I've done NB's extract kits exclusively since I started brewing almost a year ago.
My favorites so far are :
- "Plinian Legacy" (Pliny clone)
- "Jamil's Evil Twin" (dark-orange hued IPA. Need to add 2-4oz of dry hops to recipe, IMO, but the malt & hops in the boil are fantastic)
- "Anarchy in the UK" (more of a balanced IPA. The British malt in the recipe is fantastic)
- "Ace of Spades" (black IPA. Add an extra ounce or two of hops to the boil and another ounce or two of hops to the dry hop to make it really great)
What hops did you use for dry hop for the evil twin?
NB is getting a lot of love here This is another of theirs that my daughter has brewed - Tongue Splitter - http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/tongue-splitter-extract-kit.html
I liked it.
Not necessarily a full on IPA, but NB's Smash Ale is good, and I really like their Dead Ringer kit too.
In fact, this is my second time brewing the Smash. Single Malt, Single Hop, super easy.
If you understand your own palate and how the typical IPA is designed, then a simple thought up recipe works better, and costs less, than any kit.
You also have more control over the quality, freshness, and amount of ingredients, e.g. new crop hops, Light DME only, Crystal 20 perhaps, corn sugar, and a specific type of yeast other than what they throw in.
Basic Extract American IPA
1.065-1.067 OG / 1.014-1.016 FG
8 oz. total hops, most of which are used late
65-70 IBUs
6 Gallon Boil / 5 Gallon Batch
7.00 lbs. Briess Golden Light DME or Muntons Extra Light DME (half added at boil start, half added at flameout)
0.50 lb. Crystal 20 or Crystal 40 (crushed & steeped at 155 F @ 30 mins)
0.50 lb. Corn Sugar, or Table Sugar (added at flameout)
Boil 60 mins, 0.75 oz. High-alpha % American pellet hops like Columbus, Magnum, Horizon
Boil 15 mins, 0.75 oz. High-alpha % American pellet hops like Columbus, Magnum, Horizon
Boil 5 mins, 1.50 oz. Aromatic American pellet hops like Amarillo, Simcoe, Citra, Nugget, Centennial, Cascade
Post-boil (140-180 F) hopstand 30 mins, 2.50 oz. Aromatic American pellet hops like Amarillo, Simcoe, Citra, Nugget, Centennial, Cascade
Dryhop 5-7 days, 2.50 oz. Aromatic American pellet hops (included during primary time)
Safale US-05 dry yeast, fermented at 66-68 F
Primary fermentation: 3.5 to 4 weeks, add dryhop during the last week.
Bottle with priming sugar using a priming calculator like this one - http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html
Wait for it to carbonate at room temp. Refrigerate. Drink.
^This is very simple and moldable recipe. It won't be too sweet or too bitter. It won't be dark either. Nothing has to be mashed. The malt profile will be subtle, but present. It will not interfere with the hops. You can swap the hops, use different hops, or switch up the hop timing. If you want a drier beer, you can replace a portion of DME for slightly more corn sugar. You can also reduce the Crystal Malt from 6% total fermentables down to 4%.
Just brewed NB's Off the Topper extract kit. Outstanding.
How much hops were in that brew?
If you understand your own palate and how the typical IPA is designed, then a simple thought up recipe works better, and costs less, than any kit.
You also have more control over the quality, freshness, and amount of ingredients, e.g. new crop hops, Light DME only, Crystal 20 perhaps, corn sugar, and a specific type of yeast other than what they throw in.
Basic Extract American IPA
1.065-1.067 OG / 1.014-1.016 FG
8 oz. total hops, most of which are used late
65-70 IBUs
6 Gallon Boil / 5 Gallon Batch
7.00 lbs. Briess Golden Light DME or Muntons Extra Light DME (half added at boil start, half added at flameout)
0.50 lb. Crystal 20 or Crystal 40 (crushed & steeped at 155 F @ 30 mins)
0.50 lb. Corn Sugar, or Table Sugar (added at flameout)
Boil 60 mins, 0.75 oz. High-alpha % American pellet hops like Columbus, Magnum, Horizon
Boil 15 mins, 0.75 oz. High-alpha % American pellet hops like Columbus, Magnum, Horizon
Boil 5 mins, 1.50 oz. Aromatic American pellet hops like Amarillo, Simcoe, Citra, Nugget, Centennial, Cascade
Post-boil (140-180 F) hopstand 30 mins, 2.50 oz. Aromatic American pellet hops like Amarillo, Simcoe, Citra, Nugget, Centennial, Cascade
Dryhop 5-7 days, 2.50 oz. Aromatic American pellet hops (included during primary time)
Safale US-05 dry yeast, fermented at 66-68 F
Primary fermentation: 3.5 to 4 weeks, add dryhop during the last week.
Bottle with priming sugar using a priming calculator like this one - http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html
Wait for it to carbonate at room temp. Refrigerate. Drink.
^This is very simple and moldable recipe. It won't be too sweet or too bitter. It won't be dark either. Nothing has to be mashed. The malt profile will be subtle, but present. It will not interfere with the hops. You can swap the hops, use different hops, or switch up the hop timing. If you want a drier beer, you can replace a portion of DME for slightly more corn sugar. You can also reduce the Crystal Malt from 6% total fermentables down to 4%.
1 ) 0.50 lb. Crystal 20 or Crystal 40 (crushed & steeped at 155 F @ 30 mins)
2 ) Post-boil (140-180 F) hopstand 30 mins, 2.50 oz. Aromatic American pellet hops
3) If you want a drier beer, you can replace a portion of DME for slightly more corn sugar. You can also reduce the Crystal Malt from 6% total fermentables down to 4%.
For #1, can you explain what this means. Do I steep separately from the boil and add the malt tea to the boil at 30 minute mark.
For #2, hop stand between 140 and 180.... What will a lower temp achieve vs a higher temp? Any Preferences?
For # 3, what kind of math are we talking here to achieve a drier beer? How much DME is dropped and how much dextrose would replace it. What would be the most DME to remove front the recipe?
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