Loki (that Arrogant Bastard)'s Ale
Category: Beers
Subcategory: Top Fermented - Light
Thursday November 05, 2009
(Recipe for 5 gallons)
Recipe Specifics
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Batch Size (Gal): 5.00 Wort Size (Gal): 5.00
Total Extract (Lbs): 10.00
Anticipated SRM: 16.4
Anticipated IBU: 44.6
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Actual OG: 1.075 Plato: 18.20
Actual FG: 1.012 Plato: 3.07
Alc by Weight: 6.53 by Volume: 8.35 From Measured Gravities.
ADF: 83.1 RDF 69.3 Apparent & Real Degree of Fermentation.
Grain/Extract/Sugar
% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
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20.0 2.00 lbs. Pale Ale Malt (2 Row) France 1.039 2
70.0 7.00 lbs. Generic DME - Light Generic 1.046 8
10.0 1.00 lbs. Crystal 105L Great Britain 1.033 105
Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
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0.25 oz. Simcoe Pellet 13.00 13.9 60 min.
0.25 oz. Simcoe Pellet 13.00 12.4 45 min.
0.25 oz. Simcoe Pellet 13.00 7.1 30 min.
1.00 oz. Sterling Pellet 4.50 6.5 20 min.
0.50 oz. Mt. Hood Pellet 6.50 2.5 10 min.
0.25 oz. Simcoe Pellet 13.00 2.3 5 min.
1.00 oz. Simcoe Pellet 13.00 0.0 Dryhopped in Secondary
1.00 oz. Hallertau Pellet 8.50 0.0 Dryhopped in Secondary
Yeast
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Danstar Nottingham
WLP300 Hefeweizen Ale Yeast
Bottling/Kegging Specifics
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Bottling Date: Sunday February 06, 2010
Process:
Added grains to 2 gallons of 170° water. Temperature fell to 160 after adding grains. Added low heat to bring back to 170° stirring constantly to avoid burning grains. Brought to a boil. Used a hop schedule of adding .25 oz of simcoe to the boil every 15 minutes. Added 1 oz. sterling hops with 35 minutes left in boil. Added .5 oz of Mt. Hood at 25 minutes left. I pitched starter of Nottingham ale yeast (corn sugar, yeast nutrients and yeast) in with tube of WL Hefeweisen yeast. It took a few days to start bubbling. Finally noticed bubbles on Sunday night (brewed Thursday night). By Wednesday primary fermentation had stopped. Racked into secondary on following Thursday, adding 1 oz of simcoe pellet hops,and 1 oz of Hallertau directly into the fermenter.
Beer was in secondary fermenter for approximately 2.5 months. Final gravity was 1.012@68°
Log Notes:
I wanted to brew an IPA that was similar to Stone Brewing’s Arrogant Bastard Ale. (I found out later that ABA is considered to be an American strong ale. I used a standard IPA extract kit recipe from the Bruery Provision’s store as the base of the grain bill. I did add an additional 2 lbs of pale 2row malt to that as I knew I wanted a ABV of 6.5 – 7.5. I wanted to experiment with dryhopping and I really liked a beer from The Bruery called Humulus Gold that had been dryhopped with Simcoe. So I decided to use 2 oz of simcoe.
I read on a forum that Stone gets it’s hop characteristics from adding hops throughout the boil, so I decided to try that process. I split the simcoe hops into 2, 1 oz batches, then further split one of the one oz batches into four .25 oz batches. I added these every 15 minutes, keeping a close eye on the clock. The rest would be added in secondary to dryhop.
In pitching the yeast, I was a little leary of using a dry yeast and I was afraid it might not work well. I had a slightly expired tube of WL300 hefeweisen yeast and I decided to throw that in there as well. It might create a bit of clove and banana flavors that, although not exactly the ABA clone I was going after, I also felt would add a degree of complexity to the beer.
After being in secondary a bit, I noticed that there was a slight white layer of foam with large bubbles on the top. I wasn’t sure if this was an infection, or a result of the dryhopping. After tasting it didn’t taste like an infection at all, so I proceeded.
I believe I left the beer in secondary too long. Although there was a good hop flavor, it wasn’t quite the punch I was looking for. I remember reading on the labels for Pliny the Elder that the beer needed to be consumed fresh to get all of the hop flavor. So, lesson learned.. don’t age hoppy beers.
Overall, I’m very pleased with the results of this beer.
Historical Notes:
This is not a period beer. India Pale ales can be traced back to the early to mid 1700’s. The invention of coal and steel, in addition to bringing about the industrial revolution, also brought about new ways of roasting malt. Previously malt had to be roasted using wood fires, which would impart a color and a flavor to the malt. The invention of coal allowed a new roasting process that enabled pale malt to be roasted in a way that would retain its light color.
In 1774 the British Empire appointed a governor to India, opening the way for greatly expanded trade. Popular brewing companies of the time, Bow Brewery, Allsopp Brewery, Bass Brewery and Ind Brewery were no strangers to exporting, as they had been exporting beer to the baltics and Russia for some time. However it was George Hodgson that capitalized on exporting his pale ale to India starting in 1790. George Hodgson was the first to begin exporting beer to India, so much so that by 1800 amost all of the nine thousand barrels shipped to Inda were from Bow brewery. Hodgson did have to make adjustements to his recipe however. In order for his beer to survive the trip to Inda he had to increase the amount of hops he used dramatically. In fact it is said that the brewers at Allsop brewery were aghast at the bitterness of Hodgson’s beer. Clearly they were not hopheads! It is obvious that the IPA’s we enjoy today are directly descended and influenced by George Hodgson and his willingness to alter his recipe to survive the journey.
American strong ale is a sub category that is neither recognized officially by the BJCP or GABF, however it has become popular describing the trend in American IPA’s that are reaching ridiculous amounts of both alcohol and hops. If the brewers of Allsop brewery were appalled at George Hodgson’s bitterness, they would be positively stunned to see what American brewers are doing with their ales!
Bibliography:
Designing Great Beers, Ray Daniels, Brewers publications
A History of Beer and Brewing, Ian S. Hornsey, The Royal Society of Chemistry
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