Single Tap IPA Recipe

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Nick Ladd

Hops Shots

When it comes to IPA my West Coast roots are hard to hide. I like the malt lean and the hops to sing. Particularly important are huge punches of citrus and tropical aromas that jump out of the glass. I like IPAs dry and on the lower end of the alcohol spectrum which helps keep them from being oppressive to the palate. To the chagrin of other west coasters, I don’t like them bitter. At 61 IBU’s, this is not a massively bitter beer. The hops make their presence known via flavor and aromatics, not through face collapsing bitterness. This is achieved through getting the majority of BUs through late hop additions in addition to a hop extract charge at the beginning of the boil. The hop extract is derived from Amarillo hops which feature a low cohumulone level and relatively smooth bitterness. To add a subtle malt complexity I blend base malts. This beer showcases Nelson Sauvin hops which are quite unique and help the beer stand out.

Specifications

Volume: 6.6 Gallons (be prepared to lose a lot of volume from all the hop additions)
Original Gravity: 1.061
Terminal Gravity: 1.011
Color: 8.19 SRM
Alcohol: 6.56% (ABV)
Bitterness: 61.7
Efficiency: 76% (tweak recipe to match efficiency of your brew house)
Boil Length: 90 Minutes

Ingredients

5 lb (33.3%) Golden Promise Malt; Thomas Fawcett
4 lb (26.7%) 2-Row Brewers Malt; Briess
2 lb (13.3%) Vienna Malt; Weyermann
2 lb (13.3%) Weyermann Pils
12 oz (5.0%) White Wheat Malt; Briess
6 oz (2.5%) Caramunich® TYPE III; Weyermann
6 oz (2.5%) Cara-Pils® Malt; Briess
.5 lb (3.3%) Corn Sugar
4ml Amarillo Hop Extract (Hop Shots) – added during boil, boiled 60 m
1 ea Whirlfloc Tablets (Irish moss) – added during boil, boiled 15 m
.25 oz (2.1%) Nelson Sauvin (12.2%) – added during boil, boiled 15 m
.25 oz (2.1%) Centennial (8.8%) – added during boil, boiled 15 m
.75 oz (6.4%) Amarillo Leaf (10.9%) – added during boil, boiled 15 m
.5 tsp Wyeast Nutrient – added during boil, boiled 10 m
.25 oz (2.1%) Nelson Sauvin (12.2%) – added during boil, boiled 10 m
.5 oz (4.3%) Centennial (8.8%) – added during boil, boiled 10 m
.75 oz (6.4%) Amarillo Leaf (10.9%) – added during boil, boiled 10 m
.75 oz (6.4%) Nelson Sauvin (12.2%) – added during boil, boiled 5 m
.75 oz (6.4%) Centennial (8.8%) – added during boil, boiled 5 m
.75 oz (6.4%) Amarillo Leaf (10.9%) – added during boil, boiled 5 m
.75 oz (6.4%) Nelson Sauvin (12.2%) – added during boil, boiled 0 m
1 oz (8.6%) Centennial (8.8%) – added during boil, boiled 0.0 m
1 oz (8.6%) Amarillo Leaf (10.9%) – added during boil, boiled 0.0 m
1 ea WYeast 1056 American Ale – 1800ml starter on stir plate
1 oz (8.6%) Nelson Sauvin (12.2%) – added dry to secondary fermenter
1 oz (8.6%) Centennial (8.8%) – added dry to secondary fermenter
1 oz (8.6%) Amarillo Pellet (10.1%) – added dry to secondary fermenter

Water

Carbon-filtered Seattle water which is very soft. All salts added to grist before mashing in.
6.0 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate)
4.0 g Calcium Chloride (Calcium Chloride (anhydrous))
2.0 g Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate)

Mash

60 Minute Saccharification Rest at 153° F
10 Minute Mashout Rest at 170° F (I do a second hot water infusion to mashout)
Sparge at 170° F and collect sufficient runnings to hit pre-boil volumes

Fermentation

Chill wort to 60° F and pitch yeast slurry.
Set temp controller to 64° F and allow to rise to this temp.
Ferment at 62-64° F until beer is 2-6 points from terminal gravity then raise temp to 68° F. Hold at 68° F for 2 days.
Chill fermenter to 34° F. Rack beer off yeast and package.

Keys to Brewing

This beer really shines when you get it to attenuate properly. Shoot to get this beer 80-83% attenuated.
This beer is about hops. Use the freshest ones you can find. I buy in bulk each fall from Hops Direct and vacuum seal and freeze that year’s harvest. There are great savings doing this if you brew a lot of hoppy beers.

Awards

The beer brewed from this recipe has won awards as a BJCP Category 14b. American IPA:

2012 NHC First Round – 1st Place

Northern English Brown Recipe

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Nick Ladd

This is not a Newcastle Brown clone recipe.

Not that there is a problem with Newcastle per-say. It is a fine beer (especially on draft) but simply not what I was looking to get out of this beer. I wanted to design something that focused more on the nutty and toasty characteristics of the style and minimized some of the sweeter full-flavors you can get with too much crystal malt. That being said, I also wanted to provide a hint of one of my favorite crystal malts – Crisp C77 which I think has a wonderful toffee and raisin characteristic. I also wanted to test some of Gordon Strong’s theories about using large portions of Vienna malt and no-sparge techniques in British beers. I think it worked. Please note that an erroneous copy of this recipe featuring brown malt appeared in the September / October 2012 issue of Zymurgy. This is the correct recipe that won gold in the second round of the 2012 National Homebrew Competition.

Specifications

Volume: 6 Gallons
Original Gravity: 1.051
Terminal Gravity: 1.013
Color: 18.21 SRM
Alcohol: 4.99%
Bitterness: 27.8
Efficiency: 57% (tweak recipe to match efficiency of your brew house)
Boil Length: 60 Minutes

Ingredients

10 lb (66.1%) Maris Otter; Crisp
3 lb (19.8%) Vienna Malt; Weyermann
12 oz (5.0%) Special Roast Malt; Briess
8 oz (3.3%) Victory® Malt; Briess
8 oz (3.3%) Crystal 77; Crisp
6 oz (2.5%) Pale Chocolate; Crisp
42 g (74.8%) East Kent Goldings (4.7%) – added during boil, boiled 60 m
1 ea Whirlfloc Tablets (Irish moss) – added during boil, boiled 15 m
.5 tsp Wyeast Nutrient – added during boil, boiled 10 m
.25 oz (12.6%) East Kent Goldings (4.7%) – added during boil, boiled 5 m
.25 oz (12.6%) Styrian Goldings (4.3%) – added during boil, boiled 5 m
1 ea WYeast 1469-PC West Yorkshire Ale – 1800ml starter on stir plate

Water

Carbon-filtered Seattle water which is very soft. All salts added to grist before mashing in.
2.0 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate)
4.0 g Calcium Chloride (Calcium Chloride)
2.0 g Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate)

Mash

60 Minute Saccharification Rest at 152° F
10 Minute Mashout Rest at 170° F (I do a second hot water infusion to mashout)
No sparge. Add sufficient volume of water to simply drain mashtun and hit pre-boil volumes.

Fermentation

Chill wort to 60° F and pitch yeast slurry.
Slowly ramp temperate over the course of 5 days to 68° F and keep there until terminal gravity is hit.
Crash to 32° F and package.

Keys to Brewing

The West Yorkshire yeast strain is fairly unique and helps it stand out among other beers in the category. I picked up a nice apricot ester from it.
Use authentic British maltsters. They are unique and help lend to a more authentic flavor.

Awards

The beer brewed from this recipe has won awards as a BJCP Category 11c. Northern English Brown:

2012 NHC First Round – 1st Place
2012 NHC Final Round – 1st Place

Vienna Lager Recipe

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Nick Ladd

While living in Seattle, I had embarrassingly easy access to a world-class Vienna Lager brewed by Chuckanut Brewing in Bellingham, WA. Their beer always does well nationally at the GABF and easily became one of my go-to session beers as well as the inspiration for this recipe.

Vienna is in many was the perfect craft lager. I don’t think any other style of beer epitomizes balance the way a good Vienna can. It is quenching with a subtle complexity keeping your palate from boredom. This beer features a nice toasty malt profile while not being overbearing or too rich. There is a small crystal malt presence which is often overdone and can become sweet and in conflict with the dry toasty quality of the Vienna and Munich malt this recipe uses. It is a dryer and leaner version of its bigger brother the Oktoberfest / Marzen.

Specifications

Volume: 6.2 Gallons
Original Gravity: 1.050
Terminal Gravity: 1.012
Color: 13.82 SRM
Alcohol: 4.98% (ABV)
Bitterness: 23.7 IBUs
Efficiency: 80% (tweak recipe to match efficiency of your brew house)
Boil Length: 90 Minutes

Ingredients

4.5 lb (39.1%) Vienna Malt; Weyermann
2 lb (17.4%) Pilsner Malt; Weyermann
4.5 lb (39.1%) Munich TYPE II; Weyermann
4 oz (2.2%) Carapils®; Weyermann
2 oz (1.1%) Carafa Special® TYPE II; Weyermann
2 oz (1.1%) Melanoidin Malt; Weyermann
70 g (83.2%) Hallertauer Mittelfrüher (3.4%) – added during boil, boiled 60 m
1 ea Whirlfloc Tablets (Irish moss) – added during boil, boiled 15
.75 tsp Wyeast Nutrient – added during boil, boiled 10 m
.5 oz (16.8%) Hallertauer Mittelfrüher (3.4%) – added during boil, boiled 10 m
1 ea White Labs WLP833 German Bock Lager Yeast – 2 gallon decanted 1.040 starter

Water

Carbon-filtered Seattle water which is very soft. All salts added to grist before mashing in.
2 g Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate)
4.0 g Calcium Carbonate (Calcium Carbonate)
4.0 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate)
8.0 g Calcium Chloride (Calcium Chloride)

Mash

90 Minute Saccharification Rest at 154° F
10 Minute Mashout Rest at 170° F (I do a second hot water infusion to mashout)
Sparge at 170° F and collect sufficient runnings to hit pre-boil volumes

Fermentation

Chill wort to 44° F and pitch yeast slurry.
Set temp controller to 48° F and allow to rise to this temp.
Ferment at 48-50° F until beer is 2-6 points from terminal gravity then raise temp to 58-60° F. Hold at 58-60° F for 2 days.
Chill fermenter 2° F per day until temperature is at 34° F. Rack beer off yeast and lager at near freezing 4-8 weeks.

Keys to Brewing

Yeast is of paramount importance for craft lagers. A lot of outdated homebrew advice recommends fermenting warm for the first couple days to build yeast populations and then crashing the fermentation back to lager yeast fermentation temps. I don’t like this since I believe it can lead to significant problems including excessive ester, fusel, and diacetyl formation. I think it also tends to shock the yeast and produce incomplete fermentations. Build a big starter, pitch cold, and go from there.
Use restraint with crystal malt. Too many homebrew samples are heavy on the caramel flavors which tend to mask the more subtle toasty / melanoiden flavors from the base malts.
I like a touch of dehusked carafa malt to lend some rich red color to the beer. I tend to toss it into the mash right before I sparge to avoid any roasty flavors.

Awards

The beer brewed from this recipe has won numerous awards as a BJCP Category 3a. Vienna Lager:

2012 NHC First Round – 1st Place
2012 Cascade Brewers Cup / Puget Sound Pro-Am – 2nd Place
2012 Novembeerfest – 3rd Place
2012 Skagit County Fair – 2nd Place
2012 Best of the Bay – 1st Place, 2nd Best of Show
2012 Evergreen State Fair – 1st Place