Endeavour IPA
Some time ago I brewed Flagstaff IPA using mainly endeavour hops and I really enjoyed it. Later I brewed something similar, Flagstaff IPA No.2, and didn't like it quite as much so I'm going back the original recipe and brewing a new IPA using Endeavour throughout with some Willamette and Progress in a supporting role.
The malt will again be Crisp Plumage Archer that I used in my last Admiral IPA No.2 IPA. I wasn't impressed with the malt's performance in that brew so it's on trial here to see if it can redeem itself. If things don't work out then I'm going to go back to a modern ale malt.
Starter
As is always the case I got my starter going on the Tuesday evening before Sunday's brewday. I made it up to 1.5 litres with 0.5 litres being earmarked to be stored in the fridge for next time and the remaining litre to be pitched into the wort on Sunday.
No problems with the Wyeast 1728 yeast starter of course. This strain is reliable and always produces a nice little head of krausen.
Brew day
I've increased the projected batch size to 25 litres this time from by usual 24 litres because I felt that in the last brew I was down to the dregs of the fermenter just after I'd finished filling my keg and I'd prefer to have a little more over to fill some bottles. This change has of course resulted in a slight increase in the grain bill.
Recipe Specifications
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Date: 4 Aug 2024
Batch Size (fermenter): 25.00 L
Estimated OG: 1.046 SG
Estimated Color: 15.2 EBC
Estimated IBU: 36.3 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 75.6 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Water profile: Ca:87 Mg:12 Na:9 SO4:105 Cl:108
Ingredients:
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Amt Name Type %/IBU
31.11 L Tesco Ashbeck Water -
3.90 g Calcium Chloride (Mash) Water Agent -
2.60 g Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Mash) Water Agent -
2.60 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash) Water Agent -
0.80 ml Lactic Acid (Mash) Water Agent -
5.000 kg Crisp Plumage Archer (4.0 EBC) Grain 95.2 %
0.250 kg Simpsons Medium Crystal (180.0 EBC) Grain 4.8 %
0.80 g Calcium Chloride (Sparge) Water Agent -
0.50 g Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Sparge) Water Agent -
0.50 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Sparge) Water Agent -
0.20 ml Lactic Acid (Sparge) Water Agent -
8.00 g Endeavour [10.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 8.6 IBUs
8.00 g Hallertau Magnum [10.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 8.6 IBUs
20.00 g Endeavour [10.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 7.8 IBUs
20.00 g Progress [8.10 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 6.3 IBUs
15.00 g Willamette [5.20 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 3.1 IBUs
1.04 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 7.0 mins) Fining -
20.00 g Endeavour [10.00 %] - Boil 2.0 min Hop 1.8 IBUs
1.0 pkg Scottish Ale (Wyeast Labs #1728) Yeast -
Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Full Body
Total Grain Weight: 5.250 kg
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Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 26.11 L of water at 71 C 65.0 C 60 min
Sparge: Dunk sparge with 5L
The hops for the brew are of course supplied by Crossmyloof brewery.
My pre-boil gravity was 1.041 which fell two points short of the target. I know that during the boil I'll gain 3 points so it looked like the OG was going to be 1.044. I can't be sure at this point whether the 2 point shortfall is because of Plumage Archer because in the Admiral IPA No.2 I hit my extract numbers so it's entirely possible that this drop was due to the increase in volume and my grain weight being not quite correct.
As predicted the OG was 1.044, two points off the target of 1.046. I certainly can't complain about the performance of wort in the kettle and with the addition of the Whirlfloc tablet the wort is a lovely colour and very clear going into the fermenter.
I got it down to 24C with the immersion chiller and put it in the brew fridge for a couple of hours to get it down to 20C before adding the decanted starter of Wyeast 1728 and setting the temperature controller to 20C where it will stay for the next two weeks.
Kegging day
I kegged this one after 2 weeks in the fermenter and again the combination of Plumage Archer and the Wyeast 1728 has produced a cloudy finish.
The FG is 1.006 giving an ABV of 5.0%, which is at least an improvement on the previous Admiral IPA No.2 and is generally in the range of final gravities that I always get. I got a full keg and 2 bottles from the fermenter. The keg was purged with 5x15psi bursts and is now on to condition at 12C and 10psi for at least two weeks.
It'll be a couple of weeks before I do my next brew but when I do it will be with a different malt and yeast combination. I need to get to the bottom of this cloudy finish issue and the simplest way is to revert back to a tried and trusted combination.