Brewing After Success

On Tuesday I found out I passed the NY Bar Exam. I still feel like I'm walking on air. Anyway, I just brewed a celebratory batch of homebrew, which should be ready in a few months on account of its need to lager. That's right, I brewed one of my favorite obscure styles, a Düsseldorf Altbier. Recently I decided foreign Pilsner malt can suck it and that I prefer the cheaper Canadian stuff - it's just so much cheaper and has a more neutral flavor. But this recipe also has some lovely German Carafa Special II Malt for color (no domestic maltster makes anything that comes close to Germany's fine dehusked chocolate malt), as well as a judicious dose of German Munich Malt, Melanoidin Malt, and a pinch of Caramunich, as well. I expect this beer to have a complex, malty flavor, balanced by a floral noble-esque hop profile. This style is all about balance, and the best of the examples are also pretty dry, so I mashed at 148F for 60 minutes, to get it dry. I also bitched a large dose of yeast to help things get going. Visible fermentation began in a matter of hours.

Here's the recipe:

Recipe: Zum Esquire
Style: 7C-Amber Hybrid Beer-Dusseldorf Altbier

Wort Volume Before Boil: 8.50 US gals
Wort Volume After Boil: 6.13 US gals
Volume Transferred: 5.50 US gals
Volume At Pitching: 5.50 US gals
Final Batch Volume: 5.25 US gals
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.036 SG
Expected OG: 1.050 SG
Expected FG: 1.011 SG
Expected ABV: 5.2 %
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 41.3
Expected Color: 12.0 SRM
Apparent Attenuation: 77.5 %
Mash Efficiency: 80.0 %
Boil Duration: 90.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature: 64 degF

Fermentables
Canadian Pils Malt 7lb 0oz (67.5 %) In Mash/Steeped
German Munich Malt 2lb 4oz (21.7 %) In Mash/Steeped
German Melanoidin Malt 8.00 oz (4.8 %) In Mash/Steeped
Belgian Caramel Munich Malt 60 8.00 oz (4.8 %) In Mash/Steeped
German Carafa Special II 2.00 oz (1.2 %) In Mash/Steeped

Hops
US Magnum (17.0 % alpha) 14 g Loose Whole Hops used 60 Min From End
US Crystal (5.6 % alpha) 28 g Loose Whole Hops used 20 Min From End
US Crystal (5.6 % alpha) 30 g Loose Whole Hops used 5 Min From End

Yeast: White Labs WLP029-German Ale/Kolsch

Mash at 148F for 60 min

Drinking After Law School

I have been a major beer drinker since May 2010 when I graduated from law school. While I have also enjoyed the fine wine selection available at Costco and the Davis Food Co-Op, it's really the ability to buy singles of all the fine craft beer that has subsidized my homebrew consumption best.

Today I am doing something I have done before but this time I'm writing about it - the 12 oz single-style beer flight. No one is stewarding for me, so this test isn't blind, but I am drinking a few beers today (maybe more tomorrow) all from the American Pale Ale style, and I will write about them as I would if I were judging them in a BJCP competition. Here goes:

1. New Belgium Mighty Arrow Pale Ale

Aroma
Minty, clean, noble-type and perfumey cascade aroma. No esters. No DMS. Clean malt aroma - no caramel or bread-like aromas. 8/12

Appearance
Crystal crear. Light golden color. Good head retention. 3/3

Flavor
Clean, hop-forward. Good, smooth bitterness. Hop profile is clean and noble-like. Minty, smooth, neutral-tasting. Not very citrusy or fruity. Not spicy. Nearly no malt presence. Pilsner malt? Unique for an American pale ale in that there is not a citrus-hop dominance. No esters or phenols. No alcohol. No off flavors. 13/20

Mouthfeel
Smooth, velvety, medium body. Low-moderate carbonation. 4/5

Overall Impression
A nice, clean, sessionable beer, but it lacks the hop presence that I expect from the style. I would also like a little more malt flavor, and the pilsnery taste seems style-inapproriate. 7/10

35/50

2. Flying Dog Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale

Aroma
Nothing. Almost no aroma. Clean, extremely slight malt and hop aroma, slight sour aroma. 5/12

Appearance
Beautiful pale amber color, crystal clarity. Moderate head retention. 3/3

Flavor
Overly neutral. Slight cascade hop character coupled with very slight caramel sweetness. Not toasty or sweet. Bitterness is good. Some cascade in the finish. This bottle may not be particularly fresh. 10/20

Mouthfeel
Moderate carbonation, light-medium body. 4/5

Overall
Not my cup of tea. This beer lacked flavor overall. Just a not great beer. I believe the bottle wasn't as fresh as it ought to be, but I also don't think this beer is dry-hopped, which it properly should be. 5/10

27/50


3. Lagunitas New Dogtown Pale Ale

Aroma
Unmistakeable cascade hop aroma - perfume, grapefruit, and grainy malt blend to smell like a pale ale ought to. 10/12

Appearance
Deep gold to pale amber, very slight haze. Low head retention. 2/3

Flavor
Firm bitterness almost balanced by grainy malt. No caramel. Hop flavor throughout (especially in finish), but the dominant flavor is the bitterness of the hops, leading to a very dry finish, despite the soft sweetness mid-palate that suggests some residual sugars. 16/20

Mouthfeel
Moderate carbonation contributes to dry finish. Medium-bodied. Smooth, but not incredibly sessionable. 4/5

Overall Impression
Excellent beer, but somewhat unpolished. I would prefer if it were clearer and perhaps had a pinch of Munich-type or caramel-type sweetness. It's a bit one-note with the cascade-type hop flavor and bitterness. Still, a fine craft beer, and what I expect a pale ale to taste like, plus some. 8/10

40/50

Day 2

4. Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale

Aroma
Sorta weak on this one. I am already pretty sure this is not the freshest bottle of Mirror Pond I've ever had. Bready caramely malt and cascade hops. Appealing and it seems fairly drinkable - what I mean is that it smells neutral, but there is detectable hops and malt and some very soft fruity esters - if I closed my eyes, I would guess it was a pale ale.8/12

Appearance
Minimal head with good retention. Very slight haze that doesn't dissipate as the beer warms up. Nice pale amber color. 2/3

Taste
Gentle cascade hop mix of perfume, grapefruit (white, not pink), and pine. Soft bready malt sweetness. Firm but gentle bitterness. Not harsh. Incredibly smooth. Easy. Very restrained fruity esters that become more apparent as it warms. Excellent - and much better at 50F than fresh out of the fridge. 17/20

Mouthfeel
Medium body. Low-moderate carbonation for the style (which I like). Creamy. Very smooth. 5/5

Overall
This is really what a pale ale strives to be. The restrained but noticeable yeast esters really push this one from "good" to "great" for me. I would prefer more dry hops and a bit more clarity, but an excellent beer all-around. 9/10.

41/50


5. Caldera Pale Ale (in a can!)

Aroma
Intense cascade aroma. Citrus, perfume, and a hint of pine. Outrageously good. 11/12

Appearance
Brilliantly clear. Small head that does not persist long. Beautiful pale amber color. 2/3

Flavor
Smooth, but firm bitterness. Crisp pine and perfume. Grapefruit and candy-like maltiness. Excellent. Cascade-powered pale ale to and through. Minerally finish. 18/20

Mouthfeel
Medium body. Moderate carbonation. Not creamy. Very smooth. 4/5

Overall
A classic American pale ale. Cascade hops x^1000000. Cascade at its best - and backed by a fine smooth malt backing. So so good. This is a perfect example of what pale ale ought to be. 9/10

44/50

6. Widmer Bros. Drifter Pale Ale

Aroma
Decidedly "new school" hop aroma - fruit salad. Melon, rock candy, and caramel malt. Sweet-smelling, and very inviting. 10/12

Appearance
Honey-colored medium amber and crystal clear. Poor head retention. 2/3

Flavor
Soft bitterness, sweet malt, fruity hops, and that's about it. But the hop profile is complex and very fruity. There is an ester-like quality, but I am almost certain that is just the hops - really serious stuff. 17/20

Mouthfeel
Decidedly medium-bodied, moderate carbonation. Slightly creamy and very smooth. 4/5

Overall
A very unique pale ale in that it is slightly darker and has an entirely different hop bill than the cascade-heavy standard for the style. Very nice, but it could be improved with a pinch more bitterness and more dry hopping. 8/10

41/50

7. Stone Pale Ale

Aroma
Very mild. Citrusy hops and caramel malt. Some oxidation. 6/12

Appearance
Medium amber color. No head, slight haze. 2/3

Flavor
This beer has no hop flavor and it tastes old and really not fresh. Not unexpected for a bottle of such overpriced and unremarkable beer. 9/20

Mouthfeel
Medium body. Moderate carbonation. Not creamy. 3/5.

Overall Impression
The beer has seen better days. The age really shows and it is a problem. There was no hop flavor and basically the beer tastes of very little other than sweetness. 5/10

25/50

Brewing for a Presentation

So, my presentation before my club, the Greenbelt Brewers Association, is April 19, and my girlfriend and her friend visiting from Portland will be there, so I am extra enthusiastic about keeping it fun and easy to follow - hence lots of tastings and not so much lecturing. I'm presenting on American Pale, Amber, and Brown Ales, so I figured I would get a 6-pack each of pale, amber, and brown ales brewed from bonafide craft breweries, along with some sexy homebrewed exampled brewed by me. I purchased the craft beer in canned form, just because I thought it would be nice to give a little shout-out to those breweries who are helping craft beer lovers know that cans are a great way of storing beer. They are: Caldera Pale Ale, Boont Amber Ale, and Moose Drool Brown Ale. The homebrewed Pale and Amber Ales were described in the last post, but here is what I did with the Brown Ale.

Now American Brown Ales aren't that popular of a style these days, but one thing is for sure, they are malt-forward beers with a somewhat firm bitterness, not unlike their English counterparts. The point to brewing an American brown ale, for a homebrewer, is to build it to your taste, because the style is wide open for interpretation. I stuck with pretty neutral hops for this one and a caramel-sweet, gently roasty recipe with a good deal of quirks. I stuck with WLP001 because I had some on hand.


Hobo Clown Brown
Style: 10C-American Ale-American Brown Ale


Wort Volume Before Boil: 8.00 US gals
Wort Volume After Boil: 7.00 US gals
Volume Transferred: 6.50 US gals
Volume At Pitching: 6.50 US gals
Final Batch Volume: 6.22 US gals
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.041 SG
Expected OG: 1.049 SG
Expected FG: 1.012 SG
Expected ABV: 5.0 %
Expected ABW: 4.0 %
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 29
Expected Color: 20.0 SRM
Apparent Attenuation: 76.4 %
Mash Efficiency: 84.0 %
Boil Duration: 90.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature: 60 degF

Fermentables
UK Pale Ale Malt (Maris Otter) 8lb 8oz (75.3 %) In Mash/Steeped
UK Brown Malt 12.00 oz (6.6 %) In Mash/Steeped
UK Medium Crystal (120EBC) 12.00 oz (6.6 %) In Mash/Steeped
UK Extra Dark Crystal 8.60 oz (4.8 %) In Mash/Steeped
Canadian Honey Malt (Gambrinus) 8.00 oz (4.4 %) In Mash/Steeped
German Roasted Barley 4.00 oz (2.2 %) In Mash/Steeped

Hops
US Delta (6.5 % alpha) 23 g Loose Whole Hops used 60 Min From End
US Glacier (5.7 % alpha) 30 g Loose Whole Hops used 30 Min From End
US Delta (6.5 % alpha) 19 g Loose Whole Hops used 5 Min From End


Yeast: White Labs WLP001-California Ale

Mash at 152 degF for 60 mins

Brewing for Education

This April, I will be giving a presentation on American Ales, that is to say the styles of American Pale, Amber, and Brown ales. There's a lot of recent history to these styles, as they were first invented by American homebrewers and they were the first post-prohibition styles to be created by the American craft beer movement. My presentation will involve tasting three different professional samples that are all "classic" examples of the styles, as well as three homebrewed versions, to contrast how much "room" a brewer has for interpreting the style while still conforming generally to the BJCP guidelines.

As an aside, I plan on using this presentation as an excuse to teach everyone that cans are good for beer. As such, all three of my commercial examples will be canned craft beer (unless there's a great sale that convinces me otherwise). I plan on serving Caldera Pale Ale, Caldera Amber Ale, and Big Sky Moose Drool Brown Ale; but I may switch it up.

I will be brewing the brown ale at home in a couple weeks - and just 5 gallons. But I will be brewing 10 each gallons of pale and amber ale at the house of one of my new mentees from the Greenbelt Brewers Association mentoring program. Following are the recipes, and I will try to remember to post tasting notes and pictures of the brew days and finished beers in due time.

No Fail Pale Ale is intended to be a traditional approach to the American Pale Ale style, with just a little more hop aroma and flavor than usual, as well as the use of very smooth bittering hops. That being said, I expect this beer to come across as a more approachable pale ale than the professional example I expect to serve, Caldera Pale Ale. Since I am using this beer not only to teach about the style to my club, but to teach how to brew the style to my mentees, I decided to go for a Cascade-heavy recipe, since that is the chief hop in Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Caldera Pale Ale, and basically 9/10 craft brewed American pale ales. I am complimenting the perfumey grapefruit quality of the cascades with the "in your face" tangerine-orange peel flavor of Summit hops. The bitterness will be provided largely by the 15 min Summit addition, but also by a small dose of Magnum (an extremely smooth bittering hop) at 60 min.

Recipe: No Fail Pale Ale
Style: 10A-American Ale-American Pale Ale


Volume At Pitching: 11.00 US gals
Final Batch Volume: 10.50 US gals
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.046 SG
Expected OG: 1.054 SG
Expected FG: 1.011 SG
Expected ABV: 5.7 %
Expected ABW: 4.5 %
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 40.5
Expected Color: 6.6 SRM
Apparent Attenuation: 79.5 %
Mash Efficiency: 78.0 % because this will be brewed on someone else's system and they don't know the efficiency, I listed 78% as a guess
Boil Duration: 90.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature: 60 degF

Fermentables
US 2-Row Malt 22lb 0oz (95.7 %) In Mash/Steeped
UK Medium Crystal (120EBC) 1lb 0oz (4.3 %) In Mash/Steeped

Hops
US Magnum (17.0 % alpha) 14 g Loose Whole Hops used 60 Min From End
US Summit (15.5 % alpha) 57 g Bagged Pellet Hops used 15 Min From End
US Cascade (5.7 % alpha) 85 g Bagged Pellet Hops used 5 Min From End
US Cascade (5.7 % alpha) 57 g Bagged Pellet Hops used At turn off
US Cascade (5.7 % alpha) 85 g Loose Pellet Hops used Dry-Hopped

Yeast: White Labs WLP001-California Ale

Mash at 152 degF for 60 mins

Undead Red Ale
Style: 10B-American Ale-American Amber Ale

Wort Volume Before Boil: 14.50 US gals
Wort Volume After Boil: 12.00 US gals
Volume Transferred: 10.00 US gals
Water Added: 1.00 US gals
Volume At Pitching: 11.00 US gals
Final Batch Volume: 10.50 US gals
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.049 SG
Expected OG: 1.054 SG
Expected FG: 1.011 SG
Expected ABV: 5.7 %
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 37.6
Expected Color: 11.5 SRM
Apparent Attenuation: 79 %
Mash Efficiency: 84.0 %
Boil Duration: 90.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature: 58 degF

Fermentables
Canadian Pale Ale Malt 12lb 0oz (51.9 %) In Mash/Steeped
UK Pale Ale Malt (Maris Otter) 5lb 0oz (21.6 %) In Mash/Steeped
German Munich Malt 4lb 0oz (17.3 %) In Mash/Steeped
UK Medium Crystal (120EBC) 2lb 0oz (8.6 %) In Mash/Steeped
German Carafa Special II 2.00 oz (0.5 %) In Mash/Steeped

Hops
US Magnum (17.0 % alpha) 14 g Loose Whole Hops used 60 Min From End
US Simcoe (11.0 % alpha) 58 g Bagged Pellet Hops used 15 Min From End
US Centennial (11.0 % alpha) 113 g Loose Whole Hops used 5 Min From End
US Centennial (11.0 % alpha) 113 g Loose Whole Hops used At turn off
US Centennial (11.0 % alpha) 85 g Loose Whole Hops used Dry-Hopped

Yeast: White Labs WLP001-California Ale

Mash at 150 degF for 60 mins


Futile Resistance Red Ale would have been a double-whammy learning experience, but I opted instead for a full-on traditional Red Ale. I plan to brew Futile Resistance, in the future, though, so I will leave the recipe here, along with my initial idea for the beer. I am not only teaching my mentees about the American Amber style, but I am also going to teach them about brewing with rye. That's because this beer will have a significant shot of rye malt. I am convinced that, after fining this beer and getting it clear, NO ONE will be able to tell from flavor or appearance that there is rye, but they will appreciate the extremely creamy nature of this beer, and learn that rye malt is what did that.

Recipe: Futile Resistance Red Rye Ale
Style: 10B-American Ale-American Amber Ale

Volume At Pitching: 11.00 US gals
Final Batch Volume: 10.50 US gals
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.046 SG
Expected OG: 1.056 SG
Expected FG: 1.013 SG
Expected ABV: 5.7 %
Expected ABW: 4.5 %
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 40.7
Expected Color: 12.0 SRM
Apparent Attenuation: 76.4 %
Mash Efficiency: 84.0 %
Boil Duration: 90.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature: 58 degF

Fermentables
Canadian Pale Ale Malt 13lb 0oz (54.2 %) In Mash/Steeped
German Munich Malt 4lb 0oz (16.7 %) In Mash/Steeped
US Rye Malt 4lb 0oz (16.7 %) In Mash/Steeped
UK Medium Crystal (120EBC) 1lb 0oz (4.2 %) In Mash/Steeped
US Caramel 120L Malt 1lb 0oz (4.2 %) In Mash/Steeped
US Rice Hulls 1lb 0oz (4.2 %) In Mash/Steeped

Hops
US Magnum (17.0 % alpha) 14 g Loose Whole Hops used 60 Min From End
US Centennial (11.0 % alpha) 85 g Loose Whole Hops used 15 Min From End
US Amarillo (8.5 % alpha) 57 g Loose Pellet Hops used 5 Min From End
US Amarillo (8.5 % alpha) 85 g Loose Pellet Hops used At turn off
US Amarillo (8.5 % alpha) 85 g Loose Pellet Hops used Dry-Hopped

Yeast: White Labs WLP001-California Ale

Mash at 152 degF for 60 mins

Back in Black (IPA)

So about ten days ago I brewed up another Black IPA. This one is bigger and badder than other ones I've brewed. I did an 11 gallon batch, and I will be pouring 5 gallons of it at the Expo Center for Sac Beer Week. Since Black IPA is a style so indelibly linked to the beer scene in Portland - in part due to the annoying Northwestern habit of naming everything after the northwest - I decided to name this one "Dream of the 90's Black IPA"

Here's what I got:

Recipe: Dream of the 90's Black IPA
Style: 23 Imperial Black IPA

Expected OG: 1.075 SG
Expected FG: 1.013 SG
Expected ABV: 8.3 %
Expected ABW: 6.5 %
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 95.6
Expected Color: 31.3 SRM
Apparent Attenuation: 81.3 %
Mash Efficiency: 81.0 %
Boil Duration: 90.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature: 58 degF

Fermentables
Canadian Pale Ale Malt 26lb 0oz (80.1 %) In Mash/Steeped
German Munich Type II 2lb 0oz (6.1 %) In Mash/Steeped
UK Medium Crystal (120EBC) 1lb 8oz (4.6 %) In Mash/Steeped
German Melanoidin Malt 1lb 0oz (3.1 %) In Mash/Steeped
German Carafa Special II 2lb 0oz (6.2 %) added at Sparge

Hops
US Delta (5.0 % alpha) 42 g First Wort Hopped
US Magnum (17.0 % alpha) 28 g 60 Min From End
US Summit (15.5 % alpha) 57 g 15 Min From End
US Citra (14.2 % alpha) 57 g 15 Min From End
US Simcoe (12.7 % alpha) 57 g 15 Min From End
US Centennial (11.0 % alpha) 57 g 5 Min From End
US Citra (14.2 % alpha) 57 g 5 Min From End
US Simcoe (12.7 % alpha) 57 g 5 Min From End
US Simcoe (12.7 % alpha) 71 g At turn off
US Citra (14.2 % alpha) 28 g At turn off
US Centennial (11.0 % alpha) 28 g At turn off
US Simcoe (12.7 % alpha) 57 g Dry-Hopped
US Citra (14.2 % alpha) 28 g Dry-Hopped
US Centennial (11.0 % alpha) 28 g Dry-Hopped


Yeast: East Coast Yeast ECY 10-Old Newark Ale

Step: Rest at 149 degF for 60 mins

Recipe Notes
Add Carafa Special II at sparge and sparge cool (150F-160F) for 15 min. 
 
Ferment at 58F for 2 weeks, then raise to ambient temperature. After fermentation is complete, reduce the temperature to 30F for 2 days before adding gelatin. Then leave at 30F for 3-5 days before racking into keg or secondary. Dry hop in secondary or keg at ambient temperature for 10-14 days and drop to 30F for 2 days before bottling/carbonating.

Brewing at Sanatar's - Hopfenweizen and a Double Mountain IRA clone

My club is manning a booth at Cal Expo for Sacramento Beer Week, so I set myself to the task of brewing a couple kegs-worth of good beer to represent our club. One batch is going to be a bigger, badder version of my Rose City Black IPA, and the other is a collaborative brew. My friend John (who I think is the club president), had a bunch of wheat malt lying around and I had a bunch of pilsner malt taking up space, so I figured we could brew a wheat beer - but with a twist. We're brewing a beer that meets the reinheitsgebot definition of a "Weizen" (meaning nothing but hops, water, malt, and yeast - with greater than 51% of the malt being wheat), but would drink like a hoppy American Pale Ale. We're calling this style "Hopfenweizen" which means "hoppy wheat beer" in German. There is a beer out in the midwest that I've never had called Gumballhead, which is said to be similar, but I have never had it, so I can only guess as to how this beer is going to taste.

We brewed it at John's because his garage is a much nicer place to brew than my tiny apartment balcony. In addition to the hopfenweizen, we brewed a "slightly-bigger-than-the-real-thing" clone of Double Mountain IRA, a beer I miss not being able to get since leaving Portland. There was a twist to this, too (in addition to making it bigger and hoppier) - I split the 12 gallon batch of the IRA into 2 fermenters and am fermenting one with WLP540 Belgian Abbey IV, a Belgian strain nearly identical to the one Double Mountain uses; and the other fermenter was going with ECY10 Old Newark Ale- an American yeast strain sourced from the now-defunct old Ballantine Brewery in Newark, NJ. The American one is fermenting in the mid-high 50's fahrenheit and the Belgian is fermenting in the mid-high 60's fahrenheit. This is the first time I have split a batch like this, and I am pretty excited to see how it will turn out.

The recipes are below. I will post tasting notes and pictures of the beers when they are done.

Recipe: Greenbelt Hopfenweizen
Style: 10A-American Ale-American Pale Ale

Recipe Overview

Wort Volume Before Boil: 14.70 US gals
Wort Volume After Boil: 12.75 US gals
Volume Transferred: 11.00 US gals
Water Added: 0.00 US gals
Volume At Pitching: 11.00 US gals
Final Batch Volume: 10.50 US gals
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.042 SG
Expected OG: 1.048 SG
Expected FG: 1.009 SG
Expected ABV: 5.2 %
Expected ABW: 4.1 %
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 40.2
Expected Color: 5.0 SRM
Apparent Attenuation: 81.2 %
Mash Efficiency: 79.0 %
Boil Duration: 90.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature: 58 degF

Fermentables
US White Wheat Malt 10lb 8oz (48.8 %) In Mash/Steeped
Canadian Pils Malt 9lb 8oz (44.2 %) In Mash/Steeped
US Rice Hulls 1lb 0oz (4.7 %) In Mash/Steeped
UK Medium Crystal (120EBC) 8.00 oz (2.3 %) In Mash/Steeped

Hops
US Summit (15.5 % alpha) 30 g Loose Pellet Hops used 60 Min From End
US Amarillo (6.8 % alpha) 40 g Loose Pellet Hops used 15 Min From End
US Amarillo (6.8 % alpha) 90 g Loose Whole Hops used 5 Min From End
US Amarillo (6.8 % alpha) 90 g Loose Whole Hops used At turn off
US Amarillo (6.8 % alpha) 90 g Loose Whole Hops used Dry-Hopped


Yeast: White Labs WLP001-California Ale

Mash at 151 degF for 60 mins


Recipe: Double Mountain IRA
Style: 14B-India Pale Ale(IPA)-American IPA

Recipe Overview

Wort Volume Before Boil: 16.00 US gals
Wort Volume After Boil: 14.00 US gals
Volume Transferred: 11.00 US gals
Water Added: 0.00 US gals
Volume At Pitching: 11.00 US gals
Final Batch Volume: 10.50 US gals
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.060 SG
Expected OG: 1.068 SG
Expected FG: 1.013 SG
Expected ABV: 7.4 %
Expected ABW: 5.8 %
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 73.6
Expected Color: 9.6 SRM
Apparent Attenuation: 80.0 %
Mash Efficiency: 85.0 %
Boil Duration: 90.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature: 64 degF

Fermentables
Canadian Pils Malt 28lb 0oz (91.8 %) In Mash/Steeped
UK Medium Crystal (120EBC) 2lb 8oz (8.2 %) In Mash/Steeped

Hops
US Columbus(Tomahawk) (10.0 % alpha) 57 g Bagged Pellet Hops used 60 Min From End
US Magnum (10.0 % alpha) 28 g Bagged Pellet Hops used 60 Min From End
US Simcoe (12.7 % alpha) 113 g Loose Whole Hops used 15 Min From End
US Simcoe (12.7 % alpha) 113 g Loose Whole Hops used 5 Min From End
US Simcoe (12.7 % alpha) 113 g Loose Whole Hops used At turn off
US Simcoe (12.7 % alpha) 113 g Loose Whole Hops used Dry-Hopped


Yeast: White Labs WLP540-Abbey IV Ale Yeast and East Coast Yeast ECY10-Old Newark Ale

Mash at 151 degF for 60 mins

Recipe Notes
Split into two fermenters, one half fermented with WLP540 and one half fermented with ECY10.

English IPA

My most recent beers were a few English Pale Ales - specifically a best bitter and an ESB. I also used an English yeast for my Porter. Since I had all this nice English yeast ready to go, I decided to use it for an English-style India Pale Ale.

Now, for the English IPA, first of all, I would like to direct those of you who are reading this to my favorite beer blog, "Shut Up About Barclay Perkins" (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2011/01/characteristics-of-ipa.html) here Mr. Ron Patterson explains more clearly than I could what I always thought was true about English IPA, which fellow homebrewers and American beer lovers would always disagree with - namely that the English IPA is not a strong beer. The Beer Judge Certification Program has been tremendously useful for judging and comparing beer and the BJCP is also extraordinarily influential when it comes to defining beer styles in the American Homebrewer and Craft Beer scene. However, English IPA is a style they just got wrong, in My opinion.

English IPA is not a strong beer. It just isn't. But then, I'm not English and here on the west coast of the US, an IPA is typically a strong, hoppy, golden to copper-colored ale. So what if you use an English yeast and English hops and English malt? Then you have an English-style American India Pale Ale! Now, What I decided to go for was a beer that was on the big end of what would be called IPA in Britain. My OG was 1.054 and the IBUs should be around 45-50. I used British malts (Maris Otter and British Crystal 65L) and yeast (WLP002, purportedly the Fuller's strain) and I hopped this ale 100% with a new American hop variety (Delta) that is said to be similar to Styrian Goldings. I certainly used far more late hop additions than would be typical of any English ale and I added some corn sugar to help this beer dry out. Here is what I came up with. After all, I want this beer to both fit within the BJCP guidelines and properly fit within the true definition of English IPA.

Here's the recipe:


Recipe: Delta Force English IPA
Style: 14A-India Pale Ale(IPA)-English IPA

Recipe Overview

Wort Volume Before Boil: 14.50 US gals
Wort Volume After Boil: 11.50 US gals
Volume Transferred: 9.75 US gals
Water Added: 1.25 US gals
Volume At Pitching: 11.00 US gals
Final Batch Volume: 10.50 US gals
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.044 SG
Expected OG: 1.054 SG
Expected FG: 1.012 SG
Expected ABV: 5.5 %
Expected ABW: 4.4 %
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 44.7
Expected Color: 8.4 SRM
Apparent Attenuation: 76.6 %
Mash Efficiency: 88.0 %
Boil Duration: 95.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature: 64 degF

Fermentables
UK Pale Ale Malt (Maris Otter) 18lb 0oz (85.7 %) In Mash/Steeped
UK Medium Crystal (120EBC) 1lb 8oz (7.1 %) In Mash/Steeped
Sugar - Corn Sugar/Dextrose (Dry) 1lb 8oz (7.1 %) Start Of Boil

Hops
US Delta (6.5 % alpha) 85 g Loose Whole Hops used 60 Min From End
US Delta (6.5 % alpha) 85 g Loose Whole Hops used 15 Min From End
US Delta (6.5 % alpha) 85 g Loose Whole Hops used 5 Min From End
US Delta (6.5 % alpha) 85 g Loose Whole Hops used At turn off
US Delta (6.5 % alpha) 85 g Loose Whole Hops used Dry-Hopped

Other Ingredients
Wyeast Nutrient 1 tsp used In Boil
2 Whirlfloc Tablets used In Boil

Yeast: White Labs WLP002-English Ale

Mash Schedule
Mash Type: Full Mash
Schedule Name:Single Step Infusion (65C/149F)
Step: Rest at 149 degF for 60 mins