West Coast IPA

[sakul]

So with all these NEIPA beers causing a storm I would like to go back and brew a good West Coast style IPA.
Are these still being done the same ways these days or have brewers been changing hop schedules ? like loads more whirlpool and late additions as opposed to early 60min ones.

I have columbus, simcoe, cascade and galaxy to use in this brew. maganum for bittering if needed.

what are your favourite hop schedules for this style?

cheers,

 

[SanPancho]

C’s. Maybe some simcoe for some pine and touch of fruit.
Extract for clean bittering, or maybe a 30 minute countdown with clean bitterness like warrior or ctz or magnum. Or you can do massive FO addition and get the ibus there with flavor to boot.

Forget the crystal malts, just pale ale base with a touch of something like munich, victory, etc.

For dry hops im not sure id add them early. More like near the end of primary. Up to you on that part.

 

[Desertbrewer]

IMHO, there is some merit to the idea of “layering” the hops throughout the process in west coast ipa.

Bittering at 60, then small amounts at 20, 10, then a big flameout addition. Depends what you’re going for, but a substantial dry hop is important to me for that fresh flavor and aroma I want from IPA.

That combo actually sounds pretty good to me, magnum is nice for bittering. I’d use Columbus for kettle additions, combo for whirlpool, and use the simcoe, galaxy and cascade for the dry hop.

Recently made a very good WCIPA at 6.7%, mostly all base malt, and this was my hop schedule:

1 oz Chinook (fwh )
.5 oz cascade (20)
.5 oz centennial (10)
1 oz simcoe, centennial, chinook (FO steep 15 mins)

Dry hop
1 oz simcoe, 1 oz chinook, 1 oz centennial, 1 oz cascade


The bitterness was on point once the beer cleared up (used US05). I think this hop schedule would work for what you’re going for here as well.

 

[Queequeg]

I have never brewed an neipa, but I have been brewing "westcoast" ipa's for sometime with many of the techniques that people now ( wrongly imo) associate with neipa's. To me neipa's are purely about the water profile. I even use the same yeast as many niepas I just bitter more strongly and use a sulphate rich water profile.

So I do a big hopstand ( low temperature )with a single kettle addition at 60 mins. I then dry hop in the fermenter on day 3, keg on day 7 and dry hop in the keg for 3 days before chill and carb.

I mix C hop and fruity varieties.

 

[JacktardBrewmeister]

My DIPA I go insane but get the IBUs on the lighter side at (so scale mine back if needed)
1oz Belma Hops and Citra (60)
0.5oz Williamette and Cascade (30)
0.5 oz Galena (5)

Make sure to add a pound of coconut sugar during the last 15 minutes. Your yeast will love your for it.

 

[AZBeer]

I do a lot of WCIPAs. Not a huge fan of the NEIPAs, but I am a sucker for a good, dry, bitter west coast version.

Crystal malts get a bad rap these days, but I like a small amount in my IPAs. My go to IPA grains:
75% base
15% white wheat
7-8% Dextrose
Whatever % is left C60

I usually use Columbus for bittering, FWH or 60 mins. Usually shoot for 60-80 IBUs.
Simcoe, Cascade, Galaxy all work. I'd probably throw in a mix of the 3 @ 15 or 10 minutes, then a mix @ flameout or whirlpool, then a mix for a 5ish day dryhop when you are a few points away from terminal gravity.

I typically use WLP 090 or WLP001.

 

[couchsending]

Pliny is

2row, 2% English C60, dextrose

90 min boil

Hops at 90/45/30/whirlpool

Chico yeast

Two dry hops charges after fermentation and after dropping as much yeast as possible.

In my mind that’s your West Coast reference so go from there.

 

[sakul]

cool thanks for some of the responses

I have put the below together ,

FERMENTABLES:
7 kg - American - Pale Ale (84.5%)
1 kg - German - Munich Light (14.5%)
85 g - German - Acidulated Malt (1%)

HOPS:
20 g - Magnum, 60 min, IBU: 28.29
12.5 g - Simcoe, 10 min, IBU: 5.04
12.5 g - Columbus, 10 min, IBU: 6.41
12.5 g - Centennial, 10 min, IBU: 4.27
12.5 g - Galaxy, 10 min, IBU: 5.94
12.5 g - Simcoe, 5 min, IBU: 2.77
12.5 g - Columbus, 5 min, IBU: 3.52
12.5 g - Centennial, 5 min, IBU: 2.35
12.5 g - Galaxy, 5 min, IBU: 3.27
50 g - Simcoe, Whirlpool for 30 min at 80c
50 g - Columbus, Whirlpool for 30 min at 80c
50 g - Centennial, Whirlpool for 30 min at 80c
50 g - Galaxy, Whirlpool for 30 min at 80c
50 g - Simcoe, Dry Hop for 7 days
50 g - Columbus, Dry Hop for 7 days
50 g - Centennial, Dry Hop for 7 days
50 g - Galaxy, Dry Hop for 7 days

 

[Queequeg]

Personally I wouldn't bother with the 10min and 5 mind additions. If you want a kettle addition just use 1 time point. If it where me I would just use Columbus in the boil, maybe 0.5oz (14g) and move all other kettle additions to the stand and dry hop. This is because the flavours largely get driven off in the kettle the ones that survive tend to be the robust ones like resinous flavours.

 

[sakul]

I seem to have a thinking towards adding layers of flavour with some late boil addition ?

have you experimented with this ?

 

[Queequeg]

My experience is it doesn't really work like that. You tend to get some bittering qualities from late kettle additions but I'm not sure how much flavour you get

 

[thehaze]

My experience with late additions and whirlpooling at lower temperatures, tells me that you get a lot of flavour and especially depth of flavour. Granted, the whirlpool will add more than late additions, but I would not ditch late additions, especially when you go after a West Coast.

I have dropped all 60 minutes bittering additions, in all my IPAs, Pale Ales, Bitters, etc. in favour for more hops in the last 15-20 minutes and whirlpool. And this is with great results.

OP writes " I have columbus, simcoe, cascade and galaxy to use in this brew. maganum for bittering if needed. " . I would definitely use Columbus, Simcoe and Galaxy. Skip Cascade for this one. These 3 hops will produce a fine aroma and flavour profile for an IPA.

 

[sakul]

My experience with late additions and whirlpooling at lower temperatures, tells me that you get a lot of flavour and especially depth of flavour. Granted, the whirlpool will add more than late additions, but I would not ditch late additions, especially when you go after a West Coast.

I have dropped all 60 minutes bittering additions, in all my IPAs, Pale Ales, Bitters, etc. in favour for more hops in the last 15-20 minutes and whirlpool. And this is with great results.

OP writes " I have columbus, simcoe, cascade and galaxy to use in this brew. maganum for bittering if needed. " . I would definitely use Columbus, Simcoe and Galaxy. Skip Cascade for this one. These 3 hops will produce a fine aroma and flavour profile for an IPA.

thanks thehaze

so you think i should drop centennial then and just go with the 3 hops ? my hop schedule post 8

will drop the 60m and make up ibu at 15min with columbus

 

[thehaze]

You can keep Centennial in the boil and whirlpool, but skip dry hopping with it. Instead, add more Simcoe to the dry hop or Galaxy. Galaxy can be really overpowering, but if you like it, you can go the same amount for both Simcoe and Galaxy and some Columbus in the background, for earthy, dank notes.