BeerBorg

I am going to brew today I am just not sure what I want to brew. I decided to let my yeast decide so I looked at what I have on hand. I have a package of Notty which expires 7/2014, a package of BRY-97 which expires 1/2015, and a package of S 04 which expires 3/2015. So I will use the Notty. There are two styles I like to do with Notty, IPAs and Wheat beers. I already have a case of White Wheat Hoppimania 2 and a case of Tasmanian Wheat on hand. So that narrows it down to an IPA. Now I am trying to decide which hops to use. I have about a pound of Cascades, 3 oz of Centinials, 4 oz of Citra, 4 oz of Simcoes, and a pound of Columbus which I have bought as they went on sale through Yakima Valley and Farmhouse Brewing Supply. I got them all at less than $1 an ounce.

I love the taste of cascades. As I read about the hops on beersmith I see Centinial are used primarilly for bittering and aroma. So my first thought was 2oz Cascades at 15, 10, 5, and 2 oz of Centinials for a 30 minute hop stand beginning at 160F. Then I started thinking about the columbus hops sitting in my freezer getting old. Columbus can be a bit dank even as a late addition. So now I am thinking 2oz Cascades at 15, 1oz cascades 1oz columbus at 10 and 5.

The more I type the more I feel like I am overthinking this stuff. I think at the 15 minute mark I will start tossing stuff in and call it another Kitchen Sink IPA.

I like Columbus as a FWH or 60 minute and a dry hop as well. But I like the mad scientist idea of just pitching stuff in after 15-20 minutes and see where it gets you. But, it's really not an IPA without generous amounts of dry hopping. And all the hops you have on hand are perfect for that.

Beer-lord wrote:I like Columbus as a FWH or 60 minute and a dry hop as well. But I like the mad scientist idea of just pitching stuff in after 15-20 minutes and see where it gets you. But, it's really not an IPA without generous amounts of dry hopping. And all the hops you have on hand are perfect for that.

So far I have been getting more aroma from my hop stands than I ever did dry hopping. And this way I don't end up with hop matter in my fermenter which I like. This week I will send you a Tasmanian Wheat and you will see what I mean. The guys at the Home Brew Club meeting were astounded. They kept asking me if I was sure I didn't dry hop. Even the master brewer from our local brew pub, who has won a lot of prestigous awards including a 1st place at the GABF for his Kolsch and a 2 second place at the World Beer Cup for his Altbier, was amazed.

What do you do in the time between flame out and 160F? And, do you leave the chiller on the whole time even it at 160 for 30 minutes it gets the wort down to 70 or is the chiller off all together until after the 30 minutes is achieved?
I've done 20 minute hop stands but still dry hopped so I've never tried just the hop stand.
And, while I've done a few beers without a 60 minute addition, I sometimes miss the opening bite of that bittering addition in some of my IPA's though a few of mine with 20 minute and less additions were pretty darn tasty.

I think you can't go wrong with an IPA with any of those hops, or any combination thereof.

I know you like to FWH, too. Centennial seems to me to be the go-to hops for IPAs, but Simcoe and Columbus combined would make a darn good IPA, I think.

Frankly, with your experience and intuition, I don't think you can go wrong unless you dipped Ralph's butt in the wort. You're gonna have a good IPA, even if it is a "kitchen sink" brew. Nothing wrong with that; I've had my share of darn good brews made from cleaning out the inventory.

Thank you Dave
I have decided to call this Ralph:s Serendipity IPA. When I was putting my grain bill together I couldn't find my Victory malt so I used Aromatic in its place. Then when I was in my brewery weighing grains I was a pound short on my two row. Not wanting to go back into the house to get another bucket while heating strike water, I just threw in an extra pound of Munich.

I love brewing something I have never had before.

Nothing wrong with some Munich!

Yeah, this is gonna be good beer. So sez The Hat.

This is a PERFECT day to brew. 60 degrees, overcast, and best of all NO WIND!!!
I am about to hit the 15 minute mark and 2oz of Centennial hops will go in

Gotta agree with Dave. With that inventory and your brewing prowess you could make a great IPA if you were blindfolded.
You may be doing this on the fly but you sure should jot down some note 'cause I'll bet it ends up one you'll want brew again.

Can I send you a mailing label in about a month?