IPA ready for Christmas ?

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parling

IPA ready for Christmas ?

Post by parling » Fri Nov 24, 2017 11:16 am

Hi,

Due to issues with my build, damn drilling out tank connectors I'm late brewing my first ever all grain brew. I will be brewing this weekend, do you think there is time for this to ferment and bottle conditioned ready for Christmas. is 4 weeks enough?

Roughly how long should each stage take ?

Cheers

MTW
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Re: IPA ready for Christmas ?

Post by MTW » Fri Nov 24, 2017 11:52 am

It should be drinkable by Christmas, yes, but may not be at its best. Depending on the OG, what yeast you have and ambient or controlled temperatures available, then 7-10 days fermentation followed by 2-3 days cooler before bottling, at least a week with the bottles in a warm place (ideally say 21-23C to get it done quick as possible) then keep the ones you need for xmas cold from then on (leave the others warm for another week or so)... and you should squeeze it through.

Yeast wise, some of the British strains will rattle through quicker than something like the Californian style Fermentis US-05, which always takes a week or more to eek out the last couple of points for me, though it's very temperature tolerant and could be run ay 21-22C without issue. But if it's a US style IPA, the British strains may need to be on the cooler side to keep the esters down. Something like S-04 would also drop a bit quicker at the end. So it depends on what you're doing in terms of style.

If you're dry hopping, you may want to bag up and weigh down leaf hops, rather than put anything in loose and have to wait for it to drop. I much prefer the loose method, but if you're pressed for time, it may be best to contain them. If it's a cloudy, US hop soup sort of brew, maybe stick the dry hops in straight after the yeast has reached maximum growth on top of the wort.
Busy in the Summer House Brewery

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PeeBee
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Re: IPA ready for Christmas ?

Post by PeeBee » Fri Nov 24, 2017 12:10 pm

Bottling? That would be the issue. Have you an option to cask or keg?

I was going to start my Christmas pale ale (bitter) this weekend, but decided to put it off another week. Even three weeks is more than adequate for that particular style ... if draught.



A minor historical grumble: Just drop the "I". If making a British style "IPA" you'd be looking at next Christmas before its ready, but making a fanciful American style "IPA" ("AIPA") you're in with a chance. However, even modern British "IPA" loses any meaning to the "I", and probably did so eons ago.
Cask-conditioned style ale out of a keg/Cornie (the "treatise"): https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwzEv5 ... rDKRMjcO1g
Water report demystified (the "Defuddler"; removes the nonsense!): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

parling

Re: IPA ready for Christmas ?

Post by parling » Fri Nov 24, 2017 12:15 pm

Cheers for that,

I've some Wyeast 1056 ready to roll, Ill be controlling the temp with an aquarium heater in a bucket and the room is fairly consistent in its temperature. I was planning on doing 2 days dry hop after fermentation then 1 day crash cold before the bottling. I've only hop pellets so I was going to chuck them in.

It will be my first brew but All been well I'll have something drinkable for Christmas and something good for after. I plan on squeezing in another brew day in as soon as Ive bottled so Ive plenty of homebrew in while I keep practicing

parling

Re: IPA ready for Christmas ?

Post by parling » Fri Nov 24, 2017 12:16 pm

No I only have option for bottling really,

MTW
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Re: IPA ready for Christmas ?

Post by MTW » Fri Nov 24, 2017 12:35 pm

OK. Well WY1056 is the same as US-05 and I would guess a week to 10 days for that at 19C or so with a medium OG, with a 1L or so starter in 23L.

As for pellets, you'll just have to see how you go with a 1 day cold crash. They are my preferred option for dry hopping too.

Good luck!
Busy in the Summer House Brewery

parling

Re: IPA ready for Christmas ?

Post by parling » Fri Nov 24, 2017 12:40 pm

Cheers, looks like I may get away with short time frame, Ill let you know how it goes.

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PeeBee
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Re: IPA ready for Christmas ?

Post by PeeBee » Fri Nov 24, 2017 1:08 pm

parling wrote:
Fri Nov 24, 2017 12:15 pm
... I've some Wyeast 1056 ready to roll, ...
You'd be badly disadvantaging yourself using an "American" yeast at this stage. Listen to what "MTW" has been saying and opt for something that will ferment quick and get out of it.
Cask-conditioned style ale out of a keg/Cornie (the "treatise"): https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwzEv5 ... rDKRMjcO1g
Water report demystified (the "Defuddler"; removes the nonsense!): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

parling

Re: IPA ready for Christmas ?

Post by parling » Fri Nov 24, 2017 1:55 pm

Hi Peebee,

I see what your saying, ill see if I can get hold of something that will ferment quicker.

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Kev888
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Re: IPA ready for Christmas ?

Post by Kev888 » Fri Nov 24, 2017 2:35 pm

There isn't time for an authentic IPA, but if you go for a modest Original Gravity and less bitterness (perhaps lean it towards hop aroma instead) then it should be drink-able even if it isn't optimum. Many modern takes on IPAs and APAs are a bit like this in any case, so it shouldn't seem strange.

Waiting for any faults to mellow out is not an option. So I would suggest taking care not to introduce any astringency by excessive or poor sparging or poor water chemistry. Also avoid the temptation to ferment unusually/excessively warm for speed, just go comfortably warm and pitch a healthy amount of yeast.

If you treat your liquor, making sure you have a reasonable amount of calcium (say 150ppm - 200ppm) will help it to clear. But don't introduce an excessive sulphate bias if gypsum is your only means of doing so.

Under the circumstances, I'd personally use a yeast type which drops out and compacts well, even though most of these are less brilliant for hop aroma. If time is short then this may have to be a dried type, in which case US-04 would be best for clearing and compacting in the bottle, though Nottingham/Gervin would likely be slightly better for the style.
Kev

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Re: IPA ready for Christmas ?

Post by MTW » Fri Nov 24, 2017 3:34 pm

parling wrote:
Fri Nov 24, 2017 1:55 pm
Hi Peebee,

I see what your saying, ill see if I can get hold of something that will ferment quicker.
If you can get hold of some WLP007 or WY1098 (both the same, and a favourite of mine), do a good starter, and give it 2 days around 17C and then ramp it up over the next couple of days, I think you'll still be through quicker than your current yeast, and it will drop quicker. It needs to be on that cool end for a bit though, unless you want the fruitier British esters.

Good points as always from Kev, regarding the need to avoid too hot a sparge and overly sulphate liquor.
Busy in the Summer House Brewery

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Re: IPA ready for Christmas ?

Post by jaroporter » Fri Nov 24, 2017 4:56 pm

i'd strongly support MTW's suggestion of 007. i'm usually drinking beer out of the fermenter at 7 days with that stuff. i'd personally stay away from dried yeasts as i find they need a lot longer conditioning time to clean up after themselves. 007 is also a cracking yeast for pale ales, pale ales for export to the india market, american style pale ales or american stye IPAs, whichever it is you are looking to brew.. :=P
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