Style Series #1: American IPA

Arguably one of the most popular styles in the U.S. and most definitely my favorite style, an expertly brewed American IPA is quite the beer indeed. I'm going to cover a couple things I've learned about brewing American IPAs with that will hopefully help you to brew better IPAs.

1. Mash Temperature

A great IPA, American or otherwise, is quite dry.  American IPAs are very dry while English and Imperial IPAs have a bit more body, albeit for different reasons.  When I first started brewing IPAs I was scared that I would make the beer too dry so I would mash at somewhere around 152 F, but the reality is that a lower temperature is required to get the appropriate level of dryness.  149 F is a much better temperature to mash at, but anywhere in the 148 - 151 F range should get you where you need to be.

2. Hops

Obviously, hops are the showcase of the IPA style and there are a myriad of factors to account for.  Most brewing texts will tell you that the beer needs to be hop forward, but balanced by a supporting malt character, which is true, but it's not the whole story.  There also needs to be a balance within the hop profile itself. The bitterness can't be too harsh or strong, otherwise the beer will be intensely grassy and unenjoyable.  Too much hop flavor will drown out the supporting maltiness.  Fortunately it's quite easy to achieve the proper balance with some alternatives to the traditional hopping schedule.  For IPAs first wort hopping is great technique to get a smooth bitterness and a pleasant flavor/aroma component.  Combined with late and dry hopping it creates a complex hop profile with several layers of depth to explore.

There are other topics that will help contribute to a great IPA, but I believe these two things are the keys.  For a more in depth analysis of the IPA style check out IPA: Brewing Techniques, Recipes and the Evolution of India Pale Ale.  Cheers and happy brewing!  

Early Morning Brew Day

Well, it's 5:25 am as I start heating my strike water for my first brew day in over two weeks. Being on 12 hour night shifts makes it hard to find time to brew, but I have resolved to make time. That, I think, is the essence of passion not just for brewing but for anything. Making time to brew that you really don't have speaks volumes about one's dedication to brewing. I really should be waiting until I get an actual day off, but this can't wait any longer. If I am to brew this American stout with enough time for it to condition properly to be ready for the National Homebrew Competition it needs to be done before January is over and now is as good a time as any. Accompanying my brew day is a fantastic Imperial Red Ale from Oskar Blues called G'Knight in honor of their dearly departed Gordon Knight. I never knew Mr. Knight, but it is my hope that I can bring his apparent passion for finely crafted beer into my brewing and this brew day is dedicated to him.

Featured Recipe: Dust Devil IIPA

I had the distinct pleasure of tasting this beer a few days ago.  It was brewed by my good friend Mike Stauffer, an excellent homebrewer in Texas.  I tasted ten of his brews and this is the one I loved the most.  Intense hop character both in the aroma and the flavor, a solid but smooth hop bitterness supported by a medium-light body.  Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to present Dust Devil IIPA by Mike Stauffer:

13 lbs American 2-row
.5 lbs Rye malt
.75 lbs Crystal Malt 20°L
.5 lbs Crystal Malt 40°L
.5 lbs Cara-Pils® Malt; Briess

.6 oz Warrior (Pellets, 16.00 %AA) boiled 60 min.
.5 oz Cascade (Pellets, 5.50 %AA) boiled 20 min.
1 oz Cascade (Pellets, 5.50 %AA) boiled 5 min.
1 oz Simcoe (Pellets, 13.00 %AA) boiled 1 min.

Yeast :WYeast 1056 American Ale from slurry (2nd Gen.)
Ferment at 64F for 21 days then dry hop

1.00 oz Simcoe [Pellets 13 %] (Dry Hop 7 days)
1.00 oz Summit [Pellets 17.60 %] (Dry Hop 7 days)
1.00 oz Chinook[Pellets 10.00 %] (Dry Hop 7 days)
__________________________________________________

Mash Temp; 151F
Batch Size; 6 gal
Volume Boiled; 7.2 gal
Measured Brewhouse Efficiency; 71%
Measured OG; 1.068
Measured FG; 1.006
Measured ABV; 8.1%

I can't make you brew this, but all I can say is that if you're a hop head you won't be disappointed by this brew.  Enjoy!

Revving Up For The NHC

Well,  it's that time of year folks. The National Homebrew Competition is just around the corner,  the perfect time to start thinking about brewing those recipes that depend on freshness for maximum quality. I myself am brewing eight beers for the NHC,  one of which (Old Ale) has already been brewed. The rest are fairly to highly dependent on freshness for success.   They are:

American Pale Ale
American Amber Ale
American Brown Ale
American IPA
Imperial IPA
American Stout
Wiezenbock

With the NHC first round in late March and early April it's about time get to brewing.  The stout and wiezenbock will be up first as I feel they will benefit from that little extra conditioning period prior to the competition.   The rest will be brewed sometime in mid to late February to give the beer ample opportunity to condition properly but still be at their respective peaks of freshness for the competition.

This will be my first NHC so I would love to hear any tips from you veterans or just hear what you're brewing,  veteran or not.  Good luck to everyone who's entering the competition and I hope to see you at the second round because I plan on going whether any of my beers advance or not.

If you want to take your brewing to the next level and maximize your chances of medaling in the NHC, take Gordon Strong's advice which can be found in his new book Brewing Better Beer: Master Lessons for Advanced Homebrewers

Featured Beer: New England Brewery Gandhi-bot

Just wanted to make a quick plug for a beer that I have recently been reunited with and that I think deserves special mention as one of New England's great beers.  The beer is called Gandhi-bot and is brewed by New England Brewing in Woodbridge, CT.  It is a double IPA that, in my opinion, could go head to head with the greats: Pliny the Elder, Heady Topper and Surly Abrasive immediately come to mind.  Of course there are other great double IPAs out there, but those three are among the most famous.  If you live in Connecticut or Massachusetts and you enjoy a great double IPA you owe it to yourself to get your hands on this beer.  If you don't live in Connecticut or Massachusetts you should look into making the drive if you're close enough or trading for it.  As of a few minutes ago when I checked, Gandhi-bot cannot be purchased through any of the online retailers of beer, so it might be hard to get your hands on.  It is most certainly worth it, though.  Here's a picture of it to whet your appetite.

The BJCP Tasting Exam

As I indicated in my last post I took the BJCP Tasting Exam yesterday and it was quite an experience. I was incredibly nervous walking in there, but I soon found my rhythm. The first beer was an Oktoberfest that I feel like I screwed up pretty badly.  There was something obviously off about it, but for the life of me I couldn't figure it out.  It's a lot harder to detect off aromas and flavors in a beer that has aroma and flavor. For my off flavor practice I only used light lagers which make it to easy to pick out.  After that I was blessed with a Wiezen,  a style with which I am very familiar. I don't want to jinx anything by saying how I scored the beers or if I think I did well. Mostly I just wanted to reassure anyone who might be taking the exam not to stress too much. I was constantly worrying that I would forget how off aromas smelled and off flavors tasted, but when it was game time my brain made the association and pulled through for me. I didn't have the luxury of having a class available in close proximity to me so I was doing all my preps and studying on my own. If you can, though, get involved with a class; it will help you immensely.  They will be able to help you recognize off aromas and flavors that you're having a difficult time getting down as well as teach you how to be more descriptive when filling out your score sheets, which is something that can make the difference between a good score and a great score.  The only other piece  of advice I have is to start looking for an exam as soon as you pass the Entrance Exam. I was very lucky to land a spot in an exam only four months from when I passed the Entrance Exam. Other exams a year and even further out were booked solid with substantial waiting lists. Good luck to all you prospective judges. I hope to see you at the judging table some day.  Cheers!

For an excellent introduction to the finer points of tasting beer along with a bit of history check out Randy Mosher's Tasting Beer: An Insider's Guide to the World's Greatest Drink

BJCP Exam Preparations

Well, in just a few short hours I'll be walking in the door to take my BJCP Tasting Examination.  I am incredibly nervous, but at this point I've done about all the preparation I can on my own.  I didn't have the luxury of having a prep class local to me so I've been trying to prepare as best I can on my own.  Over the past week I've been going over the style guidelines and studying the off flavors just so they're fresh in my mind.  I will have more information after the exam, but for now, wish me luck!