Brew date: June 2, 2013
#18 - 4.5 BIAB
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With the wife and I still anxiously searching for our first home, sometimes it feels like brewing and beer is the only thing keeping me sane. As the weather continues to warm, I find I have a taste for hoppy beers once again. Here, then, is my first crack at an Imperial IPA.
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The recipe takes inspiration from the "Hopfather Double IPA" by Russian River Brewing found in
Extreme Brewing by Sam Calagione. I wanted something with big flavor, lots of citrus and piney hoppiness, but with a bitterness balanced by the malt bill. I hope the first wort and dry hopping accomplish this feat -- but without blowing out my taste buds.
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I added some caramel 40L malt for a little more color and residual sweetness. The flaked wheat is there for body and head retention (hopefully without giving it a heavy mouth-feel), while the added protein and enzymes from the 6-row malt will hopefully help with the extraction, conversion, and fermentability of the wort.
Thus far, fermentation has taken place in my basement at roughly 63 'F. This is a little cooler than I was originally intending -- closer to 65 'F. But, all appears to be going strong and steady, and I won't rack to secondary and dry hop for a few more days.
Ingredients:
- 11.5 lb 2-row Pale Malt (Briess)
- 1 lb Caramel Malt 40L (Briess)
- 0.5 lb 6-row (Briess)
- 0.5 lb Flaked Red Wheat
- 0.75 oz Chinook (FWH) (13%) (leaf)
- 0.5 oz Cascade (FWH) (6.2%)
- 0.5 oz Magnum (60 min) (14.7%)
- 0.5 oz Columbus (60 min) (13%) (leaf)
- 0.25 oz Columbus (5 min) (13%) (leaf)
- 0.5 oz Willamette (knockout) (5.7%) (leaf)
- 0.25 oz Columbus (knockout) (13%) (leaf)
- 0.5 oz Cascade (dry hop) (7.7%) (leaf)
- 0.5 oz Simcoe (dry hop) (14.1%) (leaf)
- 0.5 t Irish Moss (20 min)
- Wyeast 1056 American Ale (3rd gen.)*
*1000 mL yeast starter on 5/31. Pitched from washed yeast.
Instructions:
- Mash with 6 gal water
- Dough in @ 109 'F
- Rest @ 104 'F for 30 min (hydration)
- Heat to 155 'F and rest 60 min
- Mash out @ 168 'F for 10 min
- Boil 60 min
- Add 0.5 gal water to fermenter
- Chill to 65 'F and pitch decanted yeast
- Ferment at 63-65 'F for 10 days
- Rack to secondary and dry hop for two weeks
Observations:
OG: 1.072
Pre-boil gravity: 1.070
Post boil gravity: 1.085
Target gravity: 1.075
Target ABV: 7.12%
Target IBU: 112
Target FG: 1.018
Grain absorption was roughly 0.1 gal per 1 lb grain.