Results of my Fourth Batch...

[briandickens]

I made an IPA from a recipe I based off of an all-grain recipe i found in a book. I converted it to extract and made some changes as suggested by members of the forum. Then I decided to put in lots and lots of hops. (2oz e. kent golding at the beginning of the boil, 2 oz. 45 minutes into the boil, 2 oz. Cascade dry hopped)

I was going to hold onto it for a while without drinking it because I wanted to finish the kegerator first so the first pint I had was from the draft tower. Last night I couldn't resist and I had a pint. It's AWESOME. It's hazy I guess, and it has kind of a fruity taste to it, but still I had to go back for another pint. And my roommate who doesn't usually ever drink beer (just the malternative beverages) liked it too.

I am looking forward to having some more tonight!

[Fast_Eddy]

Ain't homebrewing grand?

The haze could very well be a hop haze. The fruity-ness is the yeast's contribution by way of esters.

[briandickens]

ah. the tasty tasty hop haze.
the fruitiness is fine. it may not even be technically fruity, but maybe it's my perception of the dry hopping? regardless, none of it is bad.

[paul84043]

You're probably correct in your definition of the "fruity" flavor in your beer. It's very common in ales, especially the higher gravity ones.
Be careful with your IPA, be reverent to the beer gods, their wrath is not pretty.
I have made 2 IPA's, both of them taste fantastic and they scare the crap out of me as well....
It's just so easy to have another...and another....and all of a sudden, it's midnight and you have to get up to go to work at 4 A.M., not to mention the fact that you can actually feel the third of five beers just beginning to absorb into your system....it's going to be a long night, and an even longer next day...

This aint your momma's regular old beer, that's for damn sure....

I have a nearly full batch of perfectly aged IPA waiting for me....mmmmmmmm...

[Beerconnoisseur]

What a coincidence... my next beer will be an IPA. I've brewed this particular version before as an extract, but it was a bit strong on the Columbus hops.... so I thought I'd add some apricot flavoring for shits and giggles to this batch, just to see if that balances it out more.

I also plan on doing a decoction mash, since I haven't tried that yet, which should be fun. Mmm, can't get enough of that malt.

If it doesn't turn out well, I'll try switching to a yeast strain that yields more fruity flavors, next time I brew it.

Wish me luck! :D

[asciibaron]

i want to make an IPA next. i am trying to find my "house" beer. so far the Steam clone i made seems to be it. what is a good extract recipe?

-steve

[briandickens]

I think I would liek to always have this IPA on hand. I might try to make it into a mini-mash so I can use cara-pils. I'll have to see where I'm at with that.

asciibaron, do you want the recipe I used? It goes like this:

6.5# Light DME
1# Crystal 40L
4oz E. Kent Goldings (pellet)
2oz Cascade (flower)
2tsp Gypsum
2oz Oak Chips

Bring 2 gal water with 2 tsp Gypsum to 160*. Steep Crystal 40L for 30 min. Remove Grain. Bring water to a boil. Add DME and 2oz E.Kent Goldings Hops. After 45 min, add 1tsp Irish Moss (if you like to use it), and 2oz E.Kent Goldings hops. After 1 hr of boiling chill and rack to ferment with yeast of choice. (I don't remember which I used. Wyeast, some English Ale yeast.) After airlock stops bubbling, put Cascade hops and Oak into secondary carboy. Rack beer into secondary.

I had an OG of 1.02 @ 78F and an FG of 1.018 @ 82F. Kind of warm, but that's all I can do until it gets colder out. It tastes great. Feel free to use and adapt the recip as you see fit. I added Gypsum to give the water some flavor as the water coming out of my tap is filtered and I wanted some water character.

[S.F.B.]

Originally posted by briandickens
I added Gypsum to give the water some flavor as the water coming out of my tap is filtered and I wanted some water character.

If you want to really give your brewing water a kick in the pants try using Burton water salts. These raise you waters hardness quite a bit. I don't have the specific amount. I use it with my IPA and it really makes a difference.

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by Beerconnoisseur

If it doesn't turn out well, I'll try switching to a yeast strain that yields more fruity flavors, next time I brew it.

Wish me luck! :D

I've had really good luck with Wyeast #1318 for making IPA's that have a nice fruity quality. Supposedly it's Young's yeast.

[asciibaron]

i might have to give that a try. i prefer to use Alexander's LME esp. since i get a discount at the homebrew store - the benefits of being a homebrew club member!

i'm really searching for a nice, mellow house beer. i might have to make a small beer - something with a O.G. under 1.050

-steve

[briandickens]

i'm really searching for a nice, mellow house beer. i might have to make a small beer - something with a O.G. under 1.050

I'm not certain, but I did use a starter, not just the yeast pack. I don't know if this explains the OG or not. I like to think that my yeast is always hungry. (Am I the only one who talks to the yeast and encourages it to eat?) My beers always seem to come out a little higher abv than typical store-bought beers. I don't mind. This one was about 6.25% and that's a nice amount for me. As long as I can't actually taste the alcohol burning it's way down my throat, I am fine with it.

Next beer I'm going to make is a Witbier. Should be nice. :D

[toneyc]

Originally posted by asciibaron
i might have to give that a try. i prefer to use Alexander's LME esp. since i get a discount at the homebrew store - the benefits of being a homebrew club member!

i'm really searching for a nice, mellow house beer. i might have to make a small beer - something with a O.G. under 1.050

-steve

I've kind of settled on AHS' Ordinary (English) Bitter. It has an abv of about 3.5 or so, but tastes great and is good for a long evening of drinking beer.

:)
Toney.