Outback IPA
Yesterday (10 Nov) was the last opportunity for a brewday for me before Christmas so I thought I'd better squeeze one in. I'm all set for stout and bitter so this one is a generously hopped southern hemisphere extra pale session IPA to balance things up a bit.
Brew day
Recipe: Outback IPA
Date: 10 November 2018
Style: British Golden Ale
Recipe Specifications
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Boil Size: 25.80 L
Post Boil Volume: 22.40 L
Batch Size (fermenter): 21.00 L
Bottling Volume: 20.00 L
Estimated OG: 1.041 SG
Estimated Color: 6.9 EBC
Estimated IBU: 43.2 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 80.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 81.9 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Ingredients:
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Amt Name Type # %/IBU Volume
26.52 L Tesco Ashbeck Water 1 - -
5.40 ml Lactic Acid (Mash) Water Agent 2 - -
2.20 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash) Water Agent 3 - -
1.70 g Calcium Chloride (Mash) Water Agent 4 - -
1.70 g Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Mash) Water Agent 5 - -
2.78 kg Crisp Clear Choice Extra Pale Malt (4.0 EBC) Grain 6 80.0 % 1.81 L
0.35 kg Wheat, Torrified (3.3 EBC) Grain 7 10.0 % 0.23 L
0.17 kg Cara Gold (Crisp) (10.0 EBC) Grain 8 5.0 % 0.11 L
0.17 kg IREKS Munich Malt (20.0 EBC) Grain 9 5.0 % 0.11 L
12.00 g Galaxy [15.60 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 10 12.6 IBUs -
12.00 g Motueka [7.30 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 11 5.9 IBUs -
10.00 g Cascade [5.10 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 12 3.4 IBUs -
12.00 g Cascade [5.10 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 13 3.0 IBUs -
12.00 g Galaxy [15.60 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 14 9.2 IBUs -
12.00 g Motueka [7.30 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 15 4.3 IBUs -
1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 7.0 mins) Fining 16 - -
15.00 g Cascade [5.10 %] - Boil 2.0 min Hop 17 0.9 IBUs -
15.00 g Galaxy [15.60 %] - Boil 2.0 min Hop 18 2.7 IBUs -
15.00 g Motueka [7.30 %] - Boil 2.0 min Hop 19 1.3 IBUs -
1.0 pkg Vermont Ale (Yeast Bay #-) Yeast 20 - -
Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 3.48 kg
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Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 21.52 L of water at 69.1 C 66.0 C 60 min
Sparge: Dunk sparge with 5L of 75C water.
Due to other stuff going on during the morning I had to delay the start until 1pm. Looks like I'll be washing up in the dark outside.
26.5 litres of Tesco Ashbeck was adjusted to a balanced mineral profile, 5 litres saved back for a sparge and the remaining water acidified with lactic to a target pH of 5.30. Mashed in at 65.8C and left it for an hour.
Iodine test shows it's done. It always does, but I do the test anyway.
Sparged with 75C water for 10 minutes or so while squashing, prodding and generally agitating the bag as much as possible. Lift and squeeze like mad then drain to the boiler. Got a nice 88% mash efficiency.
A healthy looking hot break on the boil. The power regulator is reduced to 1.5kW to keep things gently rolling. My boil-off is calculated at 3.4 litres per hour.
And today's hops will be these. They smelled absolutely hedonistic. I haven't smelled hops this amazing since the last time I stuck my nose in a packet of Citra.
Things got rather busy around 15 minutes with all the hop measuring to do but I knew it was coming so was prepared (and had the wife to help). That's a large 5 litre strainer bag keeping the pellet gunge at bay while also giving them plenty of space to infuse.
Chilled down to 27C with the immersion chiller, gave it 60 minutes standing time to let the protofloc drop out the gunk then drained to the SS fermenter and stuck it in the fridge for the last bit of cooling before pitching.
I ended up collecting a little over the target 21 litres and the measured OG was 1.040, just a single point off the prediction so that's fine.
Five hours later it had reached 22C so I pitched a litre starter of Vermont Ale Yeast (WLP4000), set the inkbird at 20C and went to bed.
Another happily uneventful brewday and hopefully I'll get something hoppy and tropical for the Christmas season.
Kegging
I kegged my Outback IPA today; that's the one with Galaxy/Motueka/Cascade. It had fermented out in a week but I left it for 12 days for a thorough d-rest and to let some trub drop out. The Vermont yeast was rampant yet again giving an FG of 1.006/ABV of 4.5% and I got 1 corny and 3 bottles out of it.
I've fined the keg with Kwik Clear and will leave for a couple of weeks at 15psi before I taste it. The sample jar tasted amazing with so much passion fruit and citrus flavour that I've got high hopes for this one.
Tasting notes
My Beersmith notes from 2018 are saying good things about this brew. I wrote that the hop flavours are tropical and balanced and that the clarity is exceptional. I told myself to brew it again.
