Imperial IPA

[jonnyhop]

So having read that IPA book I have been planning this one for a while.

7 kg m/o
170 EKG 90 mins

That’s it!

Soooooooooooo the big decision is what to do with this one. I don’t have a spare corny to leave it in, so choices are either;

• Ferment for a week, give 2 in secondary and bottle in stubbies then leave for a year. (Advantages – this seems “proper IPA” to me. Stubbies are a good size. Disadvantages – this could end up spitting out bitter.)
• Stick it in the budget barrel. (advantage – no washing bottles, alcohol matures more rapidly in bulk. Disadvantage – pressure retainment, leaks, lack of confidence in equipment.)




I feel the longer I leave this in the FV the quicker it will mature yet the longer it isn’t in bottles the less likely it is to be carbonated. Thinking of using 40g priming sugar, its gonna keep for a year either way.


Had a nightmare brew, tap blocked up in the boiler (probably due to the extra hops) so had to scoop it out the filter through a sieve into the FV. Never complain – your getting beer.

Jonny

[Zatoichi]

170grms of EKG for the full 90mins seems way too much personally!!!! I would put 50grms in for the 90min followed by 90grms at the 15min stage for flavoring and the other 30grms in for the last 5mins for aroma ......... For what its worth!!!

[jonnyhop]

170grms of EKG for the full 90mins seems way too much personally!!!!

I thought so too. Based this on the recipies in The Homebrew classics IPA book. Some get into the 300's of EKGg's. Took me a while to convinve myself, but keen to find out how it tastes. Decided on the budget barrel, I can always mature it in their for a year and if it has no preassure transfer to the corny.

[coatesg]

170grms of EKG for the full 90mins seems way too much personally!!!!

Not really - this is a historical style recipe remember - and it should be matured for a good 6 months to a year so all the bitterness mellows away. You need the high hop rates and the long time to get the flavours it provides - there's no real way of doing it with lower rates added at different times.

I'm planning one myself in the near (before Xmas) future, once I've finished the manifold for a larger mash tun. Probably shoot for 6-7% with 200g goldings full boil, and maybe some for flavour/dry hop.

If you mature in bulk and then bottle later, you'll can repitch some fresh yeast when priming as the primary yeast will drop out and probably be knackered. Good luck with it!

That IPA book (and the Stout/Porter one) is excellent though - some outrageous 19th century recipes in there!

[jonnyhop]

If you mature in bulk and then bottle later, you'll can repitch some fresh yeast when priming as the primary yeast will drop out and probably be knackered.

Cheers for that - I think that is a great idea and will follow it. Let it sit in the budget barrel until next summer and then bottle in the stubbies if it tastes ok.