ipa or double ipa commercial brews would you rate the highest?

 

[cantrell00]

I apologize if I missed it in this thread, but what hoppy ipa or double ipa commercial brews would you rate the highest?

Cigar City Jai Alai
Heady
Hop, drop & roll, NODA

Too many to list honestly.

 

[LJvermonster]

Heady, sip of sunshine, heavy mettle

 

[BeerGrylls]

Night shift whirlpool wins in the aroma department. I can smell one from down the street.

 

[kevink]

Night shift whirlpool wins in the aroma department. I can smell one from down the street.

You think? I just had one that was canned 6 days ago, and while very, very good, I'm not sure I could smell it down the street! Maybe I should have given it a few more days or a week in the can. I love its unusual aroma, though. I get pineapple and coconut.

 

[SanPancho]

Don't be afraid to use some adjunct/sugars to get you to your OG. I prefer it low, like 1-3% but am a huge fan of dark brown sugar. Again, its my personal preference but these can be used to thin out a beer at a higher mash temp, 153 and up and give it a nice "kick" in terms of complexity. This can help to keep the taste simple, light and crisp and allow the drinker to focus on the the hop profile, or at least, not detract to from it
li

Curious to know a little more about flavor from brown sugar?

 

[brewski09]

Curious to know a little more about flavor from brown sugar?

I think it's just a light processed molasses flavor. I don't like brown sugar in my beer, just my coffee. I use turbinado sugar or some other raw-ish form of sugar personally.

 

[Calichusetts]

Curious to know a little more about flavor from brown sugar?

I think it's just a light processed molasses flavor. I don't like brown sugar in my beer, just my coffee. I use turbinado sugar or some other raw-ish form of sugar personally.

This. Slightly darker in color as well. I love the smell in the wort too. Turbinado is also a favorite of mine.

Used it in my imperial red I plan on crashing in a few days. Then a nice double dry hop.

 

[Deckers_Beers]

I have what seems to be a unique a problem with my IPAs regarding refrigeration... after quite a bit of searching I haven't found any info regarding my specific problem...

Basically, if I refrigerate an IPA for more than a week or so, the hop aroma is totally gone, and the hop flavor is barely there.

Here's my story:
I bottled my west-coast IPA on 3/12. I cracked a bottle yesterday (5/9) that had been sitting in the fridge for at least 2 weeks. There was no hop aroma, and the hop flavor was barely there. This also happened with my last two hoppy beers, but I did not document it (which was stupid). So I grabbed another bottle from my fermentation/conditioning chamber and put it in the fridge. It sat there for just over 24 hours, and I am drinking it as I write this. All the hop loveliness I was hoping for is still there, and has barely waned in the almost 2 months since I bottled it.

WHAT GIVES?!?!?!?!

Where did I mess up? I must've screwed SOMETHING up for an ordinarily great IPA to lose all hop goodness after a decent refrigeration. All these posts I read say to refrigerate for 2 weeks BEFORE drinking! If I did that, I'd have to pour out my whole batch

I've had this same problem with both extract and all-grain IPAs, and my technique has changed significantly since I made that jump, so I'm not sure what it is that I'm doing... I can't believe the immense difference between the lifeless ale I drank yesterday and the hops dancing on my palate right now.

I'm planning on brewing a hoppy wheat next week, and I don't want the same thing to happen again. Homebrewtalk, you're my only hope.

 

[Nomofett]

How long did you let it warm up post fridge/pre drinking?

 

[Calichusetts]

The hop oils are probably dropping out with the yeast, it can be an issue with kegging. I started keg hopping to avoid this.

Cold crash prior to your final dry hopping might help

 

[Deckers_Beers]

How long did you let it warm up post fridge/pre drinking?

I opened the bottle right out of the fridge, but it was sitting in the glass for awhile with no improvement.

 

[Deckers_Beers]

The hop oils are probably dropping out with the yeast, it can be an issue with kegging. I started keg hopping to avoid this.

Cold crash prior to your final dry hopping might help

previously I've dry-hopped for 2 weeks, right before bottling. I unfortunately don't have the space/equipment for cold crashing right now. I only have the one chest freezer and I use that for fermentation and bottle conditioning.

But there has to be something I'm doing wrong for the hops to drop out so extremely...