NB's Chinook IPA

[brewcephus]

Has anyone else made this recipe? I made it last month and bottled 3 weeks ago. I tried one a week in and it had a great flavor/aroma from the dry hopping, but now they aren't AS good as they were 2 weeks ago. I don't know what the deal is.

I'm still enjoying this beer, it just doesn't have the same taste/flavor that it had the day I was bottling or even a week in conditioning. I was under the assumption that age made beers better

Not that it has made this beer bad it just isn't as flavorful as it was I guess.

 

[sweed]

Give it a few more weeks, I have the same 'problem', during bottling it tastes/ smells amazing, after a few weeks in the bottle it seeems to go away, then a few weeks later it returns and becomes a great beer. It will probably get better week after week.

I used chinook in a black IPA to get that piney/ resinous flavor and aroma, is that what you're getting? I thought it was perfect for winter when I brewed mine.

 

[Beer-lord]

I didn't get the kit from NB but brewed this with local ingredients and just kegged it this past weekend so it'll be a week or so before I can try it but I've done beers similar to this style and they are definitely better early than late. But I'm usually still happy with them as long as 2 months later if they last.

I can say that since I don't bottle much, my experience is a bit different but I would give it a bit more time.

 

[HokieHomeBrewer]

Haven't used that kit but "I was under the impression that age makes beer better" isn't true...unless maybe you're just talking about not fermenting too quickly. From a finished standpoint, IPA's = the fresher the better. IPA's don't age, they lose flavor over time....and fairly quickly at that.

 

[brewcephus]

From a finished standpoint, IPA's = the fresher the better. IPA's don't age, they lose flavor over time....and fairly quickly at that.

I was aware of this, but I didn't expect that the flavor would change so much so rapidly.

I do still enjoy the beer though, so I thought I would ask if anyone else had tried the recipe to see what they thought or if they had experienced these same changes.

 

[pbfl81]

I’m brewing the NB chinook IPA now. It’s coming up to the end of primary fermentation and has a gravity reading of 1.006. Anyone who’s brewed this happen to remember a similar reading when they moved to secondary?

 

[flars]

My Chinook IPA finishes at 1.008 to 1.010. I have one in the fermentor now. Too soon to check the SG. I never use a secondary. Dry hop is in the primary.

 

[El Nino]

Is yours all grain or extract recipe? Don't know if it matters, but I did the extract recipe once and my FG was also 1.006. I didn't do a secondary, i kegged it at 2 weeks. Loved it

 

[pbfl81]

Mines extract from NB
I read finished gravity should be 1.010
Mine reads 1.006 as it’s moving into secondary.

 

[flars]

Is yours all grain or extract recipe? Don't know if it matters, but I did the extract recipe once and my FG was also 1.006. I didn't do a secondary, i kegged it at 2 weeks. Loved it

Extract recipe. Bottled when the beer cleared at three weeks.

 

[eadavis80]

I used harvested 1272 for that extract kit and mine finished at 1.012. I liked it.

 

[El Nino]

Mines extract from NB
I read finished gravity should be 1.010
Mine reads 1.006 as it’s moving into secondary.

I don't think it's anything to worry about tbh. Every brew I've made my FG was below the target slightly, and they all came out good. If anything just means you get some stronger beer

 

[pbfl81]

My Chinook IPA is ending primary fermentation.
I started reading on here that a lot of people don't move it to secondary.
So I looked at my instructions and it says moving it to secondary is optional.

• I guess thats one less job moving it to secondary but what are the advantages and disadvantages to leaving it in primary instead of moving it to secondary other than the obvious dangers of infection.
• When primary is finished, do I add the hops (that were supposed to go in secondary) to the primary fermentation carboy and then put the airlock back on and just leave it in there until it's ready to bottle?

This could change my entire weekend by the way. I had planned to move to secondary on Saturday morning. If I don't have to i can go to the beach!

 

[flars]

My Chinook IPA is ending primary fermentation.
I started reading on here that a lot of people don't move it to secondary.
So I looked at my instructions and it says moving it to secondary is optional.

• I guess thats one less job moving it to secondary but what are the advantages and disadvantages to leaving it in primary instead of moving it to secondary other than the obvious dangers of infection.
• When primary is finished, do I add the hops (that were supposed to go in secondary) to the primary fermentation carboy and then put the airlock back on and just leave it in there until it's ready to bottle?

This could change my entire weekend by the way. I had planned to move to secondary on Saturday morning. If I don't have to i can go to the beach!

The secondary should be called a brite tank or clearing vessel. It is only a secondary fermentor if you add something that is fermentable such as fruit.

Sort of a hold over from the old days when yeast could go bad in 4 to 5 days and it was necessary to get the beer off the yeast before that happened. Often the beer would be racked while it was still fermenting to provide some safety from oxidation with some CO2 production continuing.

The beer will clear just as well in the primary and there will be no risk of yeast autolysis for 2 to 4 months.

 

[eadavis80]

I always rack all my beers except wheats, but that's just the way I am. I know a zillion people say there is no benefit (other than being able to harvest/wash yeast from primary), but I rack even when I don't harvest yeast or add fruit. A zillion dry hop in primary and say racking is just extra work/extra chance for oxidation. I am sure that's true, but I just started racking when I started brewing four years ago and I have not had problems doing it. I guess I consider myself a "if it ain't broke don't fix it" kinda' guy. Do a batch with racking and do a batch without and see for yourself which you prefer. Only your own experience will teach you what methods work for you.

 

[pbfl81]

The secondary should be called a brite tank or clearing vessel. It is only a secondary fermentor if you add something that is fermentable such as fruit.

Sort of a hold over from the old days when yeast could go bad in 4 to 5 days and it was necessary to get the beer off the yeast before that happened. Often the beer would be racked while it was still fermenting to provide some safety from oxidation with some CO2 production continuing.

The beer will clear just as well in the primary and there will be no risk of yeast autolysis for 2 to 4 months.

Appreciate your opinion, thank you for responding.

So do i add the hops to the first carboy after primary is done and just leave it for another two weeks (which takes it to 4 weeks).
Then siphon it to the bottling bucket?

 

[Fly_Guy]

I brewed an extract batch of NB's grapefruit pulpin. Finished around 1.006 or 1.008 IIRC. I moved a lot of the late hop additions to a whirlpool hop addition, for increased aroma and slightly decreased ibus. Dry hopped with 2 oz in primary after 2 weeks and let them sit in there for 5 days. Then I bottled. It was awesome after 3-4 weeks in the bottle (April 21-28) since then a lot of the delicious aromas have fadded.

Dry hop in primary, but don't leave the hops in for much more than a week, otherwise there is a potential for grassy flavors to develop, but as always ymmv on this. If it's reached FG then thow the hops give it 5 days and bottle. Check at 2 weeks to see if it's carbed. If it is, put a bunch in the fridge as this may help preserve some of the aromas and keep it fresher longer, definitely don't age it!

 

[pbfl81]

thanks Fly Guy.

 

[Fly_Guy]

No worries at all. Let us know how it turns out!

 

[pbfl81]

Put the dry hops into the primary today. Will bottle or keg next weekend and then the wait will almost be over

 

[VirginiaHops1]

Has anyone else made this recipe?

I made it, actually my first ever brew. Last weekend was 1 week in the bottle and I tried one and it was carbed, so I moved them to the fridge and have begun drinking. I'm going to try to drink slowly over the next few weeks, and see if I notice a change in taste.

Overall I think it turned out well. I've been trying to pick out what tastes/flavors I like about it and what I don't so I can hopefully improve going forward. It's got a pretty good balance between the hops and malt, but I think if I could tweak it some I'd prefer a bit more hop and less malt and crisper finish. The next one I'm going to do is the Brewers Best DIPA, maybe tonight.