RecipeDB - Little Big Horn IPA

[Dazza_devil]

Little Big Horn IPA

IPA - American Pale Ale
Extract

Brewer's Notes

3 litre starter of WY1272 pitched and fermented at 17 degrees C. Zero minute addition of Crystal hops was actually a dry-hop addition at 8 days into fermentation at which point the temp was bumped to 20 degrees C. Cold Crashed to 1.5 degrees C @ day 15 and bottled @ day 19.
F.G was around 1.020 and the batch was bulk primed with 160g of dextrose.

Malt & Fermentables

%	KG	Fermentable
	0.4 kg	Weyermann Caramunich III
	0.15 kg	Weyermann Caraamber
	0.14 kg	Weyermann Carared
	4 kg	Generic DME - Light
	0.75 kg	Dextrose

Hops

Time	Grams	Variety	Form	AA
	35 g	Magnum (Pellet, 14.0AA%, 60mins)
	30 g	Crystal (Pellet, 3.5AA%, 20mins)
	30 g	Crystal (Pellet, 3.5AA%, 5mins)
	30 g	Crystal (Pellet, 3.5AA%, 0mins)

Yeast

3000 ml

Wyeast Labs 1272 - American Ale II

27L Batch Size

Brew Details

• Original Gravity 1.074 (calc)
• Final Gravity 1.019 (calc)
• Bitterness 46.1 IBU
• Efficiency 75%
• Alcohol 7.17%
• Colour 24 EBC
• Batch Size 27L

Fermentation

• Primary 19 days
• Conditioning 4 days

 

[Aus_Rider_22]

Sounds nice! Very strong in alcohol!

 

[Dazza_devil]

Yes it is very nice, drinking one right now. It's high in alcohol but it doesn't taste like it is. This one could be dangerous, very delicious but could sit you on your arse before you know it. I think aptly named and I'm very pleased with it.

 

[bum]

Been meaning to put down a crystal IPA at some point. Might use this as my starting point for an AG. Looks nice.

I've only ever had crystal in Rogue's Brutal Bitter. How're you finding it?

 

[Dazza_devil]

The Crystal is the standout of the beer. It's not over-bearing but it lingers nicely on the palate. I wouldn't say over fruity but the aroma is quite floral and inviting. I can recommend these Crystal hops for flavour and aroma, I prefer them over Cascade.

 

[bum]

Yeah, sounds like the Brutal Bitter. I'll put this one in the queue.

Cheers.

 

[Dazza_devil]

Yeah, sounds like the Brutal Bitter. I'll put this one in the queue.

Cheers.

Lemme know your AG recipe bum. I'm still using an extract constant and I'm sure my brews will benefit from the practise but I'm looking forward to the final fontier.
This one has a very smoooth bitterness, it's there but not in your face, just enough to take the malt from the front. The Magnum also seems to blend well with the Crystal.

 

[bum]

Magnum is a great bittering hop for any aggressive ale, IMO.

I've already got a few big ones lined up so this one might be a way off yet but I will let you know when I get around to it.

 

[Guysmiley54]

Please forgive my newb-ness but if you dry hop on the 8th day, how long do you leave the hops in before bottling? (kegging etc) Does SG dictate the timing of dry hopping?

Cheers

 

[Pennywise]

Please forgive my newb-ness but if you dry hop on the 8th day, how long do you leave the hops in before bottling? (kegging etc) Does SG dictate the timing of dry hopping?

Cheers

I'm not so sure it matters on which day you dry hop, but the general concensus is that once fermentation vissibly slows down chuck em' in. This is usually around the 1 week mark anyway (well for me it is). So I suppose my 2c would be dry hop for 5-7 days.

 

[bum]

The recipe says primary is 14 days and there is no secondary. So 6 more days before bottling after dry hopping in this instance.

SG doesn't necessarily dictate the timing of dry hopping but most will suggest you wait until at least when the krausen has died down so you're not having your dry hop aromas stripped by the more vigorous fermentation activity that occurs early on. Lots of info around the board on this topic.

 

[Dazza_devil]

I have no hard set rule for this personally but I have had good results dry-hopping anything from day 5 to day 8 and usually bottle at 2 weeks in primary. My usual time for dry-hopping is when fermentation has all but finished to avoid driving off any major amounts of aroma. This will vary depending on individual brewing set-ups, yeast quality, brewing conditions etc, etc, so it's really at your own disgression.
The day I begin cold crashing also varies as does the duration, with all the same variables coming into play.

Edit - I have just remembered that this particular brew was in the fermenter a little longer than usual and had a slightly more extensive cold-crash period. This was due to unusual fermentation characteristics shown by this particular yeast on this and a previous occasion.
I'll check my notes when I get home and make any necessary ammendments.

 

[Dazza_devil]

All fixed.
This was just the way things happened for this particular brew and no doubt it will be an individual experience for any that attempt this beer.
As is now stated in the brewers notes this brew was cold-crashed to 1.5 degrees C @ day 15 and bottled @ day 19. Not my regular routine but this yeast has given me strange spontaneous spurts of fermentation causing me to leave it in the primary a little longer than I normally would.
Anyway it all ended up very well. My brother was impressed with the brew @ 5 weeks in the bottle and he gave me a bottle of Rogue Brutal IPA to compare it with. I'll be looking forward to doing a side by side with it @ 7 weeks in the bottle.

 

[Dazza_devil]

After a side by side comparison with this brew and Rogue Brutal IPA I've decided my brew is much nicer.
The Brutal had a much more harsh bitterness, less yeast character and less hop aroma. This may be due to the Brutal being a little old and worse for the journey, I couldn't find a date on it. My brew is much more balanced which could possibly make it a little less American but I enjoyed it a lot more than the Brutal. Another factor to consider could be the freshness of my beer, time will tell I guess.

 

[bum]

What colour was the label? The new ones are red and white but the old ones are yellow and purple. The last one I had of the yellow and purple was the only sub-par one I've ever had. Great to hear how good yours is tasting though. Looking forward to giving it a crack myself.

 

[Dazza_devil]

What colour was the label? The new ones are red and white but the old ones are yellow and purple. The last one I had of the yellow and purple was the only sub-par one I've ever had. Great to hear how good yours is tasting though. Looking forward to giving it a crack myself.

It's a red and white label so perhaps it hadn't been stored well. It wasn't off or horrible but mine is a very nice drop and I've got a shitload left :drinks:

 

[mwd]

This one looks like my kind of a beer. Top of the list to do next.

 

[mwd]

This one looks like my kind of a beer. Top of the list to do next.

Just gathering ingredients for this one now but intend to substitute some of the dry malt with a can of Morgans Stockman's Draught probably cut the magnum back to 30mins to avoid going over the top with bitterness. Still aiming for the 7.5%ABV. :icon_cheers: looking forward to the end result of this.

 

[Dazza_devil]

Just gathering ingredients for this one now but intend to substitute some of the dry malt with a can of Morgans Stockman's Draught probably cut the magnum back to 30mins to avoid going over the top with bitterness. Still aiming for the 7.5%ABV. :icon_cheers: looking forward to the end result of this.

This brew didn't end up as bitter as I expected. Perhaps it's the smoothness of the Magnum that gives that perception but it is very nicely balanced with the malt at the moment. I'm hangin to get into another bottle but I have to finish a course of antibiotics first unfortunately. A thirty minute addition of Magnum may medle with the crystal flavour a tad, which is the standout of this brew. Something to consider, I'd be tempted to only use Crystal additions and save the Magnum if I were using a kit to add bitterness, it also wouldn't hurt to boil the kit to drive off any isohop flavours and aroma.

 

[mwd]

Yes I can see what you mean but all those Caraxxxx malts will cover the perceived bitterness quite a bit. Was thinking the Morgans can would give a bit more complexity seeing as it is the basis of Boonies LCPA clone.

Should make a good drop anyhow maybe Little Big Horn Revision'A' AIPA.

Hope to get it going next week sometime when supplies from Craftbrewer arrive and the Coopers stout stops bubbling along.