Brewing West Coast IPA at home
Clear, dry and bitter with lots of citrus and pine.
Base recipe for 20 litres (5.3 gal), calculated with the Brauwerkstatt beer creator. With one click you can adapt it to your batch size, bitterness, colour or alcohol content.
Typical figures
| Alcohol | 6.0–7.5 % |
| Bitterness | 50–75 IBU |
| Colour | 10–20 EBC (5–10 SRM) |
| Carbonation | 5.0 g/l (2.5 vol) |
| Yeast | SafAle US-05 (top-fermenting) |
| Fermentation temperature | 18–20 °C (64–68 °F) |
| Brewing water | more sulphate than chloride (accentuates the hops) |
Recipe for 20 litres (5.3 gal)
- Original gravity: 14.7 °P (SG 1.060)
- 6.5 % vol
- 60 IBU
- 14 EBC (7.1 SRM)
- Final gravity: 3.1 °P (SG 1.012)
Grain bill
| Pale ale malt | 5.03 kg (11.09 lb) | 81 % |
| Light crystal malt (Carahell) | 857 g (30.2 oz) | 14 % |
| Carapils | 331 g (11.7 oz) | 5 % |
Hops
| Magnum 13.0 % α | 19 g (0.67 oz) | 60 min |
| Simcoe 13.0 % α | 13 g (0.46 oz) | 10 min |
| Citra 12.0 % α | 50 g (1.76 oz) | Whirlpool |
| Simcoe 13.0 % α | 30 g (1.06 oz) | Whirlpool |
| Citra | 60 g (2.12 oz) | Dry hops |
| Centennial | 40 g (1.41 oz) | Dry hops |
Yeast
SafAle US-05: 10–16 g (0.35–0.56 oz) for 20 L (about 5.3 gal) (50–80 g/hl)
Mash schedule
64 °C (147 °F) · 75 min
Brewing water
| Mash water | 22.0 L (5.81 gal) |
| Sparge water | 8.5 L (2.25 gal) |
| Total water | 30.5 L (8.06 gal) |
Brewing steps
- Clean and sanitise everything that touches the wort after the boil.
- Measure out 30.5 L (about 8.1 gal) of water and treat it with the brewing-water calculator. For hoppy beers rather more sulphate than chloride (for example sulphate 150, chloride 60 mg/l).
- Split the water: mash water 22 L (about 5.8 gal), sparge water 8.5 L (about 2.2 gal).
- Heat the mash water to 67 °C (153 °F) and mash in 5.03 kg (11.1 lb) Pale ale malt, 0.86 kg (1.9 lb) Light crystal malt (Carahell) and 0.33 kg (0.73 lb) Carapils (gives about 64 °C / 147 °F).
- Rest: 64 °C (147 °F), 75 min. Iodine test at the end: no blue colour = starch converted.
- Measure mash pH 10–15 min after mashing in (cool the sample to 20 °C / 68 °F). Target 5.4–5.5.
- Mash out: heat to 78 °C (172 °F) and hold for 10 min.
- Rest 10–20 min, lauter slowly and sparge with 8.5 L (about 2.2 gal) water at 78 °C (172 °F).
- Boil the wort for 60 min. At the start of the boil add 19 g (0.67 oz) Magnum.
- 10 min before the end of the boil add 13 g (0.46 oz) Simcoe.
- 10 min before the end of the boil add Irish moss (about 2 g / 0.07 oz, soaked beforehand).
- After the boil cool to about 80 °C (176 °F), add 50 g (1.8 oz) Citra and 30 g (1.1 oz) Simcoe, stir a whirlpool and steep for 20 min.
- Chill to 18 °C (64 °F), measure original gravity (target 14.7 °P), run 20 L (about 5.3 gal) into the fermenter, aerate well and pitch the SafAle US-05 (amount see yeast).
- Primary fermentation 7–10 days at 18–20 °C (64–68 °F).
- When fermentation is nearly finished: dry hop with 60 g (2.1 oz) Citra and 40 g (1.4 oz) Centennial for 3–4 days. Dry hops add aroma but no bitterness.
- Measure final gravity (target about 3.1 °P). Priming sugar per bottle from the carbonation calculator (target 5 g/l), then bottle.
- Bottle-condition for 2 weeks at room temperature, then keep cool. Drink fresh – hop aroma fades over time.
Notes
Dry hops: 60 g (2.1 oz) Citra and 40 g (1.4 oz) Centennial.
Created with the beer creator (brewhouse efficiency 70 %, final gravity about 3.1 °P).