King George's Cluster IPA

[YeastWhisperer]

King George's Cluster IPA

Brew Length: 23L
Targeted Efficiency: 77% intermediate brewer, 89% advanced brewer
S.G.: ~1.060 intermediate brewer, ~1.068 advanced brewer
Mash type: Single infusion at 67C for 90 minutes

Grist:

5.75 kg Thomas Fawcett Pearl
0.25 kg Malteries Franco-Belges CaraMunich

Liquor

Profile: Burton (see Bru’n Water)

Strike : 2.lL/kg
Sparge : 4l/kg

Boil length: 90 minutes

50g Whole Cluster, 9.8% AA, 75 minute boil
25g Whole Cluster, 9.8% AA, 15 minute boil
50g Whole Cluster, 9.8% AA, 20 minute hop stand at 75C

Yeast: British Yeast Strain with 75-80% apparent attenuation (please do subject this recipe to the lifeless strain known as BRY-96, “Chico,” Wy1056, WLP001, and US-05)

Notes:

One should use only the freshest Cluster that one can obtain with this recipe. The weight of the first and second additions should be reduced by 10% if one is using pellets instead of whole cones. Furthermore, the weight for the first two additions should be scaled up or down based on the alpha acid rating printed on one’s package of hops using the formula shown below. If using pellets, this adjustment is made after the making the 10% adjustment in weight.

adjusted_hop_addition_in_grams = recipe_weight_in_grams * recipe_AA_rating / actual_hop_AA_rating

The hop stand is performed by chilling the wort to 75C. The hops are added and allowed to steep for 20 minutes before chilling the wort to pitching temperature.

I used an anonymized yeast strain that I acquired on solid media from the University of California, Davis with the description “ale, England, beer.” It was easily one of the most flocculent British yeast strains that I have ever used, but it was also highly attenuative, which is a rare combination. If I had to pick a commercial strain that comes close to the performance of this strain, it would be the Charles Wells strain (a.k.a. WLP006).

I usually do not use crystal/caramel malt in my bitters and IPAs because I do not like the way that crystal/caramel malt ages, especially 60L crystal/caramel malt. However, for some odd reason, 60L caramel malt just works in this recipe. It balances Cluster’s rough-hewn edge. This beer can be seen as either a big pale ale or a small IPA. I lowered the extraction efficiency from the upper-80s to 77%, so that more brewers could hit the original gravity. This recipe would create a 1.068 beer if brewed in my brew house.

Finally, the King George referenced in the recipe is not your King George. He is one of the golden retrievers that watches over the Hair of the Dog Brewery.

[Rookie]

Looks good to me.
I've never used cluster.
Let us know how it turns out.

[YeastWhisperer]

I brewed this recipe back in October. Most people were surprised to discover that it was single-hop beer, and even more surprised that the hop was Cluster. Cluster has an undeserved poor reputation due to its use in macro brewing. After all, Cluster was intentionally or accidentally bred by the Dutch in the seventeenth century. No hop remains in continuous production for four centuries without having some redeeming qualities.

By the way, I used 2014 Puterbaugh Farms whole Cluster. Their Cluster is very good. I planed Early Cluster in my little hop yard last fall. I am hoping that it grows well at my latitude.

[Barley Water]

Interesting. I am currently drinking a Ballentines XXX clone which uses Clusters as the main bittering hop and I rather like the beer. I suppose back in the day Ballentines would have been considered a "macro" brewer but now that it's gone the way of the DoDo bird it is now considered cool in some circles. I also have the recipe for the famous IPA they made, I should give that a try also just to see how it stacks up against the modern stuff. I think it's fun to brew the older historical beers although if you want history nothing compares to the beers that are considered historical on the other side of the pond.

[YeastWhisperer]

The correct yeast strain for Ballantine IPA is Siebel BRY 97 (a.k.a. Anchor Liberty Ale, Wyeast 1272, White Labs WLP051, and Lallemand BRY 97), not Siebel BRY 96 (a.k.a. "Chico," Wyeast 1056, White Labs WLP001, and US-05). BRY 97 is the strain that was used in the ale brewery that was co-located with the maltings at the larger facility on Front Street in Newark, New Jersey. BRY 96 was used to make Ballantine's "beer" product at the old Schalk Brothers Brewery on Freeman Street, making it a pseudo-lager yeast. If you ever wondered why BRY 96 is more cold tolerant than most ale yeast strains, here is your sign.

Here's a photo that was shot at the Ballantine ale brewery:



The yeast strain that is working away in that open fermentation vessel is definitely not BRY 96. BRY 96 is not that flocculant.