Double IPA Tits-Up Imperial IPA (3-Time Medalist - 2 Golds, 1 Silver)

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My second batch of this beer is currently fermenting away in my closet. The first batch was true to spirit, but I had to make a few bittering hop changes due to availability. We drank that beer as fast as humanly possible, it was so good.
 
Howdy,
This is my second all grain brew, brewed it up yesterday. Missed my OG numbers by a bit, but I figured out what I was doing wrong (never set up my equipment correctly in beersmith, so I used too much water). I did my very first starter too, and I also bought an O2 tank and wand with a stone at the end.

So as expected I am bubbling away quite nicely, so much so that I had to install a blow off tube into a bucket of water as the S airlock was full of crud. It smells exquisite, and although my OG was only 1.072 I'm figuring this will be a great brew to be learning on.

So it's in my freezer with a johnson temp controller, fermenting away at 68º. In a month I'll transfer to a carboy and dry hop, by then I should have purchased a keg and be ready to learn how to keg and bottle from a keg.

Thanks BierMuncher, I may not have as much luck as you with this recipe on my first attempt but from the smell of it I'll have a tasty mistake! :mug:
 
A few shots from yesterday. I so don't have my system down yet, but I'm getting there!

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Just took a sample of this after 5 days of dry hopping. This stuff is going be incredibly dangerous. I can't wait.
First time using honey malt, you can really taste it in this beer. Given the outrageous hop schedule I can see it would be extremely easy to overuse it..but man this is good. Cold crashing begins tomorrow evening, and then the hard part. Kegging, and waiting.
 
This brew was a smash hit at my wedding. By far the most popular of the three brews I made for the reception (other was the Raging Irish Red and a Limeade Wheat Shandy). Thanks for the awesome recipe! I'm glad I made an 8 gallon batch because now I have my 2.5 gallon keg all to myself mwahaha :drunk:
 
Ok, just moved it over to my keg (this is my first time kegging too). It's been 13 days since I dry hopped, and today I just check FG along with moving it to the keg. OMG....I couldn't believe the smell, it was wonderful! It's weighing in at 8.25% abv (OG 1.072, FG 1.010) and it looks really pretty light and clear. Nice orangey look to it, amber but pretty clear. And the taste... WOW! It tastes so fresh with a nice little warmth to the alcohol, and that's uncarbonated at room temperature.

So I'm following BierMuncher's recommended carbonation routine which is, if I've got this right, leave it in the keg at room temp uncarbonated for 2 weeks to age. Then pop it in the kegorator and pressurize at 30 for 24 hours. Clear the top pressure with the relief valve and set at 10 psi, serve. Does that sound about right? I did crack the co2 and bled out the air, just to get the oxygen out of the head space.

Let me know if this all sounds right. I am a patient man, but I have to say I can't wait to pull a pint for real!
 
kenmcchord said:
Ok, just moved it over to my keg (this is my first time kegging too). It's been 13 days since I dry hopped, and today I just check FG along with moving it to the keg. OMG....I couldn't believe the smell, it was wonderful! It's weighing in at 8.25% abv (OG 1.072, FG 1.010) and it looks really pretty light and clear. Nice orangey look to it, amber but pretty clear. And the taste... WOW! It tastes so fresh with a nice little warmth to the alcohol, and that's uncarbonated at room temperature.

So I'm following BierMuncher's recommended carbonation routine which is, if I've got this right, leave it in the keg at room temp uncarbonated for 2 weeks to age. Then pop it in the kegorator and pressurize at 30 for 24 hours. Clear the top pressure with the relief valve and set at 10 psi, serve. Does that sound about right? I did crack the co2 and bled out the air, just to get the oxygen out of the head space.

Let me know if this all sounds right. I am a patient man, but I have to say I can't wait to pull a pint for real!
Click to expand...

You did the right thing filling the head space with co2. Pushing 5 weeks since you brewed? I'd go ahead and set it to carbonate now. When properly fermented, and this was if you used a starter, fermentation chamber and oxygen; a beer like this is best served fresh. I'd set that puppy to 10 psi and you'll b e drinking it in a week or so.

Also, its time to think about another batch if you want another keg ready to drink in 6 weeks!
 
Thanks, I'm heading downstairs to move it to the cooler and put the co2 on at 10 psi. Been reading the sticky thread on forced carbonation and seems it should be ready to go with a week or so of steady 10-12 psi in the cooler.

Thanks for the advice. And yes, next brew day is Oct 28th, going to have my niece's boy friend helping me. Wish I could brew sooner but out of town later today, GABF next weekend then my son's wedding the following weekend. Ugh, I'll be ready to either brew by the 28th or hang myself! Winter Warmer is next, then a black IPA. I love this homebrewing thing.
 
I brewed this yesterday and there was really no clear cut instructions. I ended up with 4 gallons after the boil and added 2.5 gallons of water before dropping it in the primary. Can someone post step by step instructions for this recipe? This was my 3rd brew and I hope I got it right,
 
Many thanks to BierMuncher, what a recipe!

I just wanted to give a quick update on my efforts to brew this fantastic ale. I kegged and forced carbonated for 10-12 days, then drew a glass (ok a snuck a few glasses while I was awaiting the final product). Holy **** was it good! Damn near perfect, great citrusy grapefruity flavor, along with a nice warm fuzziness :drunk: I loved it, and I agree this is damn close to Pliny. And I actually was luck enough to have traveled to Denver the weekend before I tapped this brew to join in the GABF. I had multiple glasses of Pliny at Cheeky Monks in Denver throughout the weekend (that place is great too). So once I tried the Tit's Up I was amazed as to how close it seemed to be to the Pliny I had the weekend before.

One last note, my son got married the weekend after the Tits Up was ready to drink. My brother and brother in law, along with my help, practically killed that keg! I was brewing last weekend, a winter warmer, with my nephew and we kicked the keg. Bummer....

I can't wait to make this one again. Nice job Biermuncher!
 
mando_dando said:
I brewed this yesterday and there was really no clear cut instructions. I ended up with 4 gallons after the boil and added 2.5 gallons of water before dropping it in the primary. Can someone post step by step instructions for this recipe? This was my 3rd brew and I hope I got it right,
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Sounds like you're not clear on your mash volumes. Do you know what your OG was before and after you added the 2.5 gals of water? It will probably be helpful to know your setup before anyone tries to help you get this right.

Personally I am still a bit of a newbie, but I'm getting my system down more and more after every brew. Whatever your issues are I'm sure we can figure this out. Give us a bit more info on your system (mash tun, or if you're using extracts, boil kettle, where you got your water volume numbers from, etc).

Good luck.
 
kenmcchord said:
Sounds like you're not clear on your mash volumes. Do you know what your OG was before and after you added the 2.5 gals of water? It will probably be helpful to know your setup before anyone tries to help you get this right.

Personally I am still a bit of a newbie, but I'm getting my system down more and more after every brew. Whatever your issues are I'm sure we can figure this out. Give us a bit more info on your system (mash tun, or if you're using extracts, boil kettle, where you got your water volume numbers from, etc).

Good luck.
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I couldnt measure my OG because I didnt have the tools at the time. I think a step by step instruction for this recipe would do the everyone wonders.

I didnt have a mash tun, didnt run extracts. I steeped the ingredients and added the hops by time as shown in the original recipe, I ended up with a gravity of about 1.010 I believe, my ABV is around 4%. I did taste it yesterday and I was more than thrilled with the outcome. Its the best beer I have ever tasted and its not even carbonated.
 
gonna brew this up next to try to deplete some of my hops i have in storage. Had to substitute a few hops. I used beer smith to make sure all the ibus stayed the same. Do these look like ok subs?

original Substitute
Columbus (FWH) ----- Centennial
Nugget (45min) ----- Warrior
Crystal (10min) ------ Willamette
Summit (dry hop) ------ Warrior
 
sgraham602 said:
gonna brew this up next to try to deplete some of my hops i have in storage. Had to substitute a few hops. I used beer smith to make sure all the ibus stayed the same. Do these look like ok subs?

original Substitute
Columbus (FWH) ----- Centennial
Nugget (45min) ----- Warrior
Crystal (10min) ------ Willamette
Summit (dry hop) ------ Warrior
Click to expand...

They look good to me. :mug:
 
I've had my eye on this recipe for a long time...finally got around to brewing it this past week. Added some Belgian Aromatic malt to add a little more color and bumped up the Honey malt by 1/2 lb (mistake on my part). Also added a bit more corn sugar to accommodate my system efficiency. I also used the Gleneagles variant of the Maris Otter as it happens to be a personal favorite. Hit my adjusted target of 1.094 right on the button. Also ran it through 2 oz of Amarillo leaf hops with my Hop Rocket. Fermenting nicely at present...really looking forward to this one.
 
Moved into secondary and added dry hops. Very nice flavor...had some decent hop flavors prior to dry hopping...hope to bring it up a notch. Looked at my hop leftovers after a busy month of brewing and I think I have enough leftovers for a second round of dry hopping next week :)
 
Picked up the ingredients to brew this on next Saturday. I'll follow the recipe exactly for the first go. I'll end up kegging this too. I'm excited, after a year of brewing this will be my first "big beer" and my first AG IPA. Done a few other extract IPAs and about half a dozen AG BIAB.

cheers!
 
I kegged my batch this morning. It has been tasting pretty good all along the way. I was really impressed with the hop flavor profile...this brew likely has the most hop flavor I have ever encountered. I expected more hop aromas to match, although they seemed a bit underwhelming in comparison to the flavor profile. Could be a combination of the cold crash temperature and lack of carbonation at this point. Just about there now :)
 
I know its been a while but what happen if i add the late hop addition with the hops for dry hopping? do you think i can get more flavor and aroma by avoiding the primary fermentation? (somebody says that the CO2 from fermentation scrub the hop aroma)
 
Really, truly, enjoying this brew. Has easily jumped into one of my all time favorite spots. Thanks so much for sharing, BierMuncher! Trying to get an updated photo from SWMBO with hops in place of the strawberries so I can have a label worthy of the brew :)

titsup.jpg
 
mando_dando said:
I brewed this yesterday and there was really no clear cut instructions. I ended up with 4 gallons after the boil and added 2.5 gallons of water before dropping it in the primary. Can someone post step by step instructions for this recipe? This was my 3rd brew and I hope I got it right,
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there is no such thing as "step by step instructions", cuz if there was, they could write a book on the steps and become wealthy. Even the book "Home Brewing for Dummies", does not have step by step instructions.
 
PackerfaninSanDiego said:
there is no such thing as "step by step instructions", cuz if there was, they could write a book on the steps and become wealthy. Even the book "Home Brewing for Dummies", does not have step by step instructions.
Click to expand...


Yea figured that out last year. I tweaked it a bit and it is the best beer all of my friends have ever had. Cheers!


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
I usually don't care for IPAs, brewed this for some family visiting next week. I just cracked open a bottle today. This is a fantastic beer. It is very well balanced, not bitter from all the hops, yet a super hop aroma. I missed 1/2 ounce of dry hop centennial because I spaced out, but added 2 ounces of liberty to the dry hop (had it laying around). I love this beer. Thanks BierMuncher for the recipe.
 
BierMuncher said:
Oh yeah baby...:ban:

This batch has been resting in the keg in my brew shop at 65 degrees for right at 2.5 months now.

Hooked it up to gas last week and chilled it and POW. It is amazing.

Big IIPA sweetness but equally strong bitterness. The Centennial flies through the malt at the end and lingers forever. Nice alcohol warmth.

I think I'm right at the sweet spot with this one where the alcohol and hops harshness has tamed...but the hop flavor/aroma are still peaking.

This achieved my goal of coming up with a batch of beer that closely resemble Pliny, since I can't get it here. I no longer have a commercial version to compare it against :)mad:), but my senses tell me it is a close enough version to satisfy my cravings.

I might just have to send a 12 ouncer of this along to my 999 recipients.
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Going to be my first all grain beer. You mention kegging. After 14 days in the secondary could I add some priming sugar and bottle? Any other recommendations for a man with no keg system?


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
trapanesed said:
Going to be my first all grain beer. You mention kegging. After 14 days in the secondary could I add some priming sugar and bottle? Any other recommendations for a man with no keg system?


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
Click to expand...

This beer bottle conditions very well. Just make sure you are at terminal final gravety for a good 2 weeks to allow residdual sugars to dry out.
 
Just brewed up a 2.5 gallon batch of this last night. Ended up with 3 gallons of 1.086 wort in the fermenter. Guess I didn't get the boil off I was expecting using my stove as opposed to my burner. Smelled great and hoppy. Wasn't able to find any honey malt so I hope that it will still be good without. Plan on keg conditioning with some honey to try to get a bit of the flavor.

Also wasn't able to get any crystal hops, so subbed tettnang that I had laying around.
 
As others have noted, this ages well. I'm drinking it at around 9 months now, and it's tasty. Just had Harpoon's Leviathan imperial IPA, and this is better.



Sent from my iPad using Home Brew
 
I used BierMuncher's recipe in the OP and turned out the tastiest beer I've ever brewed.

OG: 1.082
FG: 1.015

2 weeks primary, racked to secondary and dry-hopped for 2 weeks, cold crashed 1 day, kegged and carbed 7 days. This stuff is absolutely divine...and it keeps getting better with age.

Thanks a lot, BierMuncher!
 
i can hit OG without the corn sugar since my efficiency is in the upper 80s. should i just skip the corn sugar or adjust the grain and add it?

prob will brew this in a couple weeks when my ferment chamber has some room.
 
j1n said:
i can hit OG without the corn sugar since my efficiency is in the upper 80s. should i just skip the corn sugar or adjust the grain and add it?

prob will brew this in a couple weeks when my ferment chamber has some room.
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Usually efficiency suffers when you have a large grain bill such as this. Are you hitting upper 80s with a grain bill this large? If so, just scale it back with the same ratios and you should be good.
 
Popped one open this weekend and was really solid. Messed up sparging and got around 5 abv; nonetheless, very good


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
I'm getting ready to brew this one for the first time, but wondering if I should do a hop stand. Anyone else done a hop stand with this beer and, if so, did you simply add the late addition hops for the stand instead of adding them at the specified intervals? I've never done a hop stand before, but have read good things.
 
Would love to do this next, but gotta get some bulk hops first. Got a feeling once I brew one of these baby's, I'll be doing a lot more.
 

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