IPA – India Pale Ale

A higher alcohol and hoppier version of a pale ale.  Originally brewed in Britain it was designed to be able to keep for the long sea voyage to India (the alcohol and hops allow it to keep better).  Traditionally, therefore, it’s a British beer style (recipe), but it’s one that has become popular in the US, and has been taken in a whole new direction.  In fact, some American IPA’s have become where the brewer’s have really pushed the envelope with hoppiness.  The sub styles Imperial IPA and Double IPA (really the same thing) have been created with higher alcohol and hop levels too, and there’s even some brown and dark IPA’s out there.

Chocolate Stout

Not actually made with chocolate, but it does have chocolate like flavours to it as a result of the rich maltiness and roast flavours (think bittersweet).  It does use chocolate malt, but this determines the colour of the roasted grain, rather than its flavour characteristics.

Anyway – I’ve put a recipe on hopville for a clone of Brooklyn Brewry’s Chocolate Stout.

Russian Imperial Stout

One of a number of beers that were brewed strong with high hopping in order that they would keep, Russian Imperial Stout was brewed in Britain to be shipped to the Russian Imperial court.  It tends to be strong, and needs some aging before it is ready to be drunk (4-6 months), but a well made example is a wonderful thick, potent experience.

Anyway, I’ve put a recipe on Hopville (this one came from Jamil Zainashef’s, Brewing Classic Styles).

Barleywines

I went to the Westchester Homebrewer’s Organization meeting last Wednesday and we tasted barleywines as the featured style.  Big, strong beers, they develop with age.  The British and American styles differ quite a bit, and I’ve put recipes for one of each on Hopville.

Bishop’s Finger Clone

A favourite of mine, and coming from what claims to be Britain’s Oldest Brewery.  Bishop’s Finger is a strong bitter, with a rounded flavour.  Anyway, I’ve worked out a clone recipe and put it on Hopville.

Homebrew Alley 4

This coming Sunday at Chelsea Brewing Company, Chelsea Piers, NYC….

I have a dry mead in, which I made at the end of 2009, and we’ll see what happens.  Probably won’t win anything, but I’ll get feedback from the judges.

I’m also judging on the day.  I have to be there at 8.30 am, and get to start drinking tasting at 9.15 on a Sunday.

Going All-Grain – ‘if you can make oatmeal/porridge, you can brew an all-grain beer’

I made my first all-grain beer yesterday.  The setup I used was less than ideal, particularly given the volume of grain I used and the size of pans available to me (I’m doing this in someone else’s kitchen), and so my efficiency wasn’t great (I got about 20% less extract from the grains than I had hoped), but ok for a first go.

Still, I’m inspired, and with a better setup will be able to mash with much better efficiency and results.  I suffered from not being able to stir the grist (grains and water), or being able to sparge (rinse) the grains fully, simply because I had five pounds of grain and 5 quarts of water in a 1.5-2 gallon (US) pot.  This wasn’t really big enough (I should have done a smaller batch probably), which caused my loss in efficiency, but it was a starting point.

The point that I take away from this though, is that you can all grain brew with a basic setup – everything you’d need for extract brewing, you just need to use it differently and do a few extra jobs.

Continual Hopping

No, not jumping up and down until your leg falls off, but a hopping technique that involves a hop addition to the boil every minute for a given period of time.  This obviously needs to be done with careful amounts so as not to create an overly hopped beer, and careful thought needs to be given to the strength of the beer and alpha acid utilization rates (beer geekery).  Commercial beers that use this technique include Dogfish Head’s 60 Minute IPA, 90 Minute IPA, and 120 Minute IPA.  They come out at 6.0, 9.0 and 18.0 percent and have IBU’s of 60, 90, and 120.  There’s a certain symmetry here…and it certainly sounds like an interesting technique to try.

Growing my own hops

I’m going to start growing my own hops this year.  It’s supposed to be quite easy, as long as you have something they can climb.  They’ll grow on any soil, although the plants can be susceptible to wilt and mildew in some seasons.  They grow fast, and crop abundantly.  Only the female plants produce the conelike flowers, called lupulins, which are harvested in late August and September.  Hops then need to be dried and stored away from air and light – most commercial growers vacuum pack, but home brewers will find that hops apparently freeze very well.

Anyhow, I plan to plant the following (and there may well be a surplus later in the year if people want some):

Wye Northdown (dual purpose bittering/aroma)
Wye Challenger (dual purpose)
Target (high alpha – bittering)
Cobb (Goldings variety) (aroma) or Prima Donna (dwarf Golding)
Fuggle (aroma)

and possibly some German noble hops such as:

Tettnanger
Hallertauer
Saaz

Magic Hat number 9 Clone

To be found all over the North-Eastern US, Magic Hat number 9 is a beer that can only be described as unique.  Anyhow, I’ve put a clone recipe on hopville.