That’s right kids … it’s time for another Brewerman brew day. To celebrate my birthday yesterday, and in preparation for the sometime-in-the-not-too-distant-future man trip (date and time TBD), I’m brewing the 5th edition of the Butterface IPA. The Butterface is an ever-changing recipe for a somewhat assertively-hopped American IPA. The original recipe used Chinook, Cascade, and Amarillo hops, and tasted so yummy.
Basically I stick with the same simple extract-based malt bill. 8-9 pounds of pale extract, and a pound of light crystal malts. Simple. This is really a beer that I learn hops with. In the 5 years that I’ve been making this beer (or any of my beers for that matter), I’ve never really focussed on Cascade. It’s only while writing this that I realize thatt I’ve always steered clear of Cascade because I thought it was so cliche. I think that I chose to really focus on Cascade this year because as I get older, I want to go with what works. Cascade is the typical workhorse NW hop. From what I gather in looking at IPA recipes, it just tastes yummy. And that, my friends, is what I drink beer for!
So I’m going to go with what works, and I’m going somewhat big. Six hop additions including 3 ounces dry hopped (one in primary and two in secondary). 8.5 ounces total for a five-gallon batch. Amarillo for bittering, and Cascade for flavor/aroma. Should be good. I’ll be doing the usual post updates as the beer progresses, so check back when curious. Think positive guys … the Butterface is coming!
5/28: Transferred to secondary. Gravity was 1.016. I let the dry hop bag drain (trying to minimize splashing as much as possible) before transferring. The beer tastes great! Still some sweetness, so hopefully the yeast will get stirred up enough to finish the job. The Thames Valley Ale yeast is definitely underscoring the juicy flavors from the Amarillo and Cascade hops. Love where this is going.
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