Brew Day: Totally Tropical Pale
It’s been a while since I’ve brewed an IPA, as long as you don’t count the Wry Smile DIPA I brewed a couple of months ago! With the ingredients in stock, it was time to get a brew on!
This IPA is based on James Morton’s Totally Tropical Pale recipe from his Brew book, adjusted for my equipment & volume:
| Amt | Name | Type | # | %/IBU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.50 kg | Maris Otter Malt (Muntons) (5.9 EBC) | Grain | 1 | 86.7 % |
| 0.40 kg | Munich Malt (17.7 EBC) | Grain | 2 | 5.3 % |
| 0.30 kg | Oats, Flaked (2.0 EBC) | Grain | 3 | 4.0 % |
| 20.00 g | Citra [11.50 %] – Boil 15.0 min | Hop | 4 | 11.6 IBUs |
| 0.30 kg | Cane (Beet) Sugar [Boil for 15 min] (0.0 EBC) | Sugar | 5 | 4.0 % |
| 20.00 g | Citra [11.50 %] – Boil 10.0 min | Hop | 6 | 8.5 IBUs |
| 30.00 g | Citra [11.50 %] – Boil 5.0 min | Hop | 7 | 7.0 IBUs |
| 100.00 g | Mosaic (HBC 369) [11.50 %] – Steep/Whirlpool 30.0 min | Hop | 8 | 44.8 IBUs |
| 30.00 g | Citra [11.50 %] – Steep/Whirlpool 30.0 min | Hop | 9 | 13.4 IBUs |
| 1.0 pkg | Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] | Yeast | 10 | – |
| 50.00 g | Amarillo [9.00 %] – Dry Hop 3.0 Days | Hop | 11 | 0.0 IBUs |
Mash temp: 64.5C, 75 Min Boil. Efficiency 60%. Batch size: 23 litres. Estimated OG: 1.062 (Actual OG: 1.065), Estimated FG: 1.010 (Actual FG: ?). Approx 7.2% ABV.
Since the horrid experience I had brewing the Wry Smile DIPA (stuck sparge/run-off, etc) I’ve made a few changes: Doubled the number of slots on the copper manifold, added a mash bag, upgraded the tiny 12v solar pump to a stainless steel pump from Keg Kingdom. So, it was time to try the HERMS system again!
The brew day went pretty well without any major hiccups. The mash bag certainly helped at the start when I was trying to adjust the pump flow rate and could easily “un-stick” the mash by pulling up the bag a little to get the flow going again.
Despite this recipe having a longer boil than my usual brews and having a 30 minute 80C aroma steep, the brew day was no longer than usual – I must be getting better organised 🙂
