Hello heroes!
Sorry for the sporadic updates. Rest assured my brewing has been cruising along at anywhere from 1 to 3 brews a week. Lately I’ve been tinkering around with the ideal water profile for an IPA and all sorts of hop combinations, grain bills, & yeasts along the way.
I thought it was about time I put up an update on all the IPAs, recipes, water profiles used, etc.
First up is Water Tweaker IPA (also known as Jamil Says & Like Father Like Son):
Brewed 11/25, Kegged 12/19, Bottled 1/6, Tasted 1/13
Tasting Notes
Nose – Luscious peach, light floral and resin, clean hop punch
Flavor – Interesting dynamic from a drier water profile & maltier (for me) IPA grain bill, good mouthfeel, pleasant finish, light fruit, apricot, resin, delightful rounded fruity flavor
Water Profile (according to Bru ‘N Water) was: 88.4 Calcium, 20.9 Magnesium, 8 Sodium, 152.7 Sulfate, 4 Chloride, & 83.2 Bicarbonate with an Alkalinity of 69 and a Residual Alkalinity of -7. I mashed at 149 and the mash was 5.45 pH. All of my salt additions went into the mash and I sparged with RO. (Additions: 4.34g Gypsum, 7.2g Epsom, 2.09g Lime, 3mL Lactic Acid)
Recipe
Recipe Specifications -------------------------- Boil Size: 9.03 gal Post Boil Volume: 7.11 gal Batch Size (fermenter): 6.00 gal Bottling Volume: 5.63 gal Estimated OG: 1.068 SG Estimated Color: 6.5 SRM Estimated IBU: 66.3 IBUs Brewhouse Efficiency: 77.00 % Est Mash Efficiency: 87.8 % Boil Time: 90 Minutes Ingredients: ------------ Amt Name Type # %/IBU 12 lbs 12.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 86.4 % 12.0 oz Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 3 5.1 % 1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 15L (15.0 SRM) Grain 2 6.8 % 4.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 4 1.7 % 2.0 pkg Dry English Ale (White Labs #WLP007) [35 Yeast 12 - 30.00 g Nugget [13.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 49.1 IBUs 12.00 g Nugget [13.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 7 3.9 IBUs 12.00 g Mosaic [12.70 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 6 3.8 IBUs 16.00 g Nugget [13.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 9 4.4 IBUs 19.00 g Mosaic [12.70 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 8 5.1 IBUs 28.00 g Mosaic [12.70 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 10 0.0 IBUs 14.00 g Nugget [13.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 11 0.0 IBUs 57.00 g Mosaic [12.70 %] - Dry Hop 14.0 Days Hop 13 0.0 IBUs 33.00 g Nugget [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 14.0 Days Hop 14 0.0 IBUs 27.00 g Mosaic [12.70 %] - Dry Hop 9.0 Days Hop 16 0.0 IBUs 31.00 g Nugget [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 9.0 Days Hop 15 0.0 IBUs 28.00 g Mosaic [12.70 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 17 0.0 IBUs
Next is Citrus Bomb 1 (also known as CB1 and Wayward Citrus Bomb 1):
Brewed 12/3, Kegged 12/25, Bottled 1/6, Tasted 1/13
Tasting Notes
Nose – Dank peach, over-ripe melon, grainy malt, apricot, boozy fruit cocktail
Flavor – Lemony, tangy, mandarin oranges, very light malt presence, finish has some roundness, not a long lingering dryness, not intensely bitter. Very clean with bitter lemon, plum, citrus, & some white grape/winey notes.
Water Profile was: 102.5 Calcium, 21.1 Magnesium, 18.4 Sodium, 231.9 Sulfate, 40.4 Chloride, 28.9 Bicarbonate with an Alkalinity of 24 and a Residual Alkalinity of -62. Mash was 152 and pH was 5.52 and I sparged with all RO. (Additions: 8.98g Gypsum, 7.31 Epsom, .92g NaCl, 1.5g CaCl, 1.01 Lime, 2mL Lactic Acid)
After Citrus Bomb 1 you must have Citrus Bomb 2! As you’ll recall these were the 2 brews I did for the ‘Average Brewday’ tab.
Brewed 12/3. Kegged 12/30. Bottled 1/6. Tasted 1/13.
Tasting Notes
Nose – Fruit, a little dank fruit cup, tropical with piney forest notes, over-ripe mandarin orange, grassy resin. Side note – I’ve noticed Nelson can add some boozy notes that make you think there are fusels or ‘alcohol burn’.
Flavor – Dry with slightly minerally finish, some rich fruity notes – dries out to very clean finish. Might need slightly more malt backbone for Tasty McDole’s water profile. White grape winey notes with dank undertones.
Water Profile was (very close to what Mike ‘Tasty’ McDole does for all of his water): 110.3 Calcium, 19 Magnesium, 31.9 Sodium, 318.4 Sulfate, 54.9 Chloride with an Alkalinity of -50 and a Residual Alkalinity of -140. Mash was 152 and pH was 5.52 and salts were split evenly on a per gallon basis between the mash and sparge water. (Mash Additions: 8.02 Gypsum, 3.54 Epsom, 1.07 NaCl, .57 CaCl, 2 mL Lactic – Sparge Additions: 6.95 Gypsum, 3.04 Epsom, 1.07 NaCl, .42 CaCl)
Believe it or not I have more IPAs in my chest freezer! The next one is Thirst For Burst IPA. Both TFB and the Purring Kitten 5 Session IPA were inspired by this recipe in the Nov/Dec 2013 Zymurgy magazine:
Brewed 12/9, Kegged 1/6, Tasted 1/13
Tasting Notes
Aroma – Rich danky fruit, tropical and floral spicy resin. Light mandarin orange – very Enjoy By-ish with no one signature hop but plenty of hop character. Light pineapple as it warms.
Flavor – Danky spicy resin. Fruit with an immediate dank punch, pleasant but light malt, lingering dryness. No doubt this is an IPA. No ups and down in the flavor wave – just a deliberate hop punch.
Water Profile was: 107.9 Calcium, 21.4 Magnesium, 28.8 Sodium, 321.4 Sulfate, 51.4 Chloride, 16 Bicarbonate with an Alkalinity of 13 and a Residual Alkalinity of -76. Mash was 150 with a pH of 5.31. All salt additions went into the mash. (Mash Additions: 14.48 Gypsum, 7.43 Epsom, 1.81 NaCl, 1.11 CaCl)
Recipe
Recipe Specifications -------------------------- Boil Size: 9.03 gal Post Boil Volume: 7.11 gal Batch Size (fermenter): 6.00 gal Bottling Volume: 5.63 gal Estimated OG: 1.061 SG Estimated Color: 5.0 SRM Estimated IBU: 56.1 IBUs Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 % Est Mash Efficiency: 84.4 % Boil Time: 90 Minutes Ingredients: ------------ Amt Name Type # %/IBU 8 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 61.5 % 2 lbs GW Pale Malt (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 15.4 % 1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 15L (15.0 SRM) Grain 3 7.7 % 8.0 oz Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 4 3.8 % 2.0 pkg California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [35. Yeast 14 - 35.00 g Columbus (Tomahawk) [15.30 %] - Boil 15. Hop 8 18.1 IBUs 40.00 g Galaxy [15.40 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 6 20.9 IBUs 40.00 g Nelson Sauvin [12.60 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 7 17.1 IBUs 35.00 g Columbus (Tomahawk) [15.30 %] - Boil 0.0 Hop 10 0.0 IBUs 30.00 g Galaxy [15.40 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 12 0.0 IBUs 30.00 g Nelson Sauvin [12.60 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 13 0.0 IBUs 31.00 g Centennial [8.90 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 11 0.0 IBUs 38.00 g Motueka [7.50 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 9 0.0 IBUs 1 lbs 8.0 oz Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 5 11.5 % 31.00 g Motueka [7.00 %] - Dry Hop 17.0 Days Hop 15 0.0 IBUs 30.00 g Nelson Sauvin [12.00 %] - Dry Hop 17.0 D Hop 16 0.0 IBUs 28.00 g Galaxy [14.00 %] - Dry Hop 17.0 Days Hop 17 0.0 IBUs 20.00 g Centennial [10.00 %] - Dry Hop 17.0 Days Hop 18 0.0 IBUs 23.00 g Nelson Sauvin [12.00 %] - Dry Hop 9.0 Da Hop 20 0.0 IBUs 25.00 g Galaxy [14.00 %] - Dry Hop 9.0 Days Hop 19 0.0 IBUs 21.00 g Centennial [10.00 %] - Dry Hop 9.0 Days Hop 21 0.0 IBUs 18.00 g Citra [12.00 %] - Dry Hop 9.0 Days Hop 22 0.0 IBUs
Purring Kitten 5 Session IPA should also get a mention because it’s delicious.
Brewed 12/9. Kegged 1/6. Tasted 1/13.
Tasting Notes
Aroma – Rich pineapple, cherry, complementary malt – like a bright fruit cocktail. Some plum, nose is big and bold. Carbonation level makes a big difference on how well this one pops.
Flavor – Balanced hoppy finish. Doesn’t taste 4%. Light bodied with a clean finish & not terribly long dryness. A lingering slight biscuit note with strong hop flavor.
Water Profile was: 103.2 Calcium, 18.8 Magnesium, 19.4 Sodium, 222.6 Sulfate, 38.2 Chloride, 74.6 Bicarbonate with an Alkalinity of 62 and Residual Alkalinity of -23. Mash was 149 with a pH of 5.32. All salts went into mash. (Mash Additions: 9.03 Gypsum, 6.51 Epsom, .95 NaCl, 1.19 CaCl, 1.11 Lime, 1 mL Lactic Acid)
Recipe
Recipe Specifications -------------------------- Boil Size: 8.51 gal Post Boil Volume: 6.59 gal Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal Bottling Volume: 5.13 gal Estimated OG: 1.043 SG Estimated Color: 7.0 SRM Estimated IBU: 48.4 IBUs Brewhouse Efficiency: 71.00 % Est Mash Efficiency: 81.8 % Boil Time: 90 Minutes Ingredients: ------------ Amt Name Type # %/IBU 6 lbs Great Western Pale Malt (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 64.7 % 1 lbs 4.0 oz Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 2 13.5 % 8.0 oz White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 3 5.4 % 5.1 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 30L (30.0 SRM) Grain 5 3.5 % 5.1 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 6 3.5 % 4.0 oz Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 7 2.7 % 6.1 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 4 4.1 % 4.0 oz Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 8 2.7 % 2.0 pkg East Coast Ale (White Labs #WLP008) [35. Yeast 15 - 41.00 g Citra [11.70 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 9 17.5 IBUs 30.00 g Galaxy [15.40 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 10 16.9 IBUs 29.00 g Simcoe [13.20 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 11 14.0 IBUs 51.00 g Citra [11.70 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 12 0.0 IBUs 40.00 g Galaxy [15.40 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 13 0.0 IBUs 30.00 g Simcoe [13.20 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 14 0.0 IBUs 30.00 g Citra [12.00 %] - Dry Hop 17.0 Days Hop 16 0.0 IBUs 25.00 g Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 17.0 Days Hop 18 0.0 IBUs 34.00 g Citra [12.00 %] - Dry Hop 9.0 Days Hop 20 0.0 IBUs 37.00 g Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 9.0 Days Hop 19 0.0 IBUs 33.00 g Galaxy [14.00 %] - Dry Hop 9.0 Days Hop 21 0.0 IBUs 30.00 g Galaxy [14.00 %] - Dry Hop 17.0 Days Hop 17 0.0 IBUs
The fruits of all of this brewing labor have been wonderful and intoxicating. I sent a few of these beers off to competitions and I’ll be sending more soon. I’ll be sure to update on how everything does.
For the sake of water profile comparison here’s an excel sheet: WaterProfiles01-15-14. At this point, if you put a gun to my head and made me take one of these water profiles for IPA brewing eternity, I’d take the ‘Safe Play IPA’ water I put together for Citrus Bomb 1. I think it’s well-geared for IPAs but I get the impression it would stand up better to both West Coast hop bombs and a little more malt-forward takes on the style.
The Tasty McDole profile with higher sulfates was quite nice on Thirst For Burst but a little over the top (it seemed) on Citrus Bomb 2. Obviously grain bill, hopping, mash pH, yeast, etc can play huge roles as well….and probably did. Dialing in a water for the specific beer you’re crafting looks like the ideal way to go to me.
I’ve already re-brewed Water Tweaker with slightly more aggressive water, slight grain bill tweaks and Simcoe in the mix with the Mosaic & Nugget. I also plan to continue pursuing hop bursted IPAs like Thirst For Burst, as I’m a big fan of Stone’s brand of hop bomb and I think that immediately ushers you into the ballpark.
Time to keep scouring the interwebs for more water knowledge. Until next time friends.
BJCP Hero 