Redemption - West Coast IPA - All Grain Recipe

This will be our third attempt at a West Coast IPA, after our first two batches come out somewhat lacking. After plenty of research, we're confident we've found the reason for this - too much sulfate in our water profile that lead to an aggressively bitter finish and stripped out nearly all hop aroma and flavour.

Recipe Rationale

Grain Bill

We're stripping this one right back to the basics. 100% American Ale malt (ie. 2 row), and four different hop varieties - Centennial, Citra, Ekuanot and Simcoe, and trusty old US-05 yeast.

Hops

This hop combination was selected as it's the same four hops that are used in the Crankshaft IPA by Bentspoke Brewing Co - a multi-award winning beer, and one of our personal favourites.

Water Profile

We're confident that in previous batches, our excessive use of sulphate in the water profile has lead to increased bitterness and reduced hop flavour, so we're hoping this new water profile with 150ppm of sulphate (which we have used previously with great success) solves this problem for us.

Based off all this, we're hoping there isn't too much that can go wrong with this one, and some redemption from our previous batches - in particular the last one that we ended up dumping. 

Yeast

It's hard to go past US-05 for an American IPA like this one. Clean, neutral and well attenuating, it's a sure bet.

All Grain Recipe

Vitals

• Batch Volume: 23L 
• Boil Time: 30 minutes
• Brewhouse Efficiency: 75%
• Original Gravity: 1.058
• Final Gravity: 1.011
• IBU (Tinseth): 56
• BU/GU: 0.96
• Colour: 9.3 EBC
• Expected ABV: 6.3%

Mash

• Mash In: 65°C - 60 minutes
• Mash Out: 75°C - 10 minutes

Fermentables

• 6kg - Barrett Burston Ale Malt (100%)

Hops

Boil Hops

• 30 mins - Citra - 15 IBU
• 10 mins - Ekuanot - 6 IBU
• 10 mins - Citra - 5 IBU
• 5 mins - Centennial - 5 IBU
• 5 mins - Simcoe - 5 IBU

Hopstand/Whirlpool - 15 mins @ 85°C

• Centennial - 4 IBU
• Simcoe - 5 IBU
• Citra - 5.5 IBU
• Ekuanot - 5.5 IBU

Dry Hop (after reaching final gravity)

• Ekuanot - 50g - 3 days
• Simcoe - 45g - 3 days
• Centennial - 42g - 3 days
• Citra - 37g - 3 days

Yeast

• Fermentis US-05 (Dry - 2 Packets)

Fermentation

• 19°C - 12 days

Carbonation

• 2.4 CO2-vol

Water Profile 

• Ca2+ (Calcium): 74
• Mg2+ (Magnesium): 5
• Na+ (Sodium): 24
• Cl- (Chloride): 51
• SO42- (Sulfate): 150
• HCO3- (Bicarbonate): 38

Want to see how it went? Check out our BrewZilla Brew Day article below!

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