House Dust IPA - August 29, Conical

Frank and Rhonda brought me home from Nova Scotia a 55 lb. bag of Horton Ridge Pale Organic Malt. Could not find any specs on the malt, but I assume it is around 3 srm. Going with that. This will be fresh beer since the malt is probably as fresh as you can get. It should make a good darker beer like a stout or an English style too. The web-site states it is very malty and that is good. Even with all of these hops, the beer should taste better than using Pils Malt. This is the last brew on Mr. Conical. I hope to use it next summer sometime. I don't need all of this beer like I used to. On the other hand, I have 96 PET bottles I have never used. I can always bottle condition my beers and just store them in the basement. I can't use Gelatin to clear them because I have trouble getting carbonation when I do that. I can, however, use my CPBF which I rarely use. Time consuming though, but I used it all the time when I was working. But you know who was at work and not here bugging me.

15 gallons

22 lbs. Horton Ridge Organic Pale Ale

2 lbs. CaraPils 

2 lbs. CaraMunich I

US-05 - 80 grams ( older yeast now so this is not out of line )

                                                       AND NOW THE HOPS

14 g Warrior at 60 min.

28 g Cascade at 60 min.

28 g Duke25 at 60 min.

28 g Cascade at 30 min.

28 g Duke25 at 30 min.

28 g Cascade at 10 min.

28 g Duke25 at 10 min.

28 g Cascade at 5 min.

28 g Duke25 at 5 min.

56 g Cascade Cryo at 0 min.

294 grams of hops in this recipe compared to around 80 grams for a Kolsch or Lager. This is why I make this beer once in awhile.

Mash Water - 10 gallons

Sparge Water - 10 gallons

Mash and Boil Salts

Gyp - 2.5 g

CI - 3.6 g

Eps - 3.7 g

Lactic Acid in Mash - 1 ml

Lactic Acid in Sparge - .4 ml

O.G. - 1.047 - ( 74% )

F.G. -

% -

SRM - 8 or 9 ( I don't know the srm of this malt )

BU - 49

Water Profile - Amber Balanced

Contrary to other homebrewers, I am not using a high sulphate water profile for this beer. I never tasted beer made with it that I liked. This is my last IPA for awhile, so here goes my older profile which never had any off flavours, but was lacking in that in your face west coast style. However, I am using a lot of hops and some cryo hops too. It should be okay though, well, I hope it is.

                                                    UPDATE ON THIS WATER PROFILE

I did end up using a higher water profile for IPA's. Check May 2024. Should of done that long ago as

it is indeed that high sulphate water profile for a reason. Definitely brought out the hop flavours.

CA - 50

MG - 10

S04 - 75

CI - 63

PH - 5.43

                                                                       NOTES

I realize the water profile isn't like all the other profiles for this style, but I just don't like the finished beer when I use a ton of brewing salts. I do think there is enough hops in this brew to make an acceptable IPA. This is all of the hops I have and not brewing one for a long time as the price for this batch is close to $30 just for the hops.

                                                                     BREW DAY PREP

Have to clean the valves since they sit in the garage in the heat. Only the boiler and mash tun valve. After that, I think I am good to go. Just get water and get in the garage to organize my brew day. I did clean the Conical valves and the kettle valve.. Just the mash tun valve to go. I think I just need to clean it up and not take it apart to clean it. It is not post boil.                         

                                                              BREW DAY NOTES

No issues today. Wort into Conical at 10:30 am. Wort is 74 F, so yeast will be pitched maybe at bedtime.

The wort srm is a beautiful golden colour. I think the srm is likely 8 - 10 on the finished beer. The malt colour to me is around 5 srm. No matter but my brewing software wants to know. The brewing salts were really close to each other comparing yellow balanced and amber balanced. I didn't change it from yellow balanced. Had a hard time getting 80 g of dry yeast in. Still not sure about the amount. Brewers Friend did it so I guess I am good. I remembered we have a very small ss funnel in the drawer upstairs. It worked great but I did spill some in the sink and on the Conical and down by the feet of the Conical. Done. Now at least I know what to do next time when I make my Cream Ale. Just have to use up this yeast.

Brew Day - Pitched US-05 at 4 pm.

 Day 1 - No activity as of 5:30 am. I tightened up the band on the lid and started to get bubbling.               Day 2 -  Going good. 67F.                                                                                                                             Day 3 - Still going good. 66F - 68F. I am right in the middle.                                                                       Day 4 - Really slowed down, like a lot. Almost like a stuck fermentation. I have gout in my right knee                  whatever it is. The most painful thing I have ever had yet. I will let it go and check the gravity                  just before we go to PEI. Hopefully it will be at least 14. Upwards toward 18 - 20 is not good.    Day 5 - Bubbling once a minute maybe. Not checking the gravity yet. Turned off fridge to help it.                         76F. Turned fridge back on but doing 2C at a time. Do not want suck back.                                    Day 6 - Same. The odd bubbling going on. Will wait until day 17 or so and take a reading. Even if it is                 too high I really can't do anything about it. Set fridge at 20C. Will leave it there.                          Day 7 - I think it is time to check the gravity. Been a week and I need to know.                                                       The gravity is 1.009. I am shocked. Never had this that low on day 5 or so. I did use lots of                       US-05 though. If I ever make an IPA again I will just use around 4% Crystal 40 + 2 row.                           Lots of hop aroma and bitterness. Slightly cloying but it will settle out. I can keg this in a                         day or so.                                                                                                                                            Day 13 - Kegged it.

                                                       KEG ON SEPTEMBER 11

Finally getting around to kegging this. Add gelatin after crash cooling. I didn't fill the kegs to the proper  level that I wanted. I am going to buy 2 of those magnet keg balls that let you know how much is in it.    Filled a 2 L pop bottle on Sept. 16. Strong tasting but no off flavours. Not cloying at all. That is good since I have 4 cases of it. Tossing into 3 more 2 L pop bottles on Sept. 18. May take them to PEI if I am allowed the room. The flavour is already starting to fade a bit. One week. Another reason to brew other styles. I expected that, but it is still a good beer. The best part is no off flavours. Stay the course with your recipes and don't buy any grains from OBK.

                                                          TASTE ON OCTOBER 1ST

The best House Dust IPA I have ever made. May make another sometime. Not will to spend $30 just for the hops though. Way better than most of the IPA's I had down east.