"Session" IPA's - let's hear it!

[EricCSU]

I've been thinking about this concept for a while. I have made a nicely hopped low ABV Rye APA twice with success. I am thinking about combining that hop bill (and upping the BU:GU) with one of my favorite IPA grain bills.

Here's the Rye PA recipe (that has a .745 BU:GU):

Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 6.87 gal
Estimated OG: 1.046 SG
Estimated Color: 5.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 34.3 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 74.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
6 lbs 4.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 63.26 %
2 lbs Rye Malt (4.7 SRM) Grain 20.24 %
12.0 oz Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 7.59 %
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 5.06 %
6.1 oz Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 3.85 %
56.00 gm Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (Dry Hop 5 days) Hops -
7.00 gm Cascade [5.50 %] (60 min) Hops 5.5 IBU
8.00 gm Centennial [9.70 %] (60 min) Hops 11.1 IBU
7.00 gm Cascade [5.50 %] (30 min) Hops 2.8 IBU
15.00 gm Cascade [5.50 %] (15 min) Hops 3.2 IBU
16.00 gm Cascade [5.50 %] (5 min) Hops 2.1 IBU
16.00 gm Centennial [9.70 %] (5 min) Hops 3.7 IBU
16.00 gm Cascade [5.50 %] (1 min) Hops 2.1 IBU
16.00 gm Centennial [9.70 %] (1 min) Hops 3.7 IBU
1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [StartYeast-Ale

One of my favorite IPA grain bills is 88% 2-row, 5% Munich 10l, and 7% Crystal 40. When I make more "sessionable" beers, I usually add 8 oz carapils to help the body. So, when I plug that in and up the BU:GU ratio to about 1, I get this:

Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 7.54 gal
Estimated OG: 1.048 SG
Estimated Color: 6.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 49.0 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
8 lbs 12.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 85.37 %
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 4.88 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 4.88 %
8.0 oz Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 4.88 %
21.00 gm Centennial [9.70 %] (60 min) Hops 29.2 IBU
56.00 gm Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (Dry Hop 14 days) Hops -
28.30 gm Centennial [9.70 %] (15 min) Hops 10.5 IBU
42.00 gm Cascade [5.50 %] (5 min) Hops 5.5 IBU
28.00 gm Cascade [5.50 %] (1 min) Hops 3.7 IBU
1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001)

Mash at 154F.

I haven't made it yet, but that is my best guess. I think that would work well.

Eric

 

[carp]

what do you hope to get from the willamette at 15?

Thats a good question, for which I don't have an answer. Just seemed like something to try. I guess that any contribution from it, complimentary or not to those other hops, would probably be mostly overwhelmed by them.

 

[motobrewer]

AZ IPA-
New Glarus Moon Man is what you're after. Tastes similar to the recipe i referred to earlier in this thread.

I would do:
80% Pale 2-Row
13% Vienna
7% C40

All cascade, mostly late additions. US-05. OG 1.040, mash at 149/150

 

[dirty_martini]

Drakes 1500 is a good example of this. Though, it's slightly higher at 5.5%abv, in the realm of craft beer, that's sessionable. Also, a local brewpub for me brews a hoppy golden/xpa that is amazing. I know he uses Columbus and Amarillo, so I used different hops to make my own version. His malt bill was pilsner and Maris otter, but I subbed Vienna for the MO (once again, to make it my own). Here's the recipe.

7lb Belgian pilsner
3lb Vienna
mash @ 152
fwh - .75oz Nelson sauvin, .25oz summit
60 min - .25oz summit
10 min - .5oz summit
ko - 2oz Nelson sauvin
s-04 @ 68
dry hop 1.5oz Nelson sauvin

OG - 1.052
FG - 1.012
abv 5.2-5.4ish
ibu - 49

it was really nice after fermentation. It's on the dry hops now so I'm about 5 days from bottling. I can't wait.

 

[hinkhonkdonk]

This is a fascinating thread to read considering I live in the UK and have only relatively recently (over the past year) discovered US craft beer and the re-interpretation of the IPA.

The two most popular, for popular read widespread IPA's I can think of offhand in the UK are Deuchar's IPA (3.8%) and Greene King IPA (3.6%), both very much in the 'session' bracket. With regard to anything higher than say 6% (IPA or other style) I've noticed the barman will usually make a comment such as 'that's a strong one to be starting with' or 'can't have too many of them'. This happened last with an Enlglish 90 minute IPA, which happened to be very nice.

 

[bob1852]

AZ IPA-
New Glarus Moon Man is what you're after. Tastes similar to the recipe i referred to earlier in this thread.

I would do:
80% Pale 2-Row
13% Vienna
7% C40

All cascade, mostly late additions. US-05. OG 1.040, mash at 149/150

Thanks, I've seen that mentioned a couple times - I may need to track that down.

 

[MVKTR2]

This is a great thread & quite relevant to a brew I've been pursuing, all be it from a slightly different angle. I've been seeking to do a brew with an IPA hop level and Ordinary Bitter alcohol level. I'm looking for something more truly sessionable.

I refer to my version as a Hopped-Up Americanized Ordinary Bitter named Bitter Woman Ale. Note a major emphasis for the original process was to test the impact of the first wort hopping process, which I loved. Here's the first recipe I brewed:

85%- 5lbs 8oz British Pale (Maris Otter)
12%- 12oz American Crystal 20L info
4% - 4oz Flaked Wheat

Cascade 7.1 AAU 2 oz. FWH
Cascade 7.1 AAU 2 oz. DH

Yeast US-05

1.035 OG
1.007 FG
3.7% abv
5 srm
68 IBU
BU:GU 2.03

I mashed a bit too low and should have used a bit darker crystal. The body was light which was okay. When I sent it to competition a grand master level bjcp judge said he liked the idea and I might only need to back off the bittering and increase the mouthfeel.

I've now prepared a recipe for a second go at it. The revised recipe is below.

83% - 5 lbs 10 oz British Pale (Maris Otter)
11% - 12 oz American Crystal 60L info
6% - 6 oz Flaked Wheat
1% - 1 oz Carafa II

Willamette - 5.5 AAU - .75 oz FWH
Cascade - 7.1 AAU - .75 oz FWH
Willamette - .75 oz - DH
Cascade - .5 oz - DH

Yeast US-05

Antisipated specifications:
1.036 OG
1.010 FG
10 SRM
43.7 IBUs
BU:GU 1.23

The impact of the FWH was tremendous in the first recipe. However thinking about it I believe I may go ahead with a 15 min addition of .5 oz each of Willamette & Cascade in this bier.

Schlante & good luck to you intrepid souls thinking outside the bigger is always better box!

Phillip

 

[MVKTR2]

A link and blog which would probably be of interest to those interested in this thread is here: http://sessionbeerproject.blogspot.com/

It's the Session Beer Project blog. Pretty good stuff, mostly from a commercial beer angle. It is interesting to note the low percentage of truly sessionable offerings most breweries offer.

Schlante,
Phillip

 

[IPA4ME]

Has anyone tried Stone's latest collaboration:

Ballast Point/Kelsey McNair/Stone San Diego County Session Ale

It's dubbed the “West Coast Bitter.” I haven't tried it yet but I hear it's great. I sounds like the type of beer everyone here in this thread is looking for. I believe BeerAdvocate magazine released the homebrew receipe, if I am not mistaken. Check it out:

http://blog.stonebrew.com/?p=1963

 

[prosper]

I recently made an excessively hoppy blonde ale. You certainly wouldn't be out of line calling it an IPA from its hop bill. With a 1.045 OG, it may be a hair stronger than some would consider for a session beer (not me, though

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/hoppy-blonde-187447/

 

[carp]

I brewed this a week ago. I'm really anxious to see if it is close to as satisfying as my 6-7% IPAs are. I hope so.

Size: 11.81 gal
Efficiency: 93.0%
Attenuation: 82.0%
Calories: 151.13 kcal per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.046 (1.056 - 1.075)
Terminal Gravity: 1.008 (1.010 - 1.018)
Color: 11.2 (6.0 - 15.0)
Alcohol: 4.94% (5.5% - 7.5%)
Bitterness: 46.5 (40.0 - 70.0)

Ingredients:
8 lb Canadian Craft Brewers Pale Malt
7 lb Maris Otter
1.25 lb 2-Row Caramel Malt 60L
.25 lb 2-Row Caramel Malt 80L

.5 oz Amarillo (8.0%) - added first wort, boiled 20 min
0.5 oz Columbus (15.2%) - added during boil, boiled 20 min
.5 oz Cascade (5.7%) - added first wort, boiled 20 min
0 oz ADD BELOW AT 40-----------------
.5 oz Columbus (15.0%) - added during boil, boiled 40 min
0 oz ADD BELOW AT 15 ---------------
.5 oz Columbus (15.0%) - added during boil, boiled 15 min
.5 oz Amarillo (8.0%) - added during boil, boiled 15 min
.75 oz Cascade (5.7%) - added during boil, boiled 15 min
.5 oz Willamette (4.8%) - added during boil, boiled 15 min
0 oz INSERT CHILLER & PURGE VALVE
0.0 tsp Irish Moss - added during boil, boiled 15 min
0 oz ADD BELOW AT 10 ---------------
.5 oz Amarillo (8.0%) - added during boil, boiled 10 min
1 oz Cascade (5.7%) - added during boil, boiled 10 min
0 oz ADD BELOW AT 5 ----------------
.5 oz Amarillo (8.0%) - added during boil, boiled 5 min
.75 oz Cascade (5.7%) - added during boil, boiled 5 min
.5 oz Citra (11.0%) - added during boil, boiled 5 min
0 oz ADD BELOW AT FLAMEOUT -------------
.5 oz Amarillo (8.0%) - steeped after boil
.75 oz Cascade (5.7%) - steeped after boil
.1 oz Citra (11.0%) - steeped after boil

2 ea Fermentis US-05 Safale US-05 (actually pitched onto 1/2 of cake for each 6 gall fermenter)

I'll dryhop each keg with some combo of cascade, amarillo, and/or a bit (a small bit) of citra.

I've just about drank (drunk?) all of this. It was overly grapefruity from the Citra, but even that aspect has mellowed over the last week or so. I certainly didn't find it to be wimpy or empty tasting compared to the 6.5% IPAs I had been making. I think the sweet spot for most of my brewing henceforth will be in the 1.050 range with an BU/GU ratio of around 1 to 1.1.

 

[MVKTR2]

Well my most recent (2nd) attempt at this low alc. IPA style brew was completely different from the recipe I posted on the previous page. I used 5.5 oz. fresh hops & 4 oz. pelletized hops.

1.041 OG
1.013 FG
54 IBU
Mash temp - 155
3.6% abv

Can't remember the grain bill off hand, but basically a very simple base grain, caramel, flaked wheat for head, & a few oz. victory for character... what I usually do for IPA/PAs.

Next go around I'll drop the mash temp down to 154 as this brew finished a bit high and should be drier. Taste/balance is good from a malt/dryness standpoint, but the mouthfeel is a bit heavy for the style & size of bier. The hops DOMINATE this brew, but it's very much what I'm looking for aside from mouthfeel issues and the fact that the yeast wouldn't drop.

Schlante,
Phillip

 

[NEThing]

Has anyone tried Stone's latest collaboration:

Ballast Point/Kelsey McNair/Stone San Diego County Session Ale

Yup, today. That's what got me here. Hello, Cheers and thanks for all the advice while I lurked!

At $2.99/12oz, we tasted 1 and will more critically attempt to taste the next/last. The wife loves it so much she discarded her Corona and plans to use all 10 coupons at the SD Fest for this (I'll work on her)... But yeah, no more corn brewing!@#$

I'm new this year to AG, and real beer kind of. Stone IPA is a favorite today (and the attempted clone is about due for dry hops). But we were looking for a session version when I found the beer and this thread. Shame on all of you, the beer gods must strike you down! Oh and bite me for any rants about Corona.

Re: the collab, I'd (ignorantly) rate it as low (to nothing) body and yet a decent Stone IPA Light. I believe it's 73 IBU and it's 4.2%. The wife loves the low body and the hops are quite bold. I plan to steal all of your good advice (and Jamil's), go for a bit more body (what will she know?!), lower the clone base grains and tweak the hops slightly. But if anyone, with more experience has anything... I failed to find the collab or the original contest recipe/clone.

 

[boss429]

Again, I am not sure if this is the recipe Stone brewed up for distribution or just the homebrew recipe that won the contest. If anyone brews this, let us know how it turns out.

Kelsey's West Coast Bitter

5 Gallons
OG: 1.042
50 IBU's
90 minute boil

Rahr Two-Row 88%
Cara-Pils 5%
Crisp Crystal 77L 5%
Honey Malt 2%

Mash 158* - 60 Min
Mash Out 168* - 10 Min
Sparge 170* - 90 Min

Warrior 40 IBU's - 60 Min (Pellets)

.25oz Tomahawk - 30 Min (Pellets)
.25oz Simcoe - 30 Min (Pellets)

.25oz Amarillo - 15 Min (Pellets)

1oz Simcoe - 0 Min (Whole)
1oz Amarillo - 0 Min (Whole)
1oz Tomahawk - 0 Min (Whole)
1oz Chinook - 0 Min (Whole)
1oz Citra - 0 Min (Whole)

1oz Simcoe - Dry Hop (Pellets)
1oz Amarillo - Dry Hop (Pellets)
1oz Tomahawk - Dry Hop (Pellets)
1oz Chinook - Dry Hop (Pellets)
1oz Citra - Dry Hop (Pellets)

Wyeast 1056 (Ferment @ 67)

thank IPA4ME

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/an...azing-can-anyone-imagine-hop-schedule-194015/

it has alottt of hops at flame out and dry. it sounds about right, and is a greatttt beer

 

[NEThing]

Thanks much Boss and IPA4ME! I did google and searched here (obviously failed). We're brewing tomorrow. I'll have to replace c-77?! with 60, but the wife might have been fitting over the honey malt (I already suggested some honey to eliminate the Mich Honey Lager (Ale) I was supposed to brew all Summer, and she lit up). :cross:

I don't have those hops on hand so I'll be aggressively substituting. Could have sworn I read 73IBU somewhere, but it's not on the bottle and I can't find it...

 

[bgburdman9]

I just opened my first bottle of my low alcohol ipa (or whatever you want to call it) that I bottled 2 weeks ago. It was only 3 gallons so keep that in mind. Its pretty solid right now but ill give it another week or 2 to decide for sure. It seems like it needs a little more dry hop.


Amount Item Type % or IBU
4.00 lb DME Golden Light (4.0 SRM) Extract 84.21 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 10.53 %
0.25 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 5.26 %
0.50 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (60 min) Hops 26.4 IBU
0.25 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (60 min) (First Wort Hop) Hops 13.2 IBU
0.25 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (3 min) Hops 2.5 IBU
0.25 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (3 min) Hops 1.6 IBU
0.25 oz Citra [11.10 %] (3 min) Hops 2.1 IBU
0.25 oz Citra [11.10 %] (0 min) Hops -
0.25 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (0 min) Hops -
0.25 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (0 min) Hops -
0.50 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (Dry Hop 7 days) Hops -
0.50 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (Dry Hop 7 days) Hops -
0.50 oz Citra [11.10 %] (Dry Hop 7 days) Hops -

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.047 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.047 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.011 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.55 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.69 %
Bitterness: 45.9 IBU Calories: 207 cal/pint
Est Color: 6.6 SRM Color: Color

 

[Haputanlas]

I just opened my first bottle of my low alcohol ipa (or whatever you want to call it) that I bottled 2 weeks ago. It was only 3 gallons so keep that in mind. Its pretty solid right now but ill give it another week or 2 to decide for sure. It seems like it needs a little more dry hop.


Amount Item Type % or IBU
4.00 lb DME Golden Light (4.0 SRM) Extract 84.21 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 10.53 %
0.25 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 5.26 %
0.50 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (60 min) Hops 26.4 IBU
0.25 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (60 min) (First Wort Hop) Hops 13.2 IBU
0.25 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (3 min) Hops 2.5 IBU
0.25 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (3 min) Hops 1.6 IBU
0.25 oz Citra [11.10 %] (3 min) Hops 2.1 IBU
0.25 oz Citra [11.10 %] (0 min) Hops -
0.25 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (0 min) Hops -
0.25 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (0 min) Hops -
0.50 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (Dry Hop 7 days) Hops -
0.50 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (Dry Hop 7 days) Hops -
0.50 oz Citra [11.10 %] (Dry Hop 7 days) Hops -

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.047 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.047 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.011 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.55 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.69 %
Bitterness: 45.9 IBU Calories: 207 cal/pint
Est Color: 6.6 SRM Color: Color

Now that you have given this more time, how would you rate it? I like how the recipe looks.

 

[borden]

Digging this up from the past...

I'm hoping to do something along these lines tomorrow. Crushed my grains in the new Corona setup tonight, so I don't know what efficiency I'll get, but I BIAB so I'm thinking maybe 70% (could probably crush finer but want to just see how it goes).

The plan:

US-05

8 lb 2-Row
1 lb Munich 10L
.5 lb Caramel 40
.5 lb Carapils

Mash @ 152F

.5 oz Cascade (6.4% AA) @ 60 min
.5 oz Cascade (6.4% AA) @ 30 min
.5 oz Cascade (4.0% AA) @ 15 min
.5 oz Columbus (13.9% AA) @ 10 min
.5 oz Cascade (4.0% AA) @ 1 min
.5 oz Columbus (13.9% AA) @ 1 min
1 oz Columbus (13.9% AA) Dry-Hopped for 7 days after 14 days in primary

Anticipated OG: 1.045
Anticipated FG: 1.010 (BeerCalculus says 1.012 but I find I usually finish a bit lower)

Thought this could be a really nice, citrusy "light IPA" (4.4-4.8% ABV, ~35 IBU). Kinda made up the recipe on the spot at the LHBS, and didn't notice I got two different AA Cascades, but I don't think it'll be a problem.

Edit: I like some maltiness to my pale ales and IPAs alike, so I opted for the Munich and C40. Personal preference.

 

[Apendecto]

Again, I am not sure if this is the recipe Stone brewed up for distribution or just the homebrew recipe that won the contest. If anyone brews this, let us know how it turns out.

Kelsey's West Coast Bitter

5 Gallons
OG: 1.042
50 IBU's
90 minute boil

Rahr Two-Row 88%
Cara-Pils 5%
Crisp Crystal 77L 5%
Honey Malt 2%

Mash 158* - 60 Min
Mash Out 168* - 10 Min
Sparge 170* - 90 Min

Warrior 40 IBU's - 60 Min (Pellets)

.25oz Tomahawk - 30 Min (Pellets)
.25oz Simcoe - 30 Min (Pellets)

.25oz Amarillo - 15 Min (Pellets)

1oz Simcoe - 0 Min (Whole)
1oz Amarillo - 0 Min (Whole)
1oz Tomahawk - 0 Min (Whole)
1oz Chinook - 0 Min (Whole)
1oz Citra - 0 Min (Whole)

1oz Simcoe - Dry Hop (Pellets)
1oz Amarillo - Dry Hop (Pellets)
1oz Tomahawk - Dry Hop (Pellets)
1oz Chinook - Dry Hop (Pellets)
1oz Citra - Dry Hop (Pellets)

Wyeast 1056 (Ferment @ 67)

thank IPA4ME

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/an...azing-can-anyone-imagine-hop-schedule-194015/

it has alottt of hops at flame out and dry. it sounds about right, and is a greatttt beer

If you are getting that info from the Stone Blog, the Simcoe addition is 15 mins, not 30.

 

[Jazong]

Did anybody nail this or what? Lots of recipes, lots of second attempts, but nobody has come forward to say "this is it, I nailed it."

I'm working on a the same thing right now, black though. A small version of Sublimely Self Righteous.

-J

 

[shoreman]

10oz of dry/flamout hops seems a bit much for a 1.040 brew - has anyone brewed that?

 

[pjj2ba]

Did anybody nail this or what? Lots of recipes, lots of second attempts, but nobody has come forward to say "this is it, I nailed it."

I'm working on a the same thing right now, black though. A small version of Sublimely Self Righteous.

-J

Maybe not quite driven the nail all the way in but it is pretty close. I finally got around to following my own suggestions and I have to say I'm quite pleased. The beer looks, smells, and tastes like an IPA, but has only 4.5 % ABV!!! It has a nice maltiness to it and a smooth lingering bitterness, and a GREAT aroma.

When I do low ABV beers of any style, I keep JZ's recomendation for the Scottish series of beers in mind. For those, he keeps the specialty malts the same, and just adds more base malt as the alcohol content goes up.

For some of mine, I will actually add more specialty malts than the bigger versions. Otherwise it is very easy to get a lackluster watery beer.

I like the idea of some munich or vienna to contribute character without too much sweetness.

That being said, my wife and I discuss the ABV of IPA's and we always wonder about the roll of the ethanol in the flavor. We tend to think that it does play an important role and one can only go so low before it looses that something extra that makes it only a good "IPA", but not a great one.

Plus the extra ethanol may play a role in extracting flavor components from the hops. Maybe someone should try soaking the dry hops in a minimal amount of some 170 proof alcohol for a few days before "dry" hopping with them.

We had gone to a party this Spring at the house of another homebrewer (Well actually the house of the homebrewer's friend. The brewer keeps this guys 4 taps full - what a friend!) Anyway, everything they served was experimental at pushing the ABV low. The "IPA" was a flop, even as a pale ale - way short on hop character (the brewer agreed). It reminded me of the possible role that the alcohol might have in extracting the oils from the hops. The hypothesis being, if you don't have a high enough ABV, you won't extract much oil, not matter how much dry hops you throw at it. So I remembered my never tested hop extraction idea.

So I finally got around to trying this out myself. I brewed up a beer with a SG of 1.044. I also chose to use a yeast with more character to help give some more flavors so I went with the Burton strains (wlp 023). I pretty much just dropped the base malt down really low from my typical IPA recipe and kept the specialty malts relatively unchanged. I fermented it for 7 days at 65F.

On the 7th day I took two kinds of pellet hops at 1 oz each, put them in a glass and added regular 80 proof vodka (not the 170 proof stuff). I added the vodka a Tablespoon at a time. I wasn't totally sure what to expect. As expected the pellets swelled up. I wanted to keep the vodka at a minimum. I was really just winging it and making decisions as I saw how things were going. I had thought about pressing out the vodka as suggested in the podcast on making hop vodka. I ended up not going that route. I figured there might be other flavor compounds yet to get out of the hops so I wanted to add them to the beer. In total I used 10 Tablespoons of vodka and this resulted in a thick paste with no free vodka. I let this sit for one hour and then dumped everything into the primary. It sat in the carboy for 5 days and then I racked it to a keg. Fast forward 3 weeks and I finally had a spot open in my kegerator. I have to say I am VERY pleased with this. It needs only a little tweaking. I want to change up my "dry hops" a little. I might mash a little higher. I'll see how this beer ages some more before committing to any changes in the recipe. The 10 tablespoon of vodka boosted the ABV by 0.33% ABV, to give me a final of ~4.5%

 

[Jazong]

Very cool, sounds like fun too. When you get the final version of the recipe ready I'd love to see it.

My small Black IPA didn't turn out great. I made the attempt before I found this thread though, and I knew I wouldn't nail this beer on the first attempt. If I were to do this again I would add more Crystal and maybe a bit of oats. I not real sure a black IPA is the best beer to try and go small with though. Mine came out a little tannic. Also a bit thin but That is easy to fix.

Funny though, I had no problem with hop character at all. As a matter of fact this beer is totally unbalanced toward hop flavor and bitterness. It just doesn't have anything in the malt department to back it up.

Over all I totally agree with your approach. Here are my notes for next time, or for going small in general.

-Leave specialty malts (Crystal, roasted and such) at or above amounts in
"full size" version.

-Use higher mash to keep body up and final gravity at, or even above levels found in "full size" version.

-Use Munich or Vienna to add malt character if not completely inappropriate for desired flavor profile.

-Consider using body building agents such as flaked grains, carapils, ect.

-I personally might cut back on bittering and flavor additions a tiny bit. The balance in my attempt was so far off that I now think hops go farther in a smaller beer.

Nothing new to this thread really, just a summary of what I learned from my brew, this thread, brew club members attempts, and the BN.

Cheers, don't forget to update us.

-J

 

[Randar]

AZ IPA-
New Glarus Moon Man is what you're after. Tastes similar to the recipe i referred to earlier in this thread.

I would do:
80% Pale 2-Row
13% Vienna
7% C40

All cascade, mostly late additions. US-05. OG 1.040, mash at 149/150

Love this beer, but I have a hard time believing it's mashed that low and still has that much body (although they do a lot of decoctions at New Glarus, so it is possible???)... Anyone have a definitive OG/FG on Moon Man?

 

[terrapinj]

brewed this one up 7 days ago, def will be on the heavy hop side

3.5# 2-row
3.5# marris otter
.5# c20
.5# flaked barley
.25# chocolate malt
continuous hop with 4oz simcoe starting at 20min, hit with another 1oz to steep after flameout and dry hop with 1oz after primary and 1oz in keg

 

[GlenF]

Don't want to derail, but a bit confused. Posted in another forum, and I'll post here, too. So what's with the name "session IPA?" Call it an American Premium Bitter (APB) or American Mild or simply American Pale Ale.

But session IPA? That's like saying, "here, try this session brown ale or session Russian imperial stout." Why not just say mild or stout?

Try this session wine. It's called "grape juice!"

But you know, I'd really like them to make a session Imperial IPA.

 

[Jazong]

So for me the idea is almost all the flavor and character of an IPA but in a beer that weighs in at under 5% ABV. I love IPA but I don't want to be rocked after 2 pints. The effort in making a beer like this taps into both the creative and the technical aspect of the hobby as well.

A Pale Ale is great in it's own right but does not have all the flavor of an IPA. Maybe a better description for me would be a low alcohol IPA since sessionability is often associated with a smooth drinking beer as well as a low alcohol beer. I'm not so concerned with the smooth easy drinking aspect as I am with lowering the alcohol of a really great aggressive hopped beer.

-J

 

[bobbrews]

3 words: Carton Boat Beer

...It's out of NJ.

 

[spearko520]

not sure what a session is to all- but if i drink 15-20 of any IPA, i will burp up a flower garden until i barf. 6-8 and i am switching channels to another sesh...

 

[zgoda]

When i was in UK recently i had a pint of Deuchars IPA. Very nice, 3.8% ABV session beer. Definitely an IPA, big hops on palate, lingering bitterness, some mouth filling tannins. You can find a recipe in Graham Wheeler's BYOBRA.

 

[Obliviousbrew]

I will recomend you guys top try guineu riner its a brew from a micro in Catalonia (spain) its a very low abv beer (3.5) with 93 IBUS lots of Amarillo hops and a great brew. I guess you could call that a session IPA...

 

[dzlater]

This is really tasty.
http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/pages/community/blog/show?title=beer-recipe-of-the-week-pliny-the-toddler

 

[FRS]

Great thread, subscribed!

 

[MoeFoties]

Subscribed! I've been thinking a lot about this topic lately, especially with our unusual dose of premature northwest sunshine. Have any of you come up with a recipe that worked well?? While sitting here I decided to tweak the 3 Floyds Zombie Dust recipe to suit the "session IPA" recipe idea. I kept the specialty malts the same and reduced the 2-Row. I have a bunch of Summit and Zythos hops, so instead of the all-Citra hop bill I decided to substitute. Here's my rough draft:

Batch size: 5.5G
OG: 1.044
ABV: 4.36%
SRM: 11.95
IBU: 42.1
Yeast: US-04
Mashed at 156

2-Row - 8lbs (76.2%)
Munich 10L - 1 lb (9.5%)
Carapils - 0.5 lbs (4.8%)
Crystal 60 - 0.5 lbs (4.8%)
Melanoidin - 0.5 lbs (4.8%)

Summit - 0.25 oz @ 55
Zythos - 0.5 oz @ 20
Zythos - 0.5 oz @ 15
Zythos - 0.5 oz @ 10
Zythos - 0.5 oz @ 5
Zythos - 2 oz @ 0
Summit - 2 oz Dry Hop (7-Days)

Any thoughts...suggestions...smirks...?

 

[Sippin37]

Looks nice and balanced to me between the OG and IBU's. I'm not personally familiar with the hops but let us know how it turns out.

 

[pjj2ba]

I'm mulling over a hypothesis in my head that the lower the ABV is the greater the variety of ingredients you should use. Again, this is a hypothesis.

The danger of low ABV beers is of course thinness of flavor and body. So how to counteract that? Specialty malts is of course a good solution. But is it as simple as just adding some crystal 60? Adding a single specialty malt will of course help, but would it be better if you use say a mix of crystals 20, 60 and 120 rather than a sample total amount of just one of these. I'm thinking that while in a higher ABV beer the differences might tend to wash out, but in a low ABV beer the complexity from the mix might show through better and make a difference

People always say the brewing pale lagers is a good test as any flaws will show up. Does that not also mean that any *intentional* flavors will also show up better? I'm equating pale lagers with low ABV ales (valid?)

 

[theDeutscher]

This style does seem to be a beer everyone wants to brew right now. Heck, I've got one in the fermenter dry hopping right now. It's turning out great, judging from the hydro samples. I didn't get to read through all the posts but everything I've read seems to beat into the ground that Crystal malt is really important for backbone. Every recipe of this type seems to have about 15%. Plus, a higher mash helps. I mashed at 158 with 15% Crystal and still went from 1.044 down to about 1.010 with Cal Ale.

 

[Randar]

This style does seem to be a beer everyone wants to brew right now. Heck, I've got one in the fermenter dry hopping right now. It's turning out great, judging from the hydro samples. I didn't get to read through all the posts but everything I've read seems to beat into the ground that Crystal malt is really important for backbone. Every recipe of this type seems to have about 15%. Plus, a higher mash helps. I mashed at 158 with 15% Crystal and still went from 1.044 down to about 1.010 with Cal Ale.

I have a beer along these lines in the queue, but I am hesitant to go with such an attenuative yeast. Haven't decided on one, but the high mash temp is definitely a part of my recipe as well. I am still undecided on the use of flaked barley, though.

 

[Randar]

Summit - 0.25 oz @ 55
Zythos - 0.5 oz @ 20
Zythos - 0.5 oz @ 15
Zythos - 0.5 oz @ 10
Zythos - 0.5 oz @ 5
Zythos - 2 oz @ 0
Summit - 2 oz Dry Hop (7-Days)

Any thoughts...suggestions...smirks...?

I only use summit within the last 20 minutes. I HAVE had some onion flavors, even at 25-30 minutes, especially after the beer has sat in the bottle/keg for a month or 2. However, given the small quantity you are using, it might not show up?

 

[tugbucket]

Batch size: 5G
OG: 1.045 (1.0445 actual)
ABV: 4.4%
SRM: 6
IBU: 35
Yeast: Safale 05

Munich Light - 4lbs (47.1%)
2-row - 4lbs (47.1%)
Flaked Wheat - .5lb (5.9%)

Cascade - 1oz @ 20
Cascade - 0.5oz @ 15
Cascade - 0.5oz @ 10
Cascade - 1oz @ 5
Cascade - 2oz Dry hop for 2 weeks (forgot about it, oops)

Spent 3 weeks in primary, 2 in secondary dry hopping. Bottled it up last night and it smells great. Tastes great too. Can't wait until it's carbed up and cold.