Imperial Hoptrooper Brew Day and Tasting Notes
On November 20, I brewed my biggest (and most successful in terms of numbers) beer – a double IPA. Recipe inspiration came from MadTree’s High series, which is a series of IIPAs that are quite popular and very well rated (note: there are three “highs” that I know of, the Galaxy and Citra, which are linked in the text, and Azacca which is not… but it’s also f**king tasty! There may have also been a Mosaic High).
The recipes are similar. I did a fair bit of ‘back of the napkin’ analysis on the two beers, looking at the percentages of grain, the AAU at each addition, etc. I ended up with the recipe below.
Recipe Details
| Batch Size | Boil Time | IBU | SRM | Est. OG | Est. FG | ABV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 gal | 60 min | 123.7 IBUs | 5.9 SRM | 1.074 | 1.014 | 7.8 % |
Style Details
| Name | Cat. | OG Range | FG Range | IBU | SRM | Carb | ABV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Double IPA | 22 A | 1.065 - 1.085 | 1.008 - 1.018 | 60 - 120 | 6 - 14 | 2.4 - 2.9 | 7.5 - 10 % |
Fermentables
| Name | Amount | % |
|---|---|---|
| Pilsner (Hoepfner) | 10.5 lbs | 72.41 |
| Vienna Malt (Briess) | 2.25 lbs | 15.52 |
| Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L | 8 oz | 3.45 |
| Carapils (Briess) | 4 oz | 1.72 |
| Corn Sugar (Dextrose) | 1 lbs | 6.9 |
Hops
| Name | Amount | Time | Use | Form | Alpha % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Dorado | 1 oz | 60 min | Boil | Pellet | 15 |
| Galena | 1 oz | 60 min | Boil | Pellet | 12.5 |
| Centennial | 0.5 oz | 30 min | Boil | Pellet | 10 |
| Mosaic (HBC 369) | 0.5 oz | 30 min | Boil | Pellet | 12.3 |
| Centennial | 0.5 oz | 15 min | Boil | Pellet | 10 |
| Mosaic (HBC 369) | 0.5 oz | 15 min | Boil | Pellet | 12.3 |
| Centennial | 1 oz | 15 min | Aroma | Pellet | 10 |
| Mosaic (HBC 369) | 1 oz | 15 min | Aroma | Pellet | 12.3 |
| Centennial | 2 oz | 0 min | Dry Hop | Pellet | 10 |
| Mosaic (HBC 369) | 2 oz | 0 min | Dry Hop | Pellet | 12.3 |
| Chinook | 1.5 oz | 0 min | Dry Hop | Pellet | 13 |
| Citra | 1 oz | 0 min | Dry Hop | Pellet | 12 |
Mash
| Step | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mash In | 152°F | 60 min |
Download
| Download this recipe's BeerXML file |
I kept closer to the size of the Citra High recipe, mostly because I am still working through efficiency issues (it’s getting better, though). I still didn’t get MadTree’s efficiency, but to be fair, I’m targeting 75%, not 82%!
Brew Day
I’m happy to say that the only issues during brew day was how long it took and higher than expected grain absorption. I started later in the day (around 2:30 PM) and it didn’t end until maybe 6:30PM. There were no stuck sparges, clogged lines or chillers, boil boiled. I ended up with about 4.5 gallons into the fermenter, which is less than the 5.5 gallons I was targeting. However, the lower volume works better with my 7.5 – 8 gallon kettle.
Heating initial mash tun preheat water
Lots of hops!
1.070! The most this hydrometer has ever floated!
Airlock Action Shot!
1.004 (ultimately final gravity)
Throughout fermentation, the temperature (as measured on the side of the fermenter) stayed at 68, which is a nice perfect temperature.
Tasting Notes
The Beer
Aroma: Grapefruit mostly
Appearance: Copper, opaque. White head that starts thick and persists as a thin head.
Taste: Tongue lashing bitterness with citrus tones. Some alcohol flavor.
Mouthfeel: Moderately carbonated, slight citrusy tartness lingers past the dry finish.
Overall Impression: I’m biased, but I love this beer. I’ve been drinking the heck out of this!
OG: 1.071
SG: 1.005
ABV: 8.7%
IBU: 124
SRM: 6
What’s Next With This Recipe?
I want to try two things – one is maybe a little less bitterness. The other is honey instead of sugar. I’m wondering if some Orange Blossom honey would work well with the citrus based hops.
Cheers!