Simcoe Single Hop IPA - 18/06/2010

[Birdman]

Took the day off for a brewday and it was absolutely gorgeous yesterday so spirits were high. Get up this morning and its grey and comparatively cold. Gutted.

I'm a bit of a noob with AG brewing and prior to coming on here to read around the art I thought I was a bit of a hophead. It seems that maybe I'm not after reading some of the hop inspired madness going on around here. So thought I would try and join in a bit.

I bought lots of reasonably priced hops off boris earlier in the week so going to try and put some to use today...

I love hoppy west coast style IPA's so I thought I'd have a bit of a pop at one. Ive also recently managed to try a couple of bottles of the mikkeler single hop ales (Nelson Sauvin and Simcoe) and really like the Simcoe so thought I would go for a single hop Simcoe brew.

After lifting a recipe from a US homebrew forum Ive adapted it slightly to fit what grain I actually have as my order from worcester hop shop has not yet arrived (I did only order Tuesday night though).

So here it is:

Fermentable Colour lb: oz Grams Ratio
Pale Malt 5 EBC 12 lbs. 5.9 oz 5610 grams 80.3%
Munich Malt 20 EBC 2 lbs. 4.0 oz 1020 grams 14.6%
Crystal Malt 130 EBC 0 lbs. 8.8 oz 250 grams 3.6%
Torrefied Wheat 4 EBC 0 lbs. 3.7 oz 105 grams 1.5%

Hop Variety Type Alpha Time lb: oz grams Ratio
Simcoe Whole 12.9 % 90 mins 0 lbs. 1.2 oz 33 grams 16% (FWH)
Simcoe Whole 12.9 % 15 mins 0 lbs. 1.2 oz 33 grams 16%
Simcoe Whole 12.9 % 5 mins 0 lbs. 1.0 oz 28 grams 13.6%
Simcoe Whole 12.9 % 0 mins 0 lbs. 2.0 oz 56 grams 27.2% (at FO)
Simcoe Whole 12.9 % 0 mins 0 lbs. 2.0 oz 56 grams 27.2% (Dry Hop)

Final Volume: 20 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.073
Final Gravity: 1.017
Alcohol Content: 7.3% ABV
Total Liquor: 32 Litres
Mash Liquor: 17.5 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 70 %
Bitterness: 70 EBU
Colour: 29 EBC

Hoping to use US-05 but don't have any until my next order arrives so we'll see how that goes...

Mash is on and I'm just tucking into a Sausage and egg butty

[leedsbrew]

Looks good man! I've got a bag of simcoe sat next to the computer I was wanting to do a one hop brew with. Let us know how it gets on!

[befuggled]

I did one similar a few months ago but a bit more simple, just PM and crystal.
100gms Simcoe split 4 ways, no dry hopping.

Very very nice, quite subtle compared with most of my other ones!

I am sure you will enjoy it!
I will be doing it again, but probably 6.5% and 65-70 EBU
That's after Green Bullet, more Amarillo, more Columbus.......

[Birdman]

Cheers guys

Have got a few photo's which I'll put up later. Just got all of the hops out. Its a LOT. Smell is amazing! the house smells great.

Hoping to get the boil on about 1.30. First runnings at 1.09 after cooling to 21oC in the fridge. Lovely reddish colour to it, but doesnt taste over the top sweet so Im happy.

Footy started so just about to crack the first beer of the day. As I'm a noob I only have beer in the FV not the bottle so having to make do with 3 bottles of gothamites bobek and 12 punk ipa.

So far this is going by the book. Fingers crossed.

Got a bit excited after the smell of all those hops. This could be a belter!

[Gothamite]

You are a hophead
Can't wait to try a bottle
Hope all ends up well.
Cheers,
Gothamite.

[Birdman]

Boil on

Everything running smoothly bar the half litre that ended up on the floor...

[Birdman]

Oh, and its p*ssing down on my day off!

No BBQ before the footy tonight then

[Bobba]

It's better if it's raining, there'll be less wild yeasties, pollen etc in the air to land in your beer. I always try to bottle when it's crap outside in the summer months.

[Bobba]

Looks like a great beer by the way!

[pantsmachine]

Nice one,

Simco is one of those hops that makes me salivate when i smell it.

If you so go the total hophead route and have a garden its worth planting your own favourite hops and also composting your old hops. Percy Thrower lives!!! We are very lucky with the availabilty,variety,standard and price of hops this year.

[Fuse]

i want a picture of the 2ft high comedy head on the FV can only describe it as a beer souflé

looking forward to having a little of this one, it smelled awsome - as soon as i stepped in the front door all i get was a slap in the face with a lovely hop smell, was great.

[Birdman]

Piccies


Mash after 90 mins

Lost nothing in the tun. Lovely

First runnings

1.09 after a quick chill to 21oC in the fridge

[Birdman]

Runnings after sparge

running very nicely from the tun

Happy with that

Lots and lots of simcoe to go into the brew

[Birdman]

First lot of kettle hops

Almost up to the boil

A nice rolling boil

Big steep at the end

Running through to the FV I may have given this a bit too much air...

[Birdman]

Yep. Definitely too much air.

The beer souffle fuse referred to

A quick sterilisation later I manage to scoop off the foam.
"Would you like a flake with that?"