East Coast IPA Brew Day... and Vertical Tasting of Boulevard Rye on Rye.

The team gathering in the
garage with Bailey the
"lab-brew-doodle"

On Saturday morning the team gathered for an epic brew day.   We were determined to brew our version of an East Coast IPA.   10 gallons of hoppy deliciousness.   The recipe was set out in the previous post.  Basically a whole lot of Mosaic, Citra, and Cascade, with a touch of Warrior, and Simcoe, to add some bitterness on the front and in the middle.

Beth and Mashy Hoppinton
visited during brew day.  What
a cool mom, notice the beer.

This was a fairly medium gravity brew, only 22.5 lbs of grain.   The base grain was Vienna 20 lbs, and the only other additions are  2.5 lbs of wheat malt, and 1 cup of white flour (to make it murky).  The flour is the wild card,  we have never done that before.  We have never tried to make a beer cloudy before.   It was a real weird feeling, adding something to the mash for the express purpose of making a beer appear cloudy.  All of our grains came from Cargill.   The Vienna from Cargill is amazing stuff.  Malty and bready... gives an awesome back bone for a hoppy beer.  Meussdoerffer Vienna... We have made ECIPAs in the past with pale ale, or two row malt, and they were delicious, but the Vienna adds something that can stand up to all those hops.    

22 lbs of crushed grains about
to go into a 100 quart no sparge
mash tun. 

We crushed the grains fine  (35 mils) the day before at a friends who has a seriously big mill.   Like the kind you see at a home brew shop... But like an idiot, I left the grains in the car overnight, so they were at 51 F as we started the brew day.   We know from experience that when we brew no sparge in our cooler we loose about 7 F.   Even if we pre heat the mash tun.  So our software suggested we should be at 160 F Strike, so we added our grains first and then added 165 F water.    John had treated the water with Camden,  Lactic (2ml) and Calcium Chloride 2 g.   Our pH settled in nicely at 5.2, at temperature, so it was probably closer to 5.4 or 5.5... which is fine with us.

Brew in a bag in a mash tun
our favorite way to brew.
We know that 5 F to 6 F over
strike temperature will hit
our strike temp every time. This
cooler has a door in the lid, so
we can stir during the mash.

The mash went well.  We stirred every 15 minutes.   Our mash tun has a door on the top of the lid that we can open with out losing too much heat.  Our mash temps remained perfect at 149 to 152 F for the entire 60 minutes of the mash.   And we ended up overshooting by .004... which means we got 77% efficiency on a no sparge, brew in a bag, in a cooler... pretty darn cool.  This is by far the easiest and fastest way to brew.  Even with our complex boil schedule.  We were done brewing in 3.5 hours.   Although the brew day was much longer, due to bottling 20 gallons of beer, and the vertical tasting.

East coast IPAs are fun to brew, and relatively easy.  The boil went as planned due in no small part to organization of the ingredients, and preparation.   Jake got the group more disposable plastic cups for measuring hop additions.  The cups were labeled  and set out in order.  There was well over a pound of hops going into this 10 gallon hop monster.

Jaded hydra is the king of
all worth chillers.. pay heed
and homage!

The fun thing about the ECIPA style is so many of the hops go in at the end of the boil, and there are hop additions during the wort chill.  We made our flame out additions and then we used our trusty Jaded Hydra to chill the batch to 180 F.  At 180 F we added more hops and let them whirl pool for 30 minutes.  Then we chilled the batch to pitching temperatures.  The jaded hydra makes chilling the entire batch lightning fast.  It chilled from 212 F to  179 F in under a minute.  Of course cool ground water temperatures helped a lot.

10.5 gallons in the
chamber turning in to awesome
ECIPA.

Early in the day, John re hydrated three packs of US05.  They were ready to rock and roll when we pitched.   As of today (Tuesday) Both batches are fermenting well in the fermentation chamber at 65 F.  Tonight Jake and John will add 1 ounce of Mosaic, Citra, and Cascade to the fermenters.   In a couple of days the batch fermentation temperature will be raised to 68 F to encourage complete fermentation, then in a week another charge of dry hops.   The second dose of dry hops will only be exposed to the beer for 3 or 4 days.   Then it will be time for packaging.   We package beer when it is ready.  Well how do you know it is ready.   It is really simple,  take a gravity sample.   Take a sample and when it is at terminal gravity let it sit a couple of days to clean up.  That is all it takes.

We should be drinking this beer in about 2.5 to 3 weeks.   Can't wait.  This one should be great.

At the end of the brew day, after all clean up, we gathered in the house for a vertical tasting of Boulevard Rye on Rye.   2012 through 2016.    If you are not familiar with Boulevard's smoke stack series... Smoke Stack brews from boulevard are made on their smaller original brewing system.  And they are world class.   This is where Boulevard makes their limited release beers.  This is where Boulevard brewers are encouraged to experiment.   This is where Tank 7, and Lovechild, and Tell Tale Tart were born.  And Boulevard Rye on Rye is an outstanding beer.  It is a Rye Beer, aged in Rye Barrels.

We all had different impressions.   My favorite was the 2015.  It still had some of the Spicy Rye character.   I think everyone else preferred the 2014 version.   Love this beer, and I am thankful that my brewing partners can store and save beer.  I don't seem to have that discipline.   If you have never tried it, stop what you are doing and go get some.

How to make a ridiculous IPA - East Coast IPA...

So over the past year we have done a lot of research into what makes an IPA taste the way an IPA taste.   We have talked with experts at BSG and Yakima Valley Hop Union about hops, and hop oils, isomerization, and flavor.  We have shared with you all the technology of Scott Janish's  Hop Oil Calculator.  And we have brewed a whole bunch of IPAs.

But now it is time to really apply what we have learned to an everyday, medium gravity IPA.   Sure, we designed and brewed Hoptonite.  And we are so flattered that so many of you have downloaded this monster and brewed this beast.    And it is an amazing beer.   But you don't always want a high alcohol, extremely high IBU beer.   And that brings us to this weekend's recipe.   "Persuasion IPA"

With Persuasion we are bringing the knowledge we learned in the ridiculous double IPA series and applying it to what we have learned to an East Coast IPA.   Yes, we are the first to acknowledge that ECIPAs are sweeping the brewing world faster than beanie babies swept through the early 1990s.  Yes, we acknowledge that this is the latest brewing fad.  But... who really cares.  The ECIPA is more than a fad it is a delicious beer.   Here is our take on it.  Backed by the research we have done.  Loads of late hops, loads of whirlpool hops.  and two additions of dry hops.   First addition before fermentation (so the yeast can work on the hop oils), second addition after active fermentation (for pure traditional dry hop goodness).

And here is what it will taste like according to Scott Janish.  If you are not using the hop oils calculator on ScottJanish.com you are missing out.  It is the best way to predict the flavor and aroma of your late hop additions.  

How to make a Ridiculous dIPA volume 2 - Hops, with Chad Roberts of YCH HOPS

This is a long one, but it's worth it. 

"Furthermore, we wish to emphasize that in future in all cities, markets and in the country, the only ingredients used for the brewing of beer must be Barley, Hops and Water. Whosoever knowingly disregards or transgresses upon this ordinance, shall be punished by the Court authorities' confiscating such barrels of beer, without fail.

There it is, the Reinheitsgebot.  The first of many laws governing how beer was to be made. What?  you don't care for the Reinheitsgebot? You are a free brewer, and you'll add what ever you want to your wort...  OK, cool, I'm cool with that.  But,  understand, this is where the use of hops became not just common, but also standardized and regulated.   And thank god it did.   From this point on hops were the key defining flavor of beer. Hops became the flavor that separated one style from another.  

When you back up to 50 yards away and watch a brew day.  They all look very similar.   Water, malt,  hops, and yeast.  Brew in a Bag, 3 Vessel, eHERMS, RIMS, they all look very similar from 50 yards away.  It isn't the method that creates the flavors.   It is the specific choice of ingredients that defines a beer.    Tell me what is the difference between a blonde ale and a american India pale ale?   It is the hops. Nothing else.  What about the yeast smart guy? Well, as much as I talk about yeast, I will acknowledge that yeast is also a key ingredient.  But true yeast whisperers,  the guys who really understand yeast, can use many different yeasts to get the flavor they want, or use the same yeast to get many different flavors. One of the best saisons I ever had was made with US 05 fermented at high temperatures.   The guy knew how to get what he wanted from the yeast.  But there is no way to fake hops.  Each hop has unique properties that make it what it is.  Each hop variety is a separate variety and is genetically different than the other varieties.   

So whats in a hop?   By now I am assuming you know what a hop is.  If you aren't familiar with what hops are, this blog may be a little technical for you.   But have heart, I'll keep it as understandable as possible.  And when I say "what is in a hop"  I don't mean cellulose,    I mean what are the compounds in a hop that we as brewers care about?  How do these compounds (acids and oils) react to heat and mechanical agitation?  How can we use this knowledge to control (maximize) hop flavors. For that information, we turn to a pro,  Chad Roberts of YCH Hops.    Chad is the quality control officer of YCH Hops.  He is a wealth of information on hops and how to use them.  YCH Hops is an awesome provider of hops.   They have pioneered small packaging for home brewers.   When you are making a beer for competition, or true excellence, small packs are the choice.  Their Small packs are low oxygen packages that damn near guarantee freshness.   YCH HOPS

What are the compounds in hops that give beer flavor?

Numerous hop compounds contribute to the flavors they add to beer, from the obvious ones such as alpha and beta acids, various oils, as well as polyphenols and the vegetal hop matter itself.

So they are acids and oils?

Primarily, yes.  These are what are judged for their flavor and aroma contributions.  We are beginning to understand more what the other elements contribute as well.

What are the acids and how do they affect flavor?

Alpha and beta acid are comprised of various acids present in hops, and are placed into these two groups for ease of calculation.  They are housed within the hard resins of the hop glands.

What flavor is alpha acid?   

Aside from “hoppy and bitter”, I don’t think you can really assign a specific flavor to alpha acid.  Most of the flavors come from the connection to aroma contributed from the oils.

What flavor is beta acid?

Beta contributes somewhat to the bitterness of the beer as well, but as it does not isomerize or solubilize, beta acid bitterness primarily comes from it oxidizing, and has been described as “harsh, or medicinal”.

How long does it take for them to give their maximum bitterness?

A 60 minute boil isomerizes about all of the bitterness that is going to come from boiling the alpha acids in the hops, but some perceived bitterness from polyphenols may also come from dry hopping.

So the longer they are exposed to the heat the more bitterness they provide? 

To a point.  After 90 minutes, the only way you are extracting more than the maximum utilization of 30-35% is by actually reducing the total volume of liquid and increasing the bitterness that way.

So does the choice of bittering hop matter?

Absolutely.  While some brewers have anecdotally favored low co-humulone hops for bittering in the belief that they provide a “smooth” bittering, blind taste tests have not given data to back this up.  However, bitter character is most likely informed by the genetics of each hop, which is why some use high alpha, clean hops such as Magnum and Warrior™ to achieve the bitterness they desire while contributing little conflicting flavor or aroma.

What are the oils and what flavors do they give? 

Myrcene

Myrcene is normally connected with tropical fruit flavors, and is the most volatile of the oils in hops, so the first to disappear with age. 

Caryophyllene

Earthy, woody, spicy character is classically ascribed to this oil.

Farnesene 

Farnesene can range from primarily floral tones into some citrusy character as well.

Humulene

It is very much like Caryophyllene, and so produces much of the same aromas.

Geraniol

Strong floral aromas come from geraniol.

Linalool

Linalool is closely related to myrcene, and responsible for many perceived aromas in hops, from floral to woody to fruity.

There has bee a lot of focus recently on late hop additions and dry hopping.   Can you discuss that?

Adding hops late in the boil and dry hopping are where you are going to get the majority of your hop aroma, as aroma compounds are volatile and would be boiled off otherwise.  

Heat creates isomerization and boils off volatile oils,  fermentation creates biotransformation.  How can brewers use that to their advantage? 

Isomerization creates your bitterness, so that is why your bittering addition is at the beginning.   Hop oils boil off at much lower temperatures than water, and the flavors provided by the oils degrade much faster than isomerization occurs.  “Biotransformation” and hydrolization by yeast take the aroma compounds found in oils and change them into other aromas.  Whether or not this is desirable is a point of contention between brewers, and people dry hop with or without yeast present to control these effects.

Is it fair to say you can custom design the flavor of a beer by knowing the amounts of the acids and oils, and how to maximize them?

By using calculators to control the amounts of IBU you extract from Alpha Acids in the hops you use, you can absolutely control how bitter your beer is.  By knowing the oil contents, you can definitely get closer to what you are looking for but a whole host of variables between brewing and consumption affect whether or not the character you are shooting for will be exactly what you planned for.

So if a person wanted to make a ridiculously hoppy double india pale ale (the focus of this series)  they could literally choose what flavors they wanted to emphasize and choose hops and hop usage techniques to maximize those flavors?

Designing your hop bill thoughtfully and controlling all of your processes will absolutely improve your beer and get it closer to what you are designing.

We want a citrusy, piney, somewhat floral, maybe even a little peppery 5 gallon batch of beer at about 95 IBUs   What would you recommend for hops and additions?  

For Citrus, I’ve always liked Cascade and Citra™, with pine coming from Chinook and Simcoe®, floral from Spalt and Sterling, and pepper from Summit and Columbus.

How important is freshness and packaging?

Cold storage, packaging quality and retaining an inert (low oxygen) atmosphere for the hops is integral to keeping them fresh.  The crop year isn’t as important as keeping them cold and sealed.  I have professionally used hops over 8 years old and made a great hop forward beer, so I personally am very against the “current crop year or bust” mentality.  (did you all catch that?)

How can a home brewer get the best quality hops?

Buy from your local home brew store, as long as they keep all of their hops cold (below 40 F), even their back stock.  Yakima Chief-Hopunion “Small Pack” product is the first in the market to provide quality controlled, commercially packaged and guaranteed product to the home brew market, and we hold our products to a standard of excellence and trace-ability to ensure that all of our customers receive the highest quality hops we have to offer.

So faithful readers, to sum up what we have learned.   Using hops is not as simple as putting them in your beer at certain times.   A well designed recipe uses the knowledge we all have built to create the flavors we all want.  Some of the techniques that brewers have developed are great.  Some of them are... well, let's just say they don't accomplish what was intended.   And there are exciting new techniques you can use to maximize the flavors you want.  It is really just like everything else. Understanding what you are doing is the key.  So lets summarize what we have learned.

• The bitterness comes from the acids in the hops, and to a certain extent the polyphenols
• It takes about 60 minutes for the acids to isomerize (re arrange) for maximum effect
• So if you want a super bitter beer, you need to add hops at 60 minutes, and those hops need lots of acid content.
• The taste of one hop added at 60 versus another hop added at 60 is noticeable.  So the idea that any bittering hop will do is not true.  
• Many brewers like bittering hops with low Co-Humulone levels. Warrior and Magnum
• Much of the hop flavor comes from the volatile oils in the hop
• These oils boil at much lower temperatures than wort.  
• When the oils boil they loose their flavors, they are volatile
• This can happen in as little as 10-20 minutes in the boil
• Tell us exactly how long they can boil safely with out losing the flavors
• I can't.  It all depends on what you are trying to accomplish and what flavors you are trying to create.  One thing I take from this, is that for the purpose of flavor and aroma... I add my hops in the last 10 minutes or in whirl pool or dry hop only.  
• Whirl pool additions over 140 F will continue to isomerize.   Which isn't to say you shouldn't whirlpool.  Just know that you are loosing some aroma and flavor, and gaining some additional bitterness.  Sometimes that's what you want.  Remember people its about understanding not rules.
• But late additoons, with out fast chilling of the entire volume of the wort will continue to do 2 things
• Isomerize
• Oils will break down
• This isn't bad or good, it just is.  late additions and whirlpool additions are just a tool you can use to get the flavors you want.   
• Basically, Whirlpool and hop burst additions exposed to high heat for long periods of time will muddle.  
• Meaning their flavors and aromas will diminish and you will get some additional bitterness from them. Which may be what you want, but not really what we want in a monster dIPA. 
• Hop oils exposed to active fermentation can undergo bio-transformation.  This is a process where the yeast acts upon the hop oils (looking for anything it may need).  The hop oils can change.  This is also neither good or bad.  It just is what it is.   You may want this, you may not.  
• There is debate on whether or not this is actually perceivable.  My best advice is try it yourself.  Brew the same beer 2x or split a batch.  One time follow your normal dry hop schedule.  One time add the dry hops a day or two before packaging after most active fermentation has subsided.
• Can't you ever just give us a rule to follow? 
• No, no I can not.  other than clean and sanitize constantly.   
• Great brewing is not about rules and recipes, it is about understanding. 
• Understanding how your ingredients will behave based on the factors you can control

In our next episode we will design our ridiculous dIPA using what we have learned, and I will give you more resources to use in designing a beer.   There have been some amazing developments in the last couple of years.   That is all for now sports fans.  

PROST!

YCH HOPS

C4 Hop Explosion...American Pale Ale Hop Bursting Action Inside!

John came up with the perfect name for the APA that
features 4 "C" hops!

Pale Ale.  Good ol' pale ale.  The impetus of the craft brew revolution.  The craft brew that started it all, the craft brew that the muggles will actually drink.    I think we all love pale ale.  But you have to admit that pale ale has become a bit ordinary.  A bit too familiar.  So we here at counterbrew, your ever faithful servants, are here to update the common pale ale into the hop explosion that it can, and maybe should be.

Pale ale is an awesome background malt bill for hops.   The maltier wort and ever so slight roasty flavors create an interesting backdrop when balanced against the hops.   But beware, this is not the right background for 70-100 ibu IPA hops.   This is the right back ground for the "c" hops.   You remember the C hops.  Chinook, Cascade, Centennial, Citra. (and sometimes Columbus).

Before 5star pH stabilizer pH was 8.1
Due in part to the camden addition the night before.

So Saturday we set out to brew an American Pale Ale.  A "hop explosion" ,  But not an unbelievably bitter beer. A Beer with loads of late hop additions.   We were brewing 10 gallons.  But of course there was a problem with the keggle so we had to split the batch into 2 separate boils.    It was time for the counterbrew crew to understand why we are so committed to BIAB, and no sparge brewing.  So to aid in that understanding, and also because I get a maniacal pleasure out of it.    We did our first 3 vessel brewing session as a group.  John prepared the water the night before with camden.  If you're not using camden to knock the chorides out of your water, then you need to start.   John and Jake had the water heating when I arrived, and we did a simple water treatment.    We added 1 TBLSPN of 5.2 stabilizer for each 5 gallons.   For those of you who don't like 5 Star 5.2 pH stabilizer... get over it.

After 5 star 5.2 stabilizer the pH was 5.86

There has been an unsubstantiated trend on forums recently.  This trend is to say 5.2 stabilizer doesn't work.  Or 5 .2 makes beer salty (whoa there Poindexter, it's not even that kind of salt).   There is no science behind this trend, just a bunch of guys who feel like they are better brewers if they do things the hard way.   Here is a fact from brew day.   By the way, don't you dig Johns zooba shorts (KC Chiefs ) and black socks.

• pH after camden and before 5.2 =  8.1
• pH after 5 star pH stabilizer = 5.86
• pH of the mash was... pause for dramatic effect... 5.2. Right on the money!

All hands on deck for the dough in.  Mark Anthony and his brother Rob
Helped us get doughed in!  3 spoons makes quick work of dough in!

We put 21 lbs of grain into the mash tun, in a bag.  And we hit it with 167 F water.  Stirred to prevent dough balls and that was it.  Our initial temperature was a little high so we stirred.  Missing your initial temperature can lower your efficiency, and it did a little bit. (We only got 72.86% hoping for 75%  We could have added .25lbs of sugar or DME but we just rolled with it! ) We got it to 152 and let it sit for 90 minutes.  Then we drained it off and batch sparged.   We let our batch sparge for 15 minutes.  

spilit the boil

in the future the
keggle will rock!

Today we had to boil in 2 separate pots.  The keggel needs some new parts, a new high pressure hose, a new regulator, and a new 3/8th" flared orifice.   But soon, very soon we will be brewing with 150000 BTUs of banjo burner power again.  I for one cant wait.  This brew day was 5 hours long.  My crew now understand how long a 3 vessel brew day can take.  They now also understand the pros and cons of 3 vessel.  There are times when not having to mess with and monitor the temperature of your mash is a benefit.   A brew day where you need to bottle and do other brew house chores, for example.

Now, here comes the fun part.  The part you have all been waiting for... the hop schedule ( really the whole recipe).

Jake handling the hop bursting!
Bursting may be the trick you
are looking for!

C4 Hop Explosion Pale Ale
OG 1.052
FG  1.008
SRM 11
ABV 5.9%
Taste  - Citrus and lemon notes, with cedar, pine, floral, pepper, and green mellon.   freaking awesome!

16.5 lbs of pale ale malt (ask for RAHR PALE ALE)
2.5 lbs of biscuit malt
.75 lbs of caramel/crystal 80
.25 lbs of caramel/crystal 20
Mash at 152 for 90 minutes.
Sparge to volume
1 tsp of gypsum added mid boil
1.5  ounces of Chinook @ 60
1.5  ounces of Centennial @ 15
1.5  ounces of Cascade @  10
1.5 ounces of Citra @ 10
2    ounces of Centennial @ 5
2   ounces of Cascade added to the whirlpool at 190 to 180 degrees (hop bursting)
2   ounces of Citra added to the whirlpool at 190 to 180 degrees
2   ounces of Cascade dry hop for 4 to 5 days
2   ounces of Citra dry hop for 4 to 5 days
US 05 (2 packs) rehydrated in 1.035 wort during our brew day!

Jake setting the chamber to
64 F.  Yes, he is freakishly tall!

Chill to 185 F.  Then add the whirlpool hops, allow them to burst for 10 to 15 minutes then continue with the chill.   By the way sanitized silicone gloves are a great way to get all that hoppy goodness in your beer, if you, like us put your hops in a bag.

We are fermenting in temperature controlled fermentation chamber at 64 F.  So with endothermic heat the batch should rise to about 68 F.  Which is right where we want it.  With US05  if you ferment at 68F you will get very slight fruity esters.  They should compliment the beer perfectly.  If you ferment cooler, there are very few esters at all.  Its not as clean as K-97 but it is really clean.  Jake set the temp to 64 and now we wait.

But our wait wont be too long.  It's only a 1.050 beer.  The US 05 will chew through this batch in no time.   Should be adding dry hops in 10 days and packaging the beer in about 14 days.

UPDATE:

Tuesday night John reports fermentation was slowing down.   He turned the chamber temperature up to 66 F to help the yeast finish strong.  In about a week he will dry hop for a couple of days, fine with gelatin and cold crash.   This one should be ready after just 2 weeks.   We'll bottle and be ready to drink in another week.  Cant Wait.