Lotahopalaus Rex

[Beer-lord]

I've heard pretty much the same thing on a number of podcasts and that 100 is about all we can detect though I've found that once I hit about 80 or so, my beers start to not taste so great after 4 weeks due to the amount of hops that seem to go funky. So lately, I've tried to keep my threshold at about 80. Just can't drink my beers that quickly.

[BlackDuck]

My fermentation fridge smells heavenly!!


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[Inkleg]

My fermentation fridge smells heavenly!!

No doubt!!!

[Kealia]

Yep, I can only imagine what thing smells like when you open it. Have we ever seen a picture of your fermentation fridge?

[BlackDuck]

The FG came in at 1.016, for an ABV of 7.4%. A bit lower than BeerSmith had it at. All my numbers were low on this one. I have to wonder if I got shorted on grain from the store. This is the second time I've come in low on numbers when getting ingredients from this store. I have two stores to choose from. One has higher prices, but I weigh the grain myself, so I know I'm getting the right amount. The second store (which these ingredients came from) has lower prices, but they weigh the grain for you. I'm not sure, but it seems like they may have missed a half pound or so. I'll mention it to the owner next time I'm in there. EIther way, it's still gonna be beer.

I decided to dry hop with 2 ounces each of the Amarillo and Citra. No point in having a 1/2 ounce just hanging out in the freezer right? Might as well put it to good use. I'll keg in next weekend.

[Kealia]

Hey Chris, have you checked your hydrometer to make sure it isn't out of whack?

I had an issue once where the paper in my hydrometer slipped and everything looked low.

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[BlackDuck]

Yes, kind of. The OG was taken with my refractometer which was calibrated with distilled water right before I used it, so I know the OG is accurate.

When I took the FG and saw it was a touch high, I grabbed a second one and checked again. They both read exactly the same, so I'm pretty confident that the hydro's are working correctly. But I should probably double check both of them in distilled water to make sure they are accurate.

Good thought...thanks for bringing it up!!

[BlackDuck]

I started the cold crash today, a couple days earlier than planned. My schedule next week is kind of busy, so I'm going to try to keg on Sunday. So the dry hop went from 7 days down to about 5 days. Oh well, shat happens!!! I'm really looking forward to this one too. It's been a long time since I made a double IPA last. Hope it's good!!

[Kealia]

I've not had a bad beer from Antler Brewing so I'd put my money on "it's good".

[mashani]

I've heard pretty much the same thing on a number of podcasts and that 100 is about all we can detect though I've found that once I hit about 80 or so, my beers start to not taste so great after 4 weeks due to the amount of hops that seem to go funky. So lately, I've tried to keep my threshold at about 80. Just can't drink my beers that quickly.

FWIW, stuff that I've made where I get 100+ theoretical IBUs all from very late (T5 or <) to high temperature lid-on hop-stand additions don't seem to degrade that quickly. Sure eventually they lose some punch but they don't start to taste funky, they just turn into nice beers that are more like very hoppy pale ales with age. Which I don't mind, it's like I brewed 2 different beers, starts off like an IPA and then later is like an APA, but still is tasty.

That's why I pretty much don't even bother with a longer hop boil anymore, I just like the way the 100% very late addition beers turn out a lot better. I don't know if it matters but all my hops tend to go commando into my fermenter too. So maybe some "biotransformation" happens like in a NEIPA. Because there are plenty of goodies still left in the hops when they get dumped in there with that sort of late addition. Maybe it helps.

I tend to NOT dry hop those beers, they don't really seem to need it with my lid on hopstands with a crap load of hops added @flameout (basically everything I would have dry hopped just goes in @flameout, then the lid goes on for 30 minutes). So I may be avoiding some oxidation issues there, and that might also be helping.

Dunno.

[BlackDuck]

Kegged this one this afternoon. That BrewBucket was full of green slop too. I have high hopes, the little taster I had was fantastic.

Here’s what came out when I cleared the spigot:
And the bottom of the BrewBucket:
And finally, what the utility sink looks like after a Lotahopalaus Rex pukes in it:


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[Kealia]

Damn. Just damn.

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[BlackDuck]

I poured the first pint from this last night (and the second pint right after the first). It’s been on the gas for six days. This is a good DIPA for sure. The aroma in lighter than I thought but it’s dank and piney which is exactly what I wanted. The flavor is awesome. And it drinks extremely easy for 7.4%. I think it still does need a week or two to condition a little though. It’s gonna be a great winter DIPA to sip on when it’s cold outside.



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[Inkleg]

That's just sexy looking right there!

[Beer-lord]

It does look good. I don't need a cold night to sip on a DIPA, I could drink those most every day.
I've noticed that many of my higher gravity beers just don't explode with aroma either. I can make a much less hoppy pale ale and the aroma is much better. Not sure I understand yet why that is.