42 replies to this topic

[Big Nake]

I have this 1056 working on the Session IPA at the moment, which smells lovely as it ferments. When it's done I'm going to reuse it in:1) A reworked MLPA recipe. The batch that I sent to Rich has been on tap here for about 3 weeks or so. My tastes may be changing but I think this one came out a little too malt-forward. Rich mentioned that he would like to see it finish crisper and with this particular batch, I agree. I'm going to lower the crystal a little, make the beer a little lighter-colored and slightly bring the sulfate up in the water which should help.2) A simple blonde ale. Rahr Pale Ale malt and pilsner, Northern Brewer and Hallertau. 5%, SRM 5, 28 IBUs.3) Another late-hopped pale ale. This time with Citra and Simcoe. Rahr Pale Ale malt, wheat and CaraVienne. Bittered with Nugget and then Citra & Simcoe with 5 minutes left, in the whirlpool/hopstand and a dry hop. 5%, SRM 7-8 and IBUs of about 45-50.What's on deck out there, people? I have plenty of "gold lagers" for warm weather drinking so some other styles are needed! Cheers.

[neddles]

I have this 1056 working on the Session IPA at the moment, which smells lovely as it ferments. When it's done I'm going to reuse it in:1) A reworked MLPA recipe. The batch that I sent to Rich has been on tap here for about 3 weeks or so. My tastes may be changing but I think this one came out a little too malt-forward. Rich mentioned that he would like to see it finish crisper and with this particular batch, I agree. I'm going to lower the crystal a little, make the beer a little lighter-colored and slightly bring the sulfate up in the water which should help.2) A simple blonde ale. Rahr Pale Ale malt and pilsner, Northern Brewer and Hallertau. 5%, SRM 5, 28 IBUs.3) Another late-hopped pale ale. This time with Citra and Simcoe. Rahr Pale Ale malt, wheat and CaraVienne. Bittered with Nugget and then Citra & Simcoe with 5 minutes left, in the whirlpool/hopstand and a dry hop. 5%, SRM 7-8 and IBUs of about 45-50.What's on deck out there, people? I have plenty of "gold lagers" for warm weather drinking so some other styles are needed! Cheers.

Want.

 

Going to post up an English Summer Ale in the recipe section. 

[HVB]

What's on deck out there, people? I have plenty of "gold lagers" for warm weather drinking so some other styles are needed! Cheers.

 

If all works out this weekend I will get either a split batch of saison done of the hoppy blonde I posted about.  What does not get done this week will be scheduled for next weekend.  In the pipeline after those I want to do a Belgian Single based of Redemption by Russian River.  I plan to split that between Omega Belgian Ale W and Omega Bit O' Funk.  I would also like to get a RIS going that I plan to age on coca nubs, cinnamon stick, vanilla beans along with some ancho, guagilla and pasilla peppers.  I also hope to do something with the cake of 34/70 once the German pils is done.

[ChicagoWaterGuy]

I'd like to brew a beer similar to Victory Kirsch Gose.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Ken, yeah I loved the beer, but I wouldn't get too carried away with a change in the crystal. I've done that on MLPA and it's really easy to make that beer uninteresting very quickly. I wouldn't change any more than 1% at a time. It's pretty noticable how quickly the crystal makes the beer go from interesting, complex, and refreshing to a muddy malty mess. It's certainly one of those beers that requires the balance of a Chinese kung fu monk. It's in the realm of fat tire. I think Jeff Lebesch or Kim Jordan has been quoted as saying Fat Tire is the hardest of their beers to brew because it's so craftily balanced. MLPA is the same way. There's no strong flavors to hide behind and the beer doesn't work right unless it's completely balanced. My alt is easier since there's bitterness to counter the strong malt flavors. Kolsch is a balancing act with the yeast. but MLPA is a really tough beer to brew right.

 

Brewing Alt and Kolsch this weekend. I would really like to do an IPA, lager, and BDS or BGS in the next few months. I have to keep brewing the kolsch to keep some people happy and interested in the brewery. I need to work in some other recipes on the pilot system though so I have a better range of beers.

[Big Nake]

Want.

I think that somewhere in there I was experimenting with new hops (Nelson, Galaxy, Motueka, Merkur, Brewers Gold, Opal, Hallertau Select and a handful of others) and I forgot how much I liked some of these others, especially Simcoe. This batch I have going right now with Amarillo & Simcoe smells so unbelievably good. You can pick up the Amarillo in the aroma but the Simcoe is well-defined and really smells righteous. I can't see how Citra & Simcoe could have a problem playing nicely.

Edited by Village Taphouse, 22 May 2015 - 11:53 AM.

[HVB]

. I can't see how Citra & Simcoe could have a problem playing nicely.

They don't  they go together like peas and carrots.

[Bklmt2000]

My upcoming recipe schedule (in no particular order):

 

wheat beers:

[color=#808000;]- Raspberry Wheat[/color]

[color=#808000;]- Hefeweizen[/color]

 

IPAs:

[color=#808000;]- English IPA[/color]

[color=#808000;]- Mosaic IPA[/color]

[color=#808000;]- Moving Day IPA[/color]

[color=#808000;]- 2-Hearted Ale[/color]

[color=#808000;]- Nosferatu Imperial Red Ale[/color]

 

lagers:

[color=#808000;]- German Pils[/color]

[color=#808000;]- Grand Slam Red Lager (Tettnanger)[/color]

[color=#808000;]- Grand Slam Red Lager (Hallertau)[/color]

 

stouts:

[color=#808000;]- Imperial Stout[/color]

[neddles]

My upcoming recipe schedule (in no particular order):

 

wheat beers:

[color=#808000;]- Raspberry Wheat[/color]

[color=#808000;]- Hefeweizen[/color]

 

IPAs:

[color=#808000;]- English IPA[/color]

[color=#808000;]- Mosaic IPA[/color]

[color=#808000;]- Moving Day IPA[/color]

[color=#808000;]- 2-Hearted Ale[/color]

[color=#808000;]- Nosferatu Imperial Red Ale[/color]

 

lagers:

[color=#808000;]- German Pils[/color]

[color=#808000;]- Grand Slam Red Lager (Tettnanger)[/color]

[color=#808000;]- Grand Slam Red Lager (Hallertau)[/color]

 

stouts:

[color=#808000;]- Imperial Stout[/color]

Do you have any details on that English IPA? I loved the only one I have made.  Been thinking about a lighter version for later in the summer.

[denny]

Ken, you put two words together that should never be used that way....

[positiveContact]

need to make something light in color and hoppy soon....

 

I'm thinking of doing pils, pale ale, oatmeal (quick oats) and a touch of light crystal.  Then hop it up baby!

[Big Nake]

Ken, you put two words together that should never be used that way....

"Session" and "IPA"?

[SchwanzBrewer]

"Session" and "IPA"?

 

I find myself avoiding these beers all together. I'm not interested in hop tea. Maybe it's just the beers I've been exposed to, but any of the local brewers or some larger more nationally known ones that have attempted a session IPA have just made a hop tea of sorts with no balance or complexity that compliments the hops enough to make it worthy of drinking more than one. When I want hops, I want IPA and the malt backbone that comes with supporting those hops. If I want light and refreshing with sop character I'll have a pale ale or a nice blonde. Otherwise it's just not interesting enough to my palate. I'd be happy to be proved wrong, but some good brewers have yet to do so, IMO.

[positiveContact]

I find myself avoiding these beers all together. I'm not interested in hop tea. Maybe it's just the beers I've been exposed to, but any of the local brewers or some larger more nationally known ones that have attempted a session IPA have just made a hop tea of sorts with no balance or complexity that compliments the hops enough to make it worthy of drinking more than one. When I want hops, I want IPA and the malt backbone that comes with supporting those hops. If I want light and refreshing with sop character I'll have a pale ale or a nice blonde. Otherwise it's just not interesting enough to my palate. I'd be happy to be proved wrong, but some good brewers have yet to do so, IMO.

 

I had a great one at a local brew pub.  it actually seemed like a normal IPA but was lower in ABV.

[neddles]

I find myself avoiding these beers all together. I'm not interested in hop tea. Maybe it's just the beers I've been exposed to, but any of the local brewers or some larger more nationally known ones that have attempted a session IPA have just made a hop tea of sorts with no balance or complexity that compliments the hops enough to make it worthy of drinking more than one. When I want hops, I want IPA and the malt backbone that comes with supporting those hops. If I want light and refreshing with sop character I'll have a pale ale or a nice blonde. Otherwise it's just not interesting enough to my palate. I'd be happy to be proved wrong, but some good brewers have yet to do so, IMO.

IPA can be good with or without much malt backbone IMO. Keep searching there are good ones out there.

[Big Nake]

I find myself avoiding these beers all together. I'm not interested in hop tea. Maybe it's just the beers I've been exposed to, but any of the local brewers or some larger more nationally known ones that have attempted a session IPA have just made a hop tea of sorts with no balance or complexity that compliments the hops enough to make it worthy of drinking more than one. When I want hops, I want IPA and the malt backbone that comes with supporting those hops. If I want light and refreshing with sop character I'll have a pale ale or a nice blonde. Otherwise it's just not interesting enough to my palate. I'd be happy to be proved wrong, but some good brewers have yet to do so, IMO.

In the one thread I referred to the commercial version of this beer, Upland Brewing Campside Session IPA as a hoppy blonde. It had the body and color of a blonde along with the hops of a pale ale or IPA. Rich, I think you would like this beer but maybe it just hit me the right way when I had it. If two beers were exactly the same (4.5%, SRM 5, IBU 50, Amarillo & Simcoe) and one was called a Session IPA and one was called a Hoppy Blonde, would you dislike both of them?

[Steve Urquell]

Running Wy2002 Gambrinus lager yeast right now so:1. My Czech Svetly recipe2. Polotmave Vycepni Czech session amber lager3. Bohemian Indian, my Czech IPL---makes me firm thinking about it.

[SchwanzBrewer]

IPA can be good with or without much malt backbone IMO. Keep searching there are good ones out there.

 

I'm not as big a fan of really bright or super fruity IPA's. Some fruity hops can be good, but if it's a tropical fruit bomb it can be hard to balance. I prefer dank and resinous IPA's with a supportive malt backbone. The fruit in the hops should support the dank and create complex and interesting flavors rather than just hitting you in the face with one fruity note, IMO. That's just my preference. Lots of the session IPA's around here miss the mark in that they become a fruity and hoppy mess, hence hop tea. I've only had about a dozen of them.

 

In the one thread I referred to the commercial version of this beer, Upland Brewing Campside Session IPA as a hoppy blonde. It had the body and color of a blonde along with the hops of a pale ale or IPA. Rich, I think you would like this beer but maybe it just hit me the right way when I had it. If two beers were exactly the same (4.5%, SRM 5, IBU 50, Amarillo & Simcoe) and one was called a Session IPA and one was called a Hoppy Blonde, would you dislike both of them?

 

A blonde can be hoppy, but there's a line in my palate where it becomes so hoppy with flavor in a more delicate beer that it's just loses it's beeriness and becomes hop tea. I'll continue to try the style, but just so far in the local ones I've tried, they just miss the mark.

 

Edit... I'd like to add that it's not that I think it can't be done, it's that I see a lot of attempts that fall flat on their face and it becomes gimmicky rather than something worth drinking.

Edited by SchwanzBrewer, 22 May 2015 - 06:24 PM.

[ChicagoWaterGuy]

I like session ipas that are just as flavorful as regular ipas but with less alcohol and a dryer finish. Oscar Blues Pinner and Firestone Easy Jack are both great examples.

[Brauer]

I like session ipas that are just as flavorful as regular ipas but with less alcohol and a dryer finish. Oscar Blues Pinner and Firestone Easy Jack are both great examples.

I'll have a high ABV IPA, now and then, but I rarely have more than one and rarely go back once I've tasted the brand once out of curiosity. Otherwise I strongly prefer moderate strength IPAs, like the ones that are now called Session IPAs and the hop-bomb Pale Ales.

I'm not as big a fan of really bright or super fruity IPA's. Some fruity hops can be good, but if it's a tropical fruit bomb it can be hard to balance. I prefer dank and resinous IPA's with a supportive malt backbone. 

As a new brewery, you might want to be careful that you aren't making beers for the taste preferences of beer drinkers in 2005. I think the public's preference is trending toward the the pale, fruity, less malty, less bitter IPAs. I suppose there will always be a market for throwback IPAs, though, especially among the cohort of men now in their 40's, 50's and 60's that developed their tastes in the earlier days of the craft beer movement.

 

I have to say, though, that I agree that I find some of them to be kind of like Simcoe-flavored, high ABV PBR.

Edited by Brauer, 23 May 2015 - 08:08 AM.