Wheat IPA

[JMUBrew]

Brewed this up yesterday when I was home sick:

6.5 lbs Pale Ale 2-row (UK)
5.5 lbs Wheat Malt (GER)
1.0 lbs C-60

Hops were like this: (I didn't have any Amarillo!)

4.0 oz. Cascade (4%AA) 60 min
1.75 oz. Cascade (4%AA) 20 min
2.0 oz Cascade (4%AA) 5 min
1.0 oz Cascade (4%AA) Dry Hop

Boil Volume: 6.8 gallons
Measured Pre-boil: 1.052 (Expected: 1.057)

Post Boil Volume 4.5 gallons (Expected: 5)
Measured SG: 1.070 (Expected: 1.072)

Pitched with WLP002

Fermenting it in a swamp cooler setup to maintain 65-66 degrees. (Still waiting to have krausen...its a high OG, so there's gonna be a lag). Did have a starter, but not a pints worth!

Also got some wort for a starter of Chimay Red yeast that I'm attempting to reculture.

This one smelled great! Can't wait to see what its like after a bit of aging!

[Jay]

Looks like a tasty American Wheat IPA, all that cascade :) Should come out very nice.

I thought all the Belgiums used a "Bottleing" yeast, so their fermemtation yeast never got out :| I could be wrong, let me check my references on that one.

How long have you been playing the yeast game? It's something that interests be, but $5.00 a batch still not sure how much I want to spend into, yeast - the home game.

[JMUBrew]

Jay,
I haven't really been playing the home game too much. I've used the Chimay yeast a couple of times, but thats about it. (rather succesfully I might add...tasted pretty good!)

I occasionally in the past have saved yeast cakes of yeast I've really liked or of beers I plan to make again. (Such as in this case with the WLP002 which I had slated for a smoked porter I'm going to try and make in a couple weeks..got tired of making starters of DME and wanted my Growler to be clean and ready so I can fill it up at the brewpub this coming weekend!). I also saved some Edinburgh Ale Yeast from a smoked scotch I made.

For the yeasts like US-56, a lot of times I just get Safale US-56...cheap and you can dry pitch it. Often times I have krausen in a couple hours with it!

[JMUBrew]

Hey Jay...here's a question for you...

What qualifies this as an American IPA? I was gunning more for an English IPA...what changes this? (I'm guessing the hops?)

I'm not too well versed yet in the specifics of recipe designing (still working my way through Designing Great Beers)

-Greg

[Jay]

I'm not a style guide, I have just read several different places that Cascade is pretty much an American Style hop. Since it was all Cascade, I drew the conclusion - but could be TOTALLY wrong. I'll dig up the BJCP and see what the difference is ;)

[Jay]

I just made a determination that I need a "Sample" of the beer to see where it fits ;) You coming to the next meeting. Man, I wish someone was a BJCP that could help out with questions like this. Ah, that may give me something to do this year :)

[JMUBrew]

hey me too! I want to take the BJCP exam. Apparently we have to have a group of folks wanting to do it in order to request a test be administered in our area.

Regarding the hops, I think you're right, the Hops and maybe the fact I'm using Wheat too. What would be a traditional English hop for it then? EKG? Styrian? Those are rather low AA...maybe Fuggle? (I'm sure I'm missing a couple, I'm still learning the ropes of classification!) Mainly I've got German (Hallertauer), Czech (Saaz), American (Mt. Hood, Cascade), and English hops now I think. (I've got EKG, Styrian and Fuggles...can't remember if the last one is English or not..or hell...if any of those 3 are!)

If it is ready by next week I'll bring some, still need to dry hop it and its still fermenting a bit! I don't think I'll have time to beergun any of my stuff either before next meeting (still working that out! Chilling is my main issue, I might be able to use the swamp cooler or trashcan method to do it). Have a couple I want folks to taste too.

[DerekT]

hey me too! I want to take the BJCP exam. Apparently we have to have a group of folks wanting to do it in order to request a test be administered in our area.Â


It's a little more complicated than that. You have to have enough participants to make the test financially feasible and provide a site where people from out of town can come to take the test as well  -- meaning that there may be 4 or so a year along the East Coast and people travel to take it. Also, you have to invite a Judge to proctor the exam and a Master Judge to score it. I know a few nearby and have been talking with other clubs in the area to host one sometime in the fall. More info to come, I'm sure.

- D

[JMUBrew]

I've dry-hopped the IPA in secondary now for about 4 days with an ounce of cascade pellets. Most of it has settled to the bottom, with some still remaining on the surface. I'm going to cold condition it a little bit and see what I can do for dropping them suckas out! I think it'll be a good beer and clear beer once I cold condition it.

[DerekT]

Using Cascade definitely slants it toward the American side of things although these days Cascade even shows up in some English ales (Conniston Bluebird Bitter is one sold here, for example).

There is also the matter of gravity. While it it's true that in days of yore English IPAs were higher gravity ales that is no longer the case. These days in the UK "IPA" has become a marketing term that denotes a hoppier beer but not necessarily a strong one. I've had more than a few that fell between Best Bitters and ESB's in gravity.

Also, English hops like EKG are mellow -- not smack in the face like Cascade -- so they don't smell or taste nearly as hoppy as American versions. Just FYI.

I missed the OP. How did this become a Wheat IPA? Is it a hopped-up Weizenbock or something?

[DerekT]

I missed the OP. How did this become a Wheat IPA? Is it a hopped-up Weizenbock or something?


Never mind -- just saw it. BTW, Amarillo hops rock. Try some sometime.

[JMUBrew]

Never mind -- just saw it. BTW, Amarillo hops rock. Try some sometime.


Yeah, I'll probably have to abscond with some from Jay at some point!

I do have EKG, Styrian Goldings and Fuggles which I haven't tried yet.

[JMUBrew]

Everything almost dropped out of suspension, except for a few floaters, I'm gonna throw it in the igloo cooler with 2-liters to cold condition it should clear nicely (i just realized that I don't think I used Irish Moss on it! I find sometimes I completely forget when I'm doing the lighter colored ales and its not a kit!)

Edit-> Tasted the hydro sample...smells and tastes great! I think this one will be great once I keg it!

[Jay]

Let me know what you need. :)

[JMUBrew]

April 9th, I'll get some from ya. Want anything in trade? I know you don't like Pellet hops, but I've got a lot of 'em if you want any.

EKG, Fuggles, Styrian Goldings, Mt. Hood, GER. Hallertauer, Saaz, Cascade and Columbus

All of them are 1lbs bags except for the Mt. Hood, that one is a 5 lbs bag. (Bought that much because we had expected to make a RyeIPA a house beer and that used a lot of Mt. Hood)

[JMUBrew]

In an attempt to tweak this and bring the bitterness down a bit, I'm thinking maybe 3.0 oz of hops for the 60 minute. Or just bumb the full 4.0 oz back to 50 minutes of the boil (I may have to start doing 90 minute boils if I can get my system even better dialed in).

Kev, what do you think?

I'm extremely pleased with the body and aroma of the beer, but yeah there is certainly something on the front of the tongue thats a bit too much! (Less bittering needed!)

I've attached the modified brewsheet, upped it to a 90 minute boil too.

Cheers,
Greg