IPA Recipe and Updates!

Peach Wine Update: Really nothing much to say about the peach wine other than it is still fermenting nicely. I will check the SG of it this weekend and if necessary, will add the remaining syrup to it. I have yet to remove 2 pints to allow space to add the syrup, and will do that when the time comes. (this Saturday)

Ok..the ingredients have been ordered for the next 2 beer batches! After taking inventory of my supplies, it was discovered that I had enough grains to make the IPA if I used the mini-mash method. And that's exactly what I wanted to do anyways due to the fact that my brew system can only mash up to around 10 lbs of grain max. The next recipes call for more grain than my system can handle, so I have opted to use the mini-mash method and am planning to brew the IPA this weekend, depending on what day the goods arrive. I'll need to make a yeast starter 1-2 days before brew day, so we'll see.

The IPA recipe was originally an all grain recipe that I have recalculated into the mini-mash recipe shown below. I used the mathamatical methods that appear in the wonderful book written by Ray Daniels titled "Designing Great Beers". Every homebrewer really needs a copy of this book as it is very helpful in helping the homebrewer understand the different styles, their history, how to hit your starting specific gravity, and the math behind the scenes to help you to not only to formulate your own recipies, but to also help you to convert any all grain recipe into a more manageable and easier to perform mini or partial mash method of brewing. That means that although you may have have a small 5 gallon brewing setup, you should still be able to brew all those really big Belgium style brews that typically have enormous grain bills. And it has a whole lot more too!

Here's the IPA recipe and directions:

----------------------Schooner 1889 IPA----------------------------------
General----------------------------------------------------------------------

Category: India Pale Ale (IPA)

Subcategory: English IPA

Recipe Type: Partial Mash

Batch Size: 5.00 gal.

Volume Boiled: 4.0 gal.

Sterlized Water to Top Off: 2-2.5 gal. (having a little extra is a good thing)

Mash Efficiency: 72 %

Total Grain/Extract: 11.26 lbs.

Total Hops: 3.4 oz.

Calories (12 fl. oz.): 287.1

Cost to Brew: $38.46 (USD)Cost per Bottle (12 fl. oz.): $0.69 (USD)

Vital Statistics-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Original Gravity: 1.072

Terminal Gravity: 1.015

Color: 13.35 SRM

Bitterness: 54.4 IBU

Alcohol (%volume): 7.5 %

Ingredients--------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.43 lbs. Golden Promise Pale Malt (Grain)

1.0 lbs. British Crystal Malt 55 deg;L (Grain)

3.5 lbs. Muntons Dry Extra Light DME

3.33 lbs. Alexanders Pale Liquid

1.1 oz. Challenger (Pellets, 8.5 %AA) boiled 90 minutes.

1.0 oz. Whitbread Golding (WGV) (Whole, 6.00 %AA) (or Fuggles) boiled 15 minutes.

1.25 oz. East Kent Goldings (Whole, 5.00 %AA) boiled 2 minutes.

4 ounces Lyles Golden Syrup (not included in calculations)

Yeast: WYeast 1187 Ringwood Ale

Brewing Directions--------------------------------------------------------------------------24-48 hours before brew day: Create a 1 quart yeast starter by boiling 2 cups water then
take off heat source, then add 2 cups of M & F Extra Light DME and a few bittering hop
pellets and dissolve and boil for 10 minutes. Cool in ice water bath, and when below 80
deg F, transfer into a half gal jug and add yeast to it and mix well. Put a stopper and air
lock on it then let it ferment until ready to use at room temp.

On Brew day: Start by boiling 2.5 gal of water for 10 minutes to sterilize and put aside to cool and for topping off primary fermentor.

Then crush and mix the grains in 1.25 gal of 167 deg F water. When fully mixed, the mash temp should be at 154 deg F. Hold at 154 deg F for 90 minutes or until starch conversion has taken place. Test a few drops with iodine on a stark white saucer. If it changes color, mash for another 15 minutes then test again. The color of the iodine should not change color. During mashing, prepare your sparge water (3 gallons) by bringing it to a boil for 10 minutes, then take off heat source and let it cool to 168-170 deg F. Try to keep it at this temp until ready to sparge. Once conversion has tested positive, continue to the next step.

Now strain the grain water into the brew pot and return the mashed grains into the mashing vessel and add the 3 gals of 168 deg F sparge water to it. Stir it well to mix then let it sit for 10 minutes, then strain off into brew pot again. Discard the spent grains. Top off the brew pot if necessary to contain 4 to 4.25 gals of wort, bring to a boil, then remove from heat and add the DME and LME, the Lyles Golden Syrup and bittering hops.

Return to heat and boil for 1 hour while watching for and preventing any boil-overs.Then add your flavor hops, and 1 tsp of Irish Moss and boil for 15 minutes. You can also place your wort chiller into the brew-pot at this time to sterilize it. Boil for 13 minutes then add your aroma hops, boil for another 1-2 minutes, then kill the fire and cool off wort as fast as possible to below 80 deg F. I like to cool mine off to an even 72 deg F. When cooled, strain and transfer wort to 6 gal carboy, and then carefully add the sterilized water we put aside until it comes up to the turn on the top of the carboy. I usually fill it just to the bottom of where it curves up to save room for the yeast. When the temp has stabelized at 70 deg F, aerate wort with aerating stone and oxygen for 15 minutes then pitch your yeast and continue to aerate while stirring for another 10 minutes. Put a stopper and air lock on and ferment for no more than 7 days or until fermentation slows down.

Then rack into secondary (5 gal carboy) and ferment out to finished gravity (FG) or until beer has cleared. (3-4 weeks). Then prime with 1.25 cups of M&F Xtra Light DME and bottle, or if kegging, prime with 2/3 cups DME and seal with 10 psi CO2 and let it carbonate for a minimum of 4 weeks at 70 deg F. then store kegs or bottles at cellar temperatures of 50 deg F. Also if you want, you can try to make the beer clearer by storing it at 33-40 deg F for a period of 3 additional weeks after the initial 3-4 week priming and carbonating phase has been completed. Then serve at 48-50 deg F and enjoy!