Free IPA

As cliche as it might be among craft beer aficionados these days, I have to say, I love a great IPA. I am always trying new IPAs and adding more to my "best of" list. One of the IPAs that I instantly went gaga over (a total BILF) was 21st Amendment's Brew Free or Die IPA. Great hop aroma, even more hop flavor, and almost no bitterness. A very smooth, late-hop-addition beer. That is what I want.

21st Amendment's Brew Free or Die IPA

A quick search and I was able to find a clone recipe. I do not know how close it is. If you compare that beer recipe to what I list below, you can see that I changed it some because Amarillo and Simcoe hops are hard to come by this time of year. They are both very popular hops. Instead, I added an ounce of Summit hops. Maybe not the best substitution, but whatever. I named the beer "Free IPA," as a reference to the clone beer and to the fact that I brewed it on Memorial Day.

Brew Date: 2012-05-28 (Memorial Day)

Recipe Name: "Free IPA" (based on a 21stAmendment Brew Free or Die IPA clone recipe)

Beer Style: American India Pale Ale

Batch Number: B7

Expected Original Gravity: 1.069

Expected Final Gravity: 1.010?

Expected ABV: 6.2%

IBUs (bitterness): 70

SRM (color): 9.1 SRM

Expected Efficiency: 70%

Actual Brewhouse Efficiency: ?


Yeast Starter

Water Volume: 2 liters

Dry Malt Extract: 200 grams

Yeast: White Labs WLP001 California Ale Yeast
Yeast Nutrient: 1/4 teaspoon of LD Carlson Yeast Nutrient
Note: I forgot and used post-softened water for the starter. The yeast might have liked the pre-softened better.

Water Chemistry: Remsen well water (Ca 84, Mg 10, Na 3, Cl 8, SO412, CACO3 228)
Added: 3 ml Lactic Acid, 6 g Epsom Salt, 3 g Calcium Chloride (to mash)

Brewing Salts and Yeast Nutrient

As you can tell from my previous posts, the last couple months have been about trying to improve my water. With the second water report I was able to use a spreadsheet to determine what ought to be added and how much. To this point I have studied and acted according to what makes sense. Next, perhaps the taste of the beer will suggest what should be adjusted.

Brew Day Start Time: 8:05 AM

Music: Grateful Dead - Rocking the Cradle: Egypt 1978 (1978-09-15,16)

One of the tools I use to track my brew days and recipes (besides this blog) is my 2012 Brewer's Logbook from Basic Brewing. I listen to the Basic Brewing podcast each week and purchasing the logbook was a good way of saying thanks. The logbook has a calender so that I can plan brewing activities and pages to document significant information and notes about each brew day. Like the act of brewing, using a pencil and paper to take notes keeps me away from a computer screen for awhile.

My 2012 Brewer's Logbook

Grain Bill

11 lb Canadian Two-Row

1 lb 12 oz Munich Malt

12 oz Carapils

Mash

Strike Water Volume: 3.5 gal

Strike Water Temperature: 165 F

Mash Rest Temperature: 154 F

Mash Time: 60 min


I stirred the grain more than during previous brew days. It ought to help the conversion. 

Mash

Sparge #1

Sparge Water Volume: 2.0 gal

Sparge Water Temperature: 170 F

Rest Temp: 160 F

Mash Time: 15 min

Sparge #2

Sparge Water Volume: 2.5 gal

Sparge Water Temperature: 170 F

Rest Temp: 160 F

Mash Time: 15 min


I wanted the rest to be at 170 degrees for both sparges. As you can see, the temperature went down 10 degrees. Next time....

Composting Spent Grains

Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.050

Pre-Boil Volume: 5.3 gal (calculated)

Boil Time: 60 minutes (Note: It appears I deviated from the recipe here. The recipe calls for a 90 minute boil)

Hop Additions

1.00 oz Warrior @ 60 min

1.00 oz Centennial @ 20 min 
1.00 oz Columbus @ 0 min 
1.00 oz Cascade @ 0 min
1.00 oz Cascade dry hop @ 3 days
1.00 oz Summit dry hop @ 3 days
1. 00 oz Styrian Goldings dry hop @ 3 days


I should mention that I also added 1 teaspoon of yeast nutrient and 1 half tablet of Whirlfloc @ 15 minutes left in the boil.

Lots of Hops!

All Green and Chillin'

Original Gravity: 1.058

Brew Day End Time: 1:30 PM   

Fermentation Schedule

Week 1: target of 67 F, with incubator set around 18 C

Week 2 and 3: target 67 F, with incubator set to 19.4 C

3 days at 35 F (? still researching what a good cold break temp is)

3 days at 67 F with dry hop, then rack to keg

New Incubator with  Fermenter and Blow-off Tube

This incubator is my new baby. It cools and heats, maintains the temperature I want, in Celsius. This fermentation tank will allow me to brew throughout the summer and keep a consistent temperature. I was able to buy it cheap off of craigslist. (Shout out to my friend Howie for helping me transport it. It was a nice Sunday drive in the sun, windows down, music playing.)