re: Homebrewing: In-Process Thread

And finally, i've been tasting my latest IPA. If you recall i made an IPA using 2-row and pilsen as my base and Vienna and Honey as my darker malt. The hop bill was mostly el dorado, with some motueka and azacca.

It was first ready for consumption about a week ago, and i did not enjoy it. Couldn't get a taste of anything. Overly carbonated.
I tried another 3 days later. More flavor was coming out, still highly carbonated.
Tried one yesterday and flavor is more pronounced, though i do still find it a little high on carbonation. It's an ok IPA right now. It's 6.6% and 100 IBU's. Not a fan of the El Dorado hops. It's very bubble gum-ish flavor. Hopefully another week or 2 and more of the flavors of this brew come out. But I think this beer has finally weened me off of using experimental and new hops until they are well established.

I've also learned a few things while listening to some podcasts. When i develop IPA recipes, i pick hops with flavors i want it to impart. I think i try to be too fancy, because in my head i tell myself this for example, "well i want it to be tropical/flowery so i'll add some cascade, but with some citrus (amarillo) and piney (simcoe) notes in the background. And well maybe i want a little spice so i'll add chinook." I think i tend to muddle my IPA's too much with contrasting hop flavors. I think my best hop forward beer was probably my all Galaxy XPA, but i was experimenting with grain bills, so next time i'll simplify that too.
Also i've been trying to find ways to accentuate hop fruitiness by using honey malt, and i don't think i'll try that again. I like a straight 2 row, vienna, and some acidulated malt for PH for a malt bill. Or go traditional with 2 row, some crystal malt or munich.

I guess, in short, I need to simplify my recipes and stop trying to be fancy and create an IPA using ingredients no one has ever used before. Also, if i'm using new hops, experiment with pale ales with using only that hop. Or a bittering hop, and late additions of the new hop.

I've created a handful of recipes to brew, and i think i'm not going to brew an IPA or Pale Ale for a little while now. The following is up next on my "to brew" list.

28 - Blueberry German Hefeweizen - First time brewing a german hefe. Brewing Friday.
29 - Oktoberfest - First lager
30 - Night Owl Coffee Stout - This one came out excellent last year. This iteration i'm switching black patent malt for roasted barley and slightly upping the chocolate malt. Debating whether or not to use Cocoa Nibs.

Recipes created but not assigned a brew order:
My first Sour - Debating on using my french benefits recipe for this, or using a Jester King Clone of Noble King, i created.
Simcoe Pale Ale - using all simcoe hops. About 52 IBU's
Citrarilla IPA - IPA using only Citra and Amarillo. I realized i never made an IPA that focused exclusively on these hops.
Zombie Dust Clone - Similar to the above recipe, but all Citra
Robust Porter
Pliny the Elder Clone - Using the clone from Zymurgy. That recipe has an insane IBU count. 202.7 i think. It's a 90 minute boil and calls for 3.5 oz. of CTZ at the front end. This recipe doesn't seem right, anyone try it?
3 C's IPA - Traditional IPA using cascade centennial and columbus hops
Grassy IPA - IPA using spicy/Grassy-ish hops.
Jester King Black Metal Stout Clone - Clone using the recipe from the brewery. Haven't had this version using their saison yeast strain which supposedly is a french yeast strain. I did have it when it used a British Ale strain and it was fantastic.

As you can see, i have a backlog of brews to make my way through. Plus i'm sure i'll find a style i've never brewed before and add that in there. Have been interested in making a biere de garde, but don't know of any good examples to try before deciding if i want to do that. I also want to brew some traditional belgian "monk" ales. May throw one of those in there around Christmas.