What's your next brew

[Craigerrr]

@Craigerrr , be kind to your back!

Thanks buddy!
My back is doing pretty well, and use Co2 or a pump to push beer around. When I fill kegs I have them on a wheeled cart that I built at the perfect height that I can just slide them into my keg fridge

 

[J A]

I've been away from the heat for the summer and just got back home this last weekend. Since I haven't brewed since the spring, the taps are running dry.
The weather forecast is showing slightly cooler for Sunday and Monday so I'm going to try to take advantage and put down a couple of batches, to get my pipeline flowing again.

I figured on Sunday I'd do a 10 gallon batch and split it out for the Q3 Golden Ale and a more traditional British Golden Ale. I think if I brew the whole batch with Magnum for most of the bittering I can pull off half at flameout and throw a bunch of Willamette into it right out of the boil pot and get a reasonable British pub beer. Leaving the other half in the boil pot for a 5 minute addition and whirlpool, I can run all the Simcoe, Citra and CTZ from the Q3 recipe and load up the PNW hop flavors. I'll definitely ferment the Q3 with Chico (I have a brick of the Apex San Diego) but I think I'll throw some S04 or Notty at the British side of the split.

If everything goes well (it almost never does on the first brew after a hiatus ), I'll double down on Monday and put a 10-15 gallon batch of my Corn Star Cream Ale into my big fermenter. It'll be nice to have a keg or 3 of a good basic beer in the coolers while I'm working on some more complex recipes.

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

Saturday, I plan to finally brew Yooper's British Mild (2024 Q4). Then a 2-3 weeks later brew Sunfire's British Golden Ale...or maybe Ozarks London Pride Amber (2023 Q4)...or whatever strikes my fancy between now and then.

 

[Over The Cliff Brewing]

Saturday, I plan to finally brew Yooper's British Mild (2024 Q4). Then a 2-3 weeks later brew Sunfire's British Golden Ale...or maybe Ozarks London Pride Amber (2023 Q4)...or whatever strikes my fancy between now and then.

Or.......

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

Or.......

Exactly! Until I'm milling the grain I never really know what I'm brewing next

 

[Craigerrr]

Postponing Q3 brew, spe t the day yesterday cleaning my trailer (big trailer), my 63 year old dad bod is way too achy today. I also want to give the last brew a couple more days to cold crash before kegging it.

 

[Prairie Dog]

In the next week or so, I'm going to brew my WCIPA for the 4th time, trying to zero in on a recipe. I'm using Root Shoot's English Pale Malt which is their version of Maris Otter, and about 5% white wheat, and 7% dextrose. Chinook, Simcoe, and Columbus hops, with a big late addition and 3-day drop hop. I'm trying to make a somewhat old school WCIPA but keep it drinkable, so using a darker base malt, no caramel, and some sugar to dry it out. Cheers!

 

[Sandy Feet]

I'm hoping that others come out and tell me I am full of shit when I am wrong, but wouldn't a West Coast be higher alcohol with a little sweetness from a Crystal (even if just a little) and a little mouthfeel from some flaked oats or something?
If you are going the Pale Ale route, and wanting a drinkable 5%er, possibly without all the dextrose.
They used to have a Brut IPA that kind of fell off the map that used enzymes to dry the the living hell out of it.
But, if you like it, that means a hell of a lot more than some idiotic comment from an asshole like me.

 

[Prairie Dog]

I'm hoping that others come out and tell me I am full of shit when I am wrong, but wouldn't a West Coast be higher alcohol with a little sweetness from a Crystal (even if just a little) and a little mouthfeel from some flaked oats or something?
If you are going the Pale Ale route, and wanting a drinkable 5%er, possibly without all the dextrose.
They used to have a Brut IPA that kind of fell off the map that used enzymes to dry the the living hell out of it.
But, if you like it, that means a hell of a lot more than some idiotic comment from an asshole like me.

I'm trying to find some common ground between a bone dry modern WCIPA and an old school WCIPA with caramel. Hence, using a slightly more malty and darker base malt like the Root Shoot which gets me to about 7 SRM. I might dial the dextrose back a bit some in later recipes. I have the alcohol dialed in right now at 6.5%. I like a little bit under 7% for my IPAs.

 

[J A]

I'm trying to find some common ground between a bone dry modern WCIPA and an old school WCIPA with caramel. Hence, using a slightly more malty and darker base malt like the Root Shoot which gets me to about 7 SRM. I might dial the dextrose back a bit some in later recipes. I have the alcohol dialed in right now at 6.5%. I like a little bit under 7% for my IPAs.

Keeping it simple is never a bad way to go. In my opinion, adjunct sugar has no place in an IPA. Creating a problem with one ingredient and trying to solve it with another will just leave you chasing your tail.
"Single" malt with 2-row malt or good Pale Ale malt with a small addition of color malt (I much prefer Cara Munich to Crystal 40 but either will do) and a mash schedule that gives plenty of fermentable sugars with a little leftover dextrin for mouthfeel is the right approach. Some of the color of a good West Coast or Northwest IPA comes from lighter color malts mashed to a higher gravity and sometimes boiled longer.
Using a darker ale malt like Maris Otter isn't a bad option but I think you run the risk of more malty sweetness than you might like. It will make a good beer, though.
I think you're on the money with the hops. Don't overlook Centennial or good old Cascade and Willamette in that mix as well.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Keeping it simple is never a bad way to go. In my opinion, adjunct sugar has no place in an IPA. Creating a problem with one ingredient and trying to solve it with another will just leave you chasing your tail.
"Single" malt with 2-row malt or good Pale Ale malt with a small addition of color malt (I much prefer Cara Munich to Crystal 40 but either will do) and a mash schedule that gives plenty of fermentable sugars with a little leftover dextrin for mouthfeel is the right approach. Some of the color of a good West Coast or Northwest IPA comes from lighter color malts mashed to a higher gravity and sometimes boiled longer.
Using a darker ale malt like Maris Otter isn't a bad option but I think you run the risk of more malty sweetness than you might like. It will make a good beer, though.
I think you're on the money with the hops. Don't overlook Centennial or good old Cascade and Willamette in that mix as well.

Thanks for the advice. I didn't consider that color in an IPA could come from a higher mash temp or longer boil. I might try this.

I'm curious as to your comment about sugar though. From what I've read recently, it seems like a modern WCIPA is often like 90% Pilsner and 10% sugar of some kind to make it lighter and drinkable. Though I like a lot of these beers, I do find them to be a little too light in terms of color and they often drink less malty than I like.

If I understand your comment, it seems like you are saying that it doesn't make sense to make a beer too malty than try to correct it (so to speak) with sugar. My goal is to try to make a dryish WCIPA that doesn't use caramel but still feels like it has some malt presence and a darker color than most modern WCIPAs. So I guess I'm trying to have it both ways. Drinkable, but more malty, and darker than most modern WCIPAs.

 

[J A]

Thanks for the advice. I didn't consider that color in an IPA could come from a higher mash temp or longer boil. I might try this.

I'm curious as to your comment about sugar though. From what I've read recently, it seems like a modern WCIPA is often like 90% Pilsner and 10% sugar of some kind to make it lighter and drinkable. Though I like a lot of these beers, I do find them to be a little too light in terms of color and they often drink less malty than I like.

If I understand your comment, it seems like you are saying that it doesn't make sense to make a beer too malty than try to correct it (so to speak) with sugar. My goal is to try to make a dryish WCIPA that doesn't use caramel but still feels like it has some malt presence and a darker color than most modern WCIPAs. So I guess I'm trying to have it both ways. Drinkable, but more malty, and darker than most modern WCIPAs.

Not higher mash temp...higher gravity...Any wort that's using more of a given single malt will be darker than one using less of it. A mash and boil that gives 1.040 gravity using Pale ale malt will have a color that's somewhat lighter than a mash and boil that yields the same volume of 1.070 gravity.

As concerns the malty vs dry question, just try mashing a Pale Ale malt at a lower temp for more fermentable sugars. Try an A/B experiment with single malt beer using your Maris Otter type malt or something similar and compare a 154 degree mash to a step mash of 148 and 156 or even a single infusion at 150. That'll tell you a lot about what you can do without sugars. The use of adjunct sugars may be as much about boosting gravity in Imperials or DIPAs.

Your notion of using sugars may be a fine way to do things and may be the simplest approach, especially if you have a system that doesn't allow close temp control in mashing. You're going to make a good beer any you go about it, I'm sure.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Not higher mash temp...higher gravity...Any wort that's using more of a given single malt will be darker than one using less of it. A mash and boil that gives 1.040 gravity using Pale ale malt will have a color that's somewhat lighter than a mash and boil that yields the same volume of 1.070 gravity.

As concerns the malty vs dry question, just try mashing a Pale Ale malt at a lower temp for more fermentable sugars. Try an A/B experiment with single malt beer using your Maris Otter type malt or something similar and compare a 154 degree mash to a step mash of 148 and 156 or even a single infusion at 150. That'll tell you a lot about what you can do without sugars. The use of adjunct sugars may be as much about boosting gravity in Imperials or DIPAs.

Your notion of using sugars may be a fine way to do things and may be the simplest approach, especially if you have a system that doesn't allow close temp control in mashing. You're going to make a good beer any you go about it, I'm sure.

Yes, you are correct that I am underconfident in my abilities to have close mash temp control as I am doing BIAB with a Blichman Hellfire and a cheap 10-gallon pot. I have only used this rig for the last 4 beers or so and am still trying to figure out how I can dial it in better, but I am often worried about scorching the bag and having a consistent mash temp.

I understand your point that the sugar may be unneeded as I can generate just as much fermentable sugars by adjusting mash temp and/or gravity. I think I might try this next time.

Modern WCIPAS seem so light and dry these days that I would like to find a happy medium. I'd prefer to not use sugar if I could, so this is a helpful suggestion. Cheers!

 

[J A]

I hear you about the current state of West Coast IPAs. At a point the Northwest style and the West Coast were pretty much the same but now it seems that the Northwest style stays a little more in the tradition of slightly bigger, more malty beers. I think the West Coast style pushes a lot of new hops with sweeter. more fruity flavor profiles and benefits from a more dry finish. When the hops are a little heavier with more piney notes to offset the tropicals, the malt and finish can be a little more robust.

Here's an IPA recipe that's pretty solid. You'll notice that I'm using a Pale Ale malt with pretty good color and adding just a little Victory malt for a touch more color and a little nutty/toasty flavor note. The small amount of Flaked Barley adds to the mouthfeel and body without adding any malty flavor or extra sweetness. If you tried something like this at a single infusion temp of 152 degrees, I bet you'd get something close to what you're looking for. Most any hop combination will do well.

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1551250/american-amber-pale-ale-split-ipa

 

[Dave Y]

I hear you about the current state of West Coast IPAs. At a point the Northwest style and the West Coast were pretty much the same but now it seems that the Northwest style stays a little more in the tradition of slightly bigger, more malty beers. I think the West Coast style pushes a lot of new hops with sweeter. more fruity flavor profiles and benefits from a more dry finish. When the hops are a little heavier with more piney notes to offset the tropicals, the malt and finish can be a little more robust.

<merciful snippage >

So…. What I hear you saying is…. NEIPA for the WIN!

 

[J A]

So…. What I hear you saying is…. NEIPA for the WIN!

While I won't turn down a good NEIPA, it's definitely not in my personal top spot.
I've never been a fan of opaque beers and I think the hazy mania has led to lazy finishing techniques in pro brewing and home-brewing alike. And beer that tastes like a glass of fruit juice is enjoyable but not on a regular basis.

 

[Dave Y]

THAT. Is a fair point.

 

[Craigerrr]

While I won't turn down a good NEIPA, it's definitely not in my personal top spot.
I've never been a fan of opaque beers and I think the hazy mania has led to lazy finishing techniques in pro brewing and home-brewing alike. And beer that tastes like a glass of fruit juice is enjoyable but not on a regular basis.

I would respectfully disagree with your generalization. A beer that is hazy isn't hazy due to lazy. It is also not the goal, it is the result of all of the things that need to be in place to get the flavor and mouth feel that ARE the goal. I love,and make hazy IPA's, but I also make brews that have the necessary and intended clarity of the style.
It is okay that hazy aren't your style, but they are a style. Please don't class a hazy as a lazy...
Cheers, and to each his own!

 

[J A]

I would respectfully disagree with your generalization. A beer that is hazy isn't hazy due to lazy. It is also not the goal, it is the result of all of the things that need to be in place to get the flavor and mouth feel that ARE the goal. I love,and make hazy IPA's, but I also make brews that have the necessary and intended clarity of the style.
It is okay that hazy aren't your style, but they are a style. Please don't class a hazy as a lazy...
Cheers, and to each his own!

You're misreading me. I understand very well why NEIPAs are hazy and that they're supposed to be that way and that they're great beers.
My point is that by making hazy the go-to fashion, a lot of beers that don't benefit from it are left that way. It became an acceptable characteristic of many, many beers that should have been clear. It allowed brewers to cut corners and save time by not waiting for a beer to clear or mashing and boiling in such a way that things didn't clear up well. Since hazy is okay, no need to make corrections.
To be fair, a huge percentage of the beer-drinking market wouldn't know an intentionally hazy style from one that's just put on line before it's really at its full potential.

 

[Sandy Feet]

Yes, you are correct that I am underconfident in my abilities to have close mash temp control as I am doing BIAB with a Blichman Hellfire and a cheap 10-gallon pot. I have only used this rig for the last 4 beers or so and am still trying to figure out how I can dial it in better, but I am often worried about scorching the bag and having a consistent mash temp.

I understand your point that the sugar may be unneeded as I can generate just as much fermentable sugars by adjusting mash temp and/or gravity. I think I might try this next time.

Modern WCIPAS seem so light and dry these days that I would like to find a happy medium. I'd prefer to not use sugar if I could, so this is a helpful suggestion. Cheers!

You can use at least the top round piece of a false bottom in the kettle if you are concerned about scorching.
I use a bigger kettle, but I do use a Hellfire. I have only turned it all the way up once. As far as mashing BIAB with that thing, it is fairly easy when you have normal ambient temperatures.
The Hellfire has a huge surface area, so your kettle should be evenly heated. Use the software computations for strike water, turn off the heat when you get it there, cover the kettle with the lid and two towels, and leave it alone. When you take a temperature reading after the mash, you should be damn close given ambient temperatures are on the normal side.