Session IPA

The IPA has been my go-to recently. It took me a long time to embrace this style, often finding it  too bitter. I guess, maybe, as I'm aging or refining, perhaps my taste buds are too. Whatever the case, I'm enjoying most IPAs these days. My favorite as of late are session IPAs like Founders All-Day IPA or Ithaca Brewing's Green Trail. So now that I like to drink it, why not try to make it, right?

A little internet research and trip to E.J. Wren, and we were on our way. The plan is to drink this, along with the pilsner started a few months ago and now lagering in the basement, at our wedding in July. Fingers crossed this comes out... 

As a guide, I used this recipe for a clone of the Founders. I probably should've read it more closely because I made an error in the first hop addition and did some on-the-fly learning about hop stands. The first hop addition was supposed to be a FWH, or first wort hopping, addition at the time of the runoff. Without a control, I'm not sure if there will be a noticeable difference but if this is a keeper, maybe the second time I'll try it and see what happens.

• 7.5 lbs American Pale 2-row
• 2 lbs crystal/caramel 20 
• .75 oz Cascade Hops 60 minutes (6.8% AA)
• 2 oz Amarillo Hops 5 minutes (9.5% AA)
• 2 oz Centennial Hops for a hop stand 15 minutes (10.7% AA)
• .25 oz Cascade Hops for a hop stand 15 minutes (6.8% AA)
• Wyeast 1056 American Ale

I haven't gotten to this step yet but will be dry hopping in the secondary for four days with:

• 1 oz Centennial Hops (10.7% AA)
• 1 oz Amarillo Hops (9.5% AA)

I single infusion mashed at around 152 degrees for 60 minutes. I'm not sure if I raised the temp enough at the end of 60 minutes but I maxed out around 165 degrees when there was no more room in the mash tun... 

After recirculating the first gallon or so of the runoff, I sparged with 160-170 degree sparge water to get about 6 gallons. As previously mentioned, I missed the FWH addition so instead added the Cascade Hops at 60 minutes. This was also my first hop stand - I added the Centennial at flame out and let stand for 15 minutes covered. The temp dropped to about 190 at the end of 15 minutes just before I added the Cascade. I stirred at this point to create the whirlpool and let stand a final 15 before transferring to the bucket for chilling. I pitched the yeast at 67 degrees and fermentation was rockin' and rollin' within 12 hours.