The Averagely Perfect American IPA Project

Very interesting project started by Vikeman on Beer Advocate.  31 polls decided all aspects of this beer, from gravity and ABV to ingredients and amounts, even fermentation temperature.

Well I brewed it last night.

5 Gallons (into fermenter)
Target ABV: 6.5%
Target OG: 1.062
Target FG: 1.012
Apparent Attenuation: 81%
Recommended Mash Temp: 151F
Fermentation Temp 64-66F*
64 IBUs (per Tinseth Calc)

Grain Bill:
Two-Row Brewer’s Malt (92%)
Crystal 40 (5%)
Carapils (3%)

Bittering Hop: Bravo

Flavor/Aroma Hop Schedule:
15 minutes – Simcoe 0.5 oz, Centennial 0.5 oz, Cascade 0.5 oz
10 minutes – Simcoe 0.5 oz, Centennial 0.5 oz, Cascade 0.5 oz
5 minutes – Simcoe 0.75 oz, Centennial 0.5 oz, Cascade 0.5 oz
FO/Whirlpool/Stand – Simcoe 1.0 oz, Centennial 0.75 oz, Cascade 0.75 oz
Dry Hop – 1 oz Simcoe, 1 oz Centennial, 1 oz Cascade

Yeast:
Wyeast 1056/WLP001/US-05

It’s in the fermentation chamber now, we’ll see how the “wisdom of crowds” doees on this one!  I suspect it will come out great!!

*note: mine is getting 64-66F because that’s where my fermentation freezer/controller is set and that’s where I like it, lol.

Juniper Pale Ale

Special thanks to Barfdiggs on Beeradvocate.com for suggesting this hop schedule!

Ingredients:

• Briess Golden Light Dry Extract  5 lbs
• Briess 2-Row Brewer’s Malt  8 oz
• Crisp Maris Otter  8 oz
• Briess 2 Row Caramel 10  4 oz
• Briess 2 Row Caramel 20   4 oz
• Briess 2 Row Caramel 40   4 oz
• Briess 2 Row Caramel 60   4 oz
• Dried Juniper Berries 1 oz
• 1 oz Northern Brewer at 60
• 0.5 oz Chinook at 15
• 1 oz Chinook at Flame out
• 1.5 oz Willamette at Flame out
• 0.5 oz Chinook Dry Hop
• 1 oz Willamette Dry Hop

Procedure:

1. prepare checklist
2. lay out ingredients and equipment
3. bring 1.5 gallons spring water to 165 F
4. add grains (in mesh bag)
5. steep for 60 minutes at 155F
6. In separate pot, pre-boil 2.5 gallons spring water
7. when grains are finished steeping, remove grain bag, combine wort into boiling pot with pre-heated spring water and bring to boil
8. add bittering hops, 1 oz NB at 60 minute mark
9. add the DME and wort chiller at beginning of boil.  make sure wort chiller is pre-filled with hot water
10. add 0.5 oz chinook at 15 minute mark
11. add 1 oz juniper berries at the 15 minute mark
12. add 1/4 tsp Irish moss powder at 15 minute mark
13. add 0.5 oz chinook and 1.5 oz willamette  at flameout
14. let stand 15 minutes before beginning cooling
15. begin sanitation procedures on spoon, thermometer, bucket, wine thief
16. stir occasionally with sanitized stainless spoon during hop rest and during cooling
17. while wort is cooling, add 1 gallon chilled spring water to sanitized primary fermenting bucket, allowing it to fall into bucket to increase aeration
18. when wort gets to about 70F, add to fermentation bucket
    
19. top to 5 gallons with chilled spring water
20. take OG reading with sanitized wine thief
21. thoroughly aerate wort with sanitized stainless steel spoon
22. ensure wort is 70F or a little less before pitching yeast
23. pitch yeast
24. gently stir using sanitized stainless steel spoon
25. install sanitized bucket lid and airlock
26. ferment in closet for 7-9 days at 67F ambient air temp.
27. after 7-9 days, add 0.5 oz chinook and 1 oz willamette for dry hopping
28. take FG sample and bottle (after a minimum of 14 days)
29. use 5 oz corn sugar at bottling

Targets: OG: 1.056    FG:  1.013     IBU: 40    SRM: 7.78    ABV: 5.63

Actual OG: 1.048

Actual FG: 1.016

Notes: