American IPA advice

[legion]

My AIPA fermented out to 1012 making it 7.1%.

Probably the best beer I have brewed, it's been a while since I looked at my recipe and I thought there would have been more than 4% crystal in it. There is a really good balance between hoppyness, bitterness and richness from the crystal

Every person who has tried it has liked it and that includes a several non ale drinkers who have never tried a hoppy ipa before. i Took it to my first CBA meet and everyone seemed to love it. One attendee said 'this is the sort of beer that I would keep to myself rather than bring it to a meet' and at a east Kent amateur brewers someone said that they did not like American hops, then tried my beer and described it as liquid gold!

Not many bottles left to go...

[Barley Water]

Well since I posted on this thread I have brewed up an AIPA. My current rendition is American 2 row, a couple of pounds of Munich ('cause the 2 row is a bit wimpy in my opinion) and a bit of Amber malt and zero crystal (1.065 O.G.). Warrior is the main bittering hop and everything else is Amarillo and Mozaic all inside of 15 minutes to shut down. It's currently getting dry hopped with an ounce each of Amarillo and Mozaic (5 gallon batch by the way). I was looking for about 60 IBU for bitterness but when I tasted the stuff it comes off as more than that. Since I used Ringwood yeast it's pretty dry (and I mashed low) so maybe that's why the bitterness seems pronounced; and I'm not complaining by the way. Assuming the beer reeks like a hopyard, I think I'll be a happy/hoppy boy.

While I was in the hop purchasing mode, I got some Citra. My plan is to make a standard American Wheat Beer then burst it with probably Amarillo and Citra. If I do it right I can keep the beer at only say 40 IBU's for a 1.050 beer yet get massive orange/grapefruit flavors and aromas, it should make for a very thirst quenching ale. I did a similar beer last summer that worked out pretty well, I just want to screw with the hopping a bit this year to see if I can make it even better.

[jonnyt]

Any reason for using Ringwood yeast with such a hoppy brew?
I always think Ringwood beers taste very smooth which I like but does it also make the hops shine?

[Barley Water]

Well my other alternative would probably be the Chico strain but frankly I was looking for a strain that would attenuate and make things just a bit more interesting. Of course, this idea is not my creation, Dogfish Head uses that strain also in it's IPA's, I suspect for the same reason (I've done it before and it works out well). Actually, many of the larger brewers over here use that strain, especially on the east cost. Really I don't see that formulating an AIPA is all that hard, the trick is to make a good one that just has that something extra. I feel that since we are homebrewing here, we almost have an obligation to try and make our product unique, don't you think?

[BitterTed]

Well my other alternative would probably be the Chico strain but frankly I was looking for a strain that would attenuate and make things just a bit more interesting.

Interesting! I just kegged a AIPA and I used the "Chico" strain and got 85% attenuation with it. The grist was pretty basic, Pale malt, amber and a touch of crystal ,very similar to yours, so I wonder why you think it doesn't attenuate?

[Barley Water]

It's not that I think the Chico strain won't attenuate, I just got sloppy when I posted that. What I was trying to convey was that I wanted to find another strain that would attenuate but at the same time add some interest to the beer. Over here, everybody and their dog making bitter beers uses the Chico strain so just to be different I went in a direction less traveled. Of course, on your side of the pond things are reversed so using the Chico strain would seem exotic for you guys (you know, those crazy Americans use it).

[jonnyt]

Another reason I asked is because I've always used the Chico strain myself and want to try something different. Does the Ringwood flocculate any better than Chico?

[seymour]

Another reason I asked is because I've always used the Chico strain myself and want to try something different. Does the Ringwood flocculate any better than Chico?

Yes.

You proud Englishmen have so many incredibly cool English ale yeasts, there's no good reason for you to ever use Chico. Even the ubiquitous Nottingham and Whitbread-B strains are more interesting. Don't believe me? Split your next brew into two fermentors: Chico vs. anything else; hell, a packet of Muntons dry will kick it's ass. You'll see.

Sorry, I know this is an ongoing diatribe of mine, never mind me. I just wish I could convice the world to stop the march toward homogenized Cascade and Chico beer.

[Barley Water]

Humm.....it occurs to me that I may be advocating the use of the Ringwood yeast strain. I guess that is ok but I would be remiss if I did not warn you that this stuff has quite the reputation. I personally have never had problems with it however I know I am dancing with the devil when using it. There are many people that just hate the stuff; primarily I guess because it can throw off copious amounts of diacetyl. The usual caveats apply, make a starter, oxigenate and run it at the correct temperature. Finally, make sure you leave it on the yeast cake for awhile so it has time to clean up after itself. There are some beer snobs that can pick out that strain in a beer because they say it has a characteristic flavor and that may well be true but I guess I must like it so who cares? At least as far as doing IPA's is concerned, it attenuates well for a British ale yeast and you get more ale like flavors plus it floculates, an added bonus.

[BitterTed]

It's not that I think the Chico strain won't attenuate, I just got sloppy when I posted that. What I was trying to convey was that I wanted to find another strain that would attenuate but at the same time add some interest to the beer. Over here, everybody and their dog making bitter beers uses the Chico strain so just to be different I went in a direction less traveled. Of course, on your side of the pond things are reversed so using the Chico strain would seem exotic for you guys (you know, those crazy Americans use it).

I get what you mean by a more interesting yeast, the chico strain is not very interesting for sure, just clean almost to a fault.
BTW, I'm on the same side of the pond as you, just on the other side of the Mississippi River!