India Pale Lager
Josh Jayne and I developed a recipe for an India Pale Lager sometime in late summer 2015. We were finally able to brew this on New Year’s Day 2016. The idea was to make a very hop-forward beer with the clean lines you find in a lager. To do so, we debated what the grain bill would look like first. Personally, I use German Pilsner malt in most of my lagers. However, that would add too much of a grain element in a beer that we wanted to focus on hops. The end result was to use basic American 2-Row malt as our base. We added 12% Munich to add a small amount of character and 4% Crystal 40 for some color.
As for hopping, we ended up using some traditional American C-hops in the boil. It was bittered with Columbus using a First Wort Hop addition. Centennial, Chinook and Columbus went into the flavor additions at 15, 10 and 5. We then used those same hops in a 20 minute whirlpool addition.
Josh and I did an 11 gallon batch and split the proceeds. We each used different yeast strains and dry hopping varieties and strategies.
I went with Wyeast American Lager yeast, and Josh went with the Bohemian Lager strain.
For dry hopping, I used 1.5 oz each of Chinook and Columbus (ran out of Centennial). My method for dry hopping this lager was to complete the initial fermentation and perform a diacetyl rest. After three days at 60-63 degrees, I added my dry hops and kept at that temp for 3 days. After that point, I began the process of lowering the temperature by 4-5 degrees every two days until I reached my lagering temp. At that time, I then transferred the beer to my keg, pressurized and let lager for 4+ weeks.
Josh went a different route for dry hopping. He used ~3oz of Horizon hops. His method was to dry hop into the already cold, lagering beer. Rather than the traditional 3-5 day dry hop you would do in your ale fermentation-temp beer, Josh lagered for a longer period as it was lagering.
For you folks who have tried these beers, it would be great to get a discussion on what you perceived.
IPL
American IPA (14 B)

Batch Size: 11.00 gal
Boil Size: 12.65 gal
Boil Time: 60 min
End of Boil Vol: 11.65 gal
Final Bottling Vol: 10.50 gal
Fermentation: Lager, Two Stages
Brewer: Johnny O
Asst Brewer:
Equipment: My Herms Rig
Efficiency: 87.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 88.6 %
Taste Rating: 30.0
Amt |
Name |
Type |
# |
%/IBU |
---|---|---|---|---|
22 lbs 4.1 oz | Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) | Grain | 1 | 84.0 % |
3 lbs 3.0 oz | Munich Malt – 10L (10.0 SRM) | Grain | 2 | 12.0 % |
1 lbs 1.0 oz | Caramel/Crystal Malt – 40L (40.0 SRM) | Grain | 3 | 4.0 % |
2.00 oz | Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] – First Wort 60.0 min | Hop | 4 | 44.7 IBUs |
1.00 oz | Centennial [10.00 %] – Boil 15.0 min | Hop | 5 | 7.2 IBUs |
1.00 oz | Chinook [13.00 %] – Boil 10.0 min | Hop | 6 | 6.8 IBUs |
1.00 oz | Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] – Boil 5.0 min | Hop | 7 | 4.0 IBUs |
1.0 pkg | Bohemian Lager (Wyeast Labs #2124) [124.21 ml] | Yeast | 8 | – |
3.00 oz | Chinook [13.00 %] – Dry Hop 0.0 Days | Hop | 9 | 0.0 IBUs |
3.00 oz | Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] – Dry Hop 0.0 Days | Hop | 10 | 0.0 IBUs |
Gravity, Alcohol Content and Color
Est Final Gravity: 1.019 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 7.6 %
Bitterness: 62.7 IBUs
Est Color: 7.5 SRM
Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.7 %
Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz
Mash Profile
Sparge Water: 7.55 gal
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE
Est Mash PH: 5.65
Measured Mash PH: 5.20
Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Tun Temperature: 72.0 F
Target Mash PH: 5.20
Mash Acid Addition:
Sparge Acid Addition:
Name |
Description |
Step Temperature |
Step Time |
---|---|---|---|
Mash In | Add 11.28 gal of water at 161.3 F | 150.0 F | 75 min |
Sparge: Fly sparge with 7.55 gal water at 168.0 F
Carbonation and Storage
Pressure/Weight: 12.54 PSI
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 45.0 F
Fermentation: Lager, Two Stages
Carbonation Used: Keg with 12.54 PSI
Age for: 30.00 days
Storage Temperature: 38.0 F
Notes
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