NEIPA do's and don'ts

[HazyNick]

Hi all

It's been a while since I posted a query, everyone has been very helpful.

My 2nd brew, Pirate Life IIPA was fabulous, 3rd brew Six Strings dark red IPA will be tasted this weekend. I have currently got a NEIPA brewing and I have had some conflicting advice versus the recipe. I am not too fussed about having conflicting advice however I thought I would throw this to the forum to get some feedback;

1. Airlock or Hydrometer? In relation to dry hopping, should I do this when the airlock stops bubbling (recipe says so and suggested this would be 7 days) or when the hydrometer reading is down to 1.015 (started at 1.045 which the recipe I have says should be the OG (between this and 1.055). Currently my hydrometer reading is 1.020 after 9 days (my two previous brews have fermented for 26 days at between 18-20 celsius to get down to 1.015
2. Dry Hopping - Citra and Mosaic. 4-5 days before bottling (recipe) or 48 hours (advice)?
3. Cold Crashing for 24 hours prior to bottling - This I am a bit wary of. Happy to give it a go, advice not recipe, and I can get the brew down to 2 degrees celsius outside thanks to the Blue Mountains climate, probably for about 10 -12 hours. My query is;
   • Does it have to be around 1-4 degrees for the entire 24 hours
   • if it was to vary between 2-8 degrees would that still work? - thinking of wrapping some ice packs around it from 7am and putting it in the shed (ambient temp of about 10 degrees
   • Does it affect the beer flavour or is it purely a vanity exercise to make the beer look good?
4. Easy to read hydrometers, any ideas? I find it difficult to read the one I have.

Sorry for all the questions however I know some of you have a lot more experience than I do on this so appreciate any guidance.

Cheers
Nick.

 

[kadmium]

Hi all

It's been a while since I posted a query, everyone has been very helpful.

My 2nd brew, Pirate Life IIPA was fabulous, 3rd brew Six Strings dark red IPA will be tasted this weekend. I have currently got a NEIPA brewing and I have had some conflicting advice versus the recipe. I am not too fussed about having conflicting advice however I thought I would throw this to the forum to get some feedback;

1. Airlock or Hydrometer? In relation to dry hopping, should I do this when the airlock stops bubbling (recipe says so and suggested this would be 7 days) or when the hydrometer reading is down to 1.015 (started at 1.045 which the recipe I have says should be the OG (between this and 1.055). Currently my hydrometer reading is 1.020 after 9 days (my two previous brews have fermented for 26 days at between 18-20 celsius to get down to 1.015
2. Dry Hopping - Citra and Mosaic. 4-5 days before bottling (recipe) or 48 hours (advice)?
3. Cold Crashing for 24 hours prior to bottling - This I am a bit wary of. Happy to give it a go, advice not recipe, and I can get the brew down to 2 degrees celsius outside thanks to the Blue Mountains climate, probably for about 10 -12 hours. My query is;
   • Does it have to be around 1-4 degrees for the entire 24 hours
   • if it was to vary between 2-8 degrees would that still work? - thinking of wrapping some ice packs around it from 7am and putting it in the shed (ambient temp of about 10 degrees
   • Does it affect the beer flavour or is it purely a vanity exercise to make the beer look good?
4. Easy to read hydrometers, any ideas? I find it difficult to read the one I have.

Sorry for all the questions however I know some of you have a lot more experience than I do on this so appreciate any guidance.

Cheers
Nick.

Hey mate, and welcome to the forums!

1. I don't do either of those... naughty naughty me. I usually dry hop during peak fermentation. However, when I used to gravity ferment (I pressure ferment) I would work backwards and add them about 3 days prior to packaging. So, if you know you're at FG, there is no risk waiting a few extra days / week(s). Work out when you're going to bottle, and add them 3 days before. Do not include the cold crashing in this. For example, I want to package Sunday, I will start cold crash Friday night, so Tuesday morning I will add hops. That leaves Tuesday-Friday for dry hopping (around 3 days), Friday night through to Sunday morning to crash and then package on Sunday.

2. Covered this above, didn't read very well haha

3. Cold Crashing is not really a vanity thing, although it does help with clearer beer. However, I cold crash a NEIPA, and a good NEIPA should not clear up during a cold crash. It's like how some people don't add Whirfloc with NEIPAs cause they think it won't go hazy. That's just misunderstanding what Whirfloc and Cold Crashing do.

The real purpose of a Cold Crash is to ensure a 'cold break' which will drop out long chain proteins, suspended yeast and, most importantly hop materials. It will help the yeast floculate with all the hop materials etc into a more compact 'cake' on the bottom of the fermenter rather then a loose, easily disturbed bed. This is important for highly hopped beers that you bottle, as you want to keep that out of the bottles to help avoid gushers.

4. I don't use a Hydrometer I use a Refractometer. Witch craft to some, and too 'high tech' but I get the same reading on my $30 Ebay Refractometer that I do on a hydrometer so who gives a ****. I'm not in for super accuracy. Some people will tell you once alcohol is introduced a refractometer is useless, but they just either don't understand how it works, or are just repeating what they heard. I can go more indepth on a refractometer if you want, but this isn't the thread for it.

 

[HazyNick]

great thanks for that. Ill work on the 3 x 3 scenario and see how it goes. I'll use ice packs during the day to keep the temperature down, looks like I will be needing a fridge when the temperature starts getting warmer.

 

[kadmium]

A fermenting fridge is one of the biggest steps you can take to consistently good beer. Highly recommend!

 

[philrob]

My advice on Neipa's is "don't".
I can't see the point in slavishly following every new USA fashion.
I prefer to drink beer, not cloudy hop juice.

 

[kadmium]

My advice on Neipa's is "don't".
I can't see the point in slavishly following every new USA fashion.
I prefer to drink beer, not cloudy hop juice.

Same advice that was given for BIAB, No Chill, Cold Sparge and other things.

I am all for new things. And what's wrong with hop juice? There's more to life than one light, piss coloured beer that tastes like the next. And traditional IPAs taste like licking a coin I found in the pocket of the **** I wore to the last wedding I went to.

So give me juicy hop water any day.

 

[Grmblz]

My advice on Neipa's is "don't".
I can't see the point in slavishly following every new USA fashion.
I prefer to drink beer, not cloudy hop juice.

HazyNick was asking for guidance on a style he obviously enjoys "don't" isn't particularly constructive.
I would agree about slavishly following new fashions, be they US, UK, or anywhere else for that matter, but having said that, I like variety and brew some experimental/latest craze/weird **** at times just for giggles and every now and then find a keeper.
We can't knock a style/process we personally don't like, and in the same breath extol the virtues of craft brewing.
Just my two bobs worth.

 

[butisitart]

at my age, if you know what strain of yeast you put into your beer, you're a slave to fashion.

 

[philrob]

Ah, I just love the flaming you get every time you post something sensible.
The asbestos brewing jacket has saved the day for me.

Still, if you wish to drink something that's not really beer, then go right ahead, but after all, it's still not really beer. All things out of the USA are not really the bees knees, just look at Trump, and their gun laws.

We had a NEIPA night at my brew club last year. Didn't like a single one of them. I'm not arguing the technical merits of making something like that, just that it isn't really beer as it should be. VB is also a brilliant technical achievement, but it's still crap.

Don't talk about age, I have plenty of that on board. And I'm old enough to have got over the craze for following fashion and the narcicistic trend of tattoos and gym junkism.

There, I've said it.

OK girls and boys, do your worst. I'm ready for ya.

 

[Vic]

The asbestos brewing jacket. Where can I get one !!!???. Home brewing is brewing and LEARNING how to brew what you like. Asking for guidance is OK, guidence from someone who does not like that style and say's "don't" makes no sense. Do it and learn from your experience and hopefully enjoy delicious beer.

 

[kadmium]

Ah, I just love the flaming you get every time you post something sensible.
The asbestos brewing jacket has saved the day for me.

Still, if you wish to drink something that's not really beer, the go right ahead, but after all, it's still not really beer. All things out of the USA are not really the bees knees, just look at Trump, and their gun laws.

We had a NEIPA night at my brew club last year. Didn't like a single one of them. I'm not arguing the technical merits of making something like that, just that it isn't really beer as it should be. VB is also a brilliant technical achievement, but it's still crap.

Don't talk about age, I have plenty of that on board. And I'm old enough to have got over the craze for following fashion and the narcicistic trend of tattoos and gym junkism.

There, I've said it.

OK girls and boys, do your worst. I'm ready for ya.

It's not the fact you don't like NEIPA. It's the fact you took time to go into a post from a new brewer asking for advice on a style of beer (as recognised by BJCP so get ****** with what YOU think is beer) and tell them not to brew it.

Based on what? Your tastes? Why do tattoos and narcissistic tendencies and Trump have to be introduced into a thread asking for help?

So you don't like america. Congratulations take a ticket and get in line. I guess you don't like space exploration, medical research, industry, manufacturing, globalised trade, the armed forces, electric cars, the internet, computers, electricity, mobile phones, streaming or even the forums you're happy so spout your opinion on.

News flash Tutankhamen, these are all relatively new concepts in the history of man.

Sure, if the bloke asked "what's your opinion on NEIPAs" go right ahead and tell everyone. But he didn't. He asked for technical help related to brewing a specific style of beer that HE enjoys.

I don't go on ford forums and tell people not to flush their radiators just because I don't like fords. Jesus ******* christ, this forum is had enough with Keg King and Keg Land derailing threads with their ********, don't need it from other people who should know better.

There is nothing, in my view more sad than someone who ***** on another person's passions just because they don't like them.

As I stated before, its not that you don't like NEIPA. That's more than understandable. It's your completely unhelpful comment from a new brewer looking for advice.

 

[Grmblz]

@philrob ^what he said^ but he forgot to say "pull yer head in" trump, guns, gyms, tattoos, "not really beer as it should be"wtf? You and Rodney must be related (or the same account) Your comment wasn't "sensible" it was a tosser espousing his own values with no regard for the OP, opinions my friend are like arseholes, we've all got them, but you shouldn't go around sticking them in other peoples faces. If someone asks for help then either help or shut the f**k up. There, I've said it LMAO!
@HazyNick sorry mate none of this is related to you or your querie, please keep the questions coming, the few may be vocal but the many are watching and I'd be amazed if you asked a question and didn't get a half way reasonable answer. Cheers G

 

[CaptainMachSnot]

And traditional IPAs taste like licking a coin I found in the pocket of the **** I wore to the last wedding I went to.

Hahaha, couldn't help but laugh at this. That sounds like a new trend that i definatly think should be shut down - wearing a **** to a wedding.

I also think i like neipa's (too bloody dear, so have only tried one), and also dislike ipa's.

 

[kadmium]

Hahaha, couldn't help but laugh at this. That sounds like a new trend that i definatly think should be shut down - wearing a **** to a wedding.

I also think i like neipa's (too bloody dear, so have only tried one), and also dislike ipa's.

Oh God hahaha. Supposed to say suit. Although by the end of the night it's probably half vomit anyway hahaha

 

[butisitart]

Oh God hahaha. Supposed to say suit. Although by the end of the night it's probably half vomit anyway hahaha

i read it literally - i wore **** to a wedding (in which there was a pocket, somewhere)

 

[Grmblz]

^ Me too^ then I felt embarrassed by the Captains comment, so happy I wasn't the only one.

 

[Grmblz]

this forum is had enough with Keg King and Keg Land derailing threads with their ********,

Errrmmmm just reread your post and given the faux par re: **** suits thought I would seek some guidance re: the above comment.
Is it "this forum has had enough" or "this forum is bad enough" fwiw I agree with both propositions.

 

[butisitart]

Errrmmmm just reread your post and given the faux par re: **** suits thought I would seek some guidance re: the above comment.
Is it "this forum has had enough" or "this forum is bad enough" fwiw I agree with both propositions.

i think he means 'this forum is sad enough.'
and 'kegling and canned leg'
so,
this forum is sad enough with canned legs and keglings derailing threads with their bull suits,
if you don't understand this, you clearly haven't ingested enough neipa
it's saturday night and we're all bored. let's jump on kadmium

 

[philrob]

Lighten up princesses, where's your sense of humour?
There's room for a little levity, surely.

Anyway, it's stirred some life into this place.

I love youse all. Good night, over and out.

 

[butisitart]

Lighten up princesses, where's your sense of humour?
There's room for a little levity, surely.

Anyway, it's stirred some life into this place.

I love youse all. Good night, over and out.

you're not that old, relatively speaking