I would like a 6 gallon homebrew recipe that will satisfy the palates a crispy bois lager drinker and a drinker of west coast IPAs.

Sure, Jeremy! I can help you come up with a recipe that combines the characteristics of both crispy lagers and hop-forward IPAs. Here’s a 6-gallon homebrew recipe that might satisfy both palates:

Ingredients:

  • 10 lbs (4.5 kg) Pilsner malt
  • 1 lb (454 g) Vienna malt
  • 0.5 lb (227 g) Munich malt
  • 0.5 lb (227 g) Crystal 20 malt
  • 0.5 oz (14 g) Magnum hops (bittering)
  • 2 oz (57 g) Cascade hops (flavor)
  • 2 oz (57 g) Citra hops (aroma)
  • 1 package of a clean, neutral ale yeast (e.g., SafAle US-05)
  • 1 tsp Irish moss (clarifying agent)
  • 3/4 cup of corn sugar (priming)

Instructions:

  1. Begin by heating 5 gallons (19 liters) of water in your brew kettle to around 152°F (67°C).
  2. Add all the malts to a large mesh bag and steep them in the water for about 60 minutes to extract the flavors and sugars. Maintain the temperature throughout the process.
  3. While the grains are steeping, heat another 2 gallons (7.5 liters) of water in a separate pot to around 170°F (77°C). This will be used for sparging later.
  4. After the 60-minute steeping period, remove the grain bag from the kettle and let it drip dry. Then, immerse the grain bag in the hot sparge water and gently squeeze to extract any remaining liquid.
  5. Bring the wort to a boil and add the Magnum hops. Boil for 60 minutes.
  6. Add the Cascade hops at the 10-minute mark and the Irish moss at the 15-minute mark.
  7. At the end of the boil, turn off the heat and add the Citra hops. Let it steep for 10 minutes to infuse aroma.
  8. Use an immersion chiller or ice bath to rapidly cool the wort to around 70°F (21°C).
  9. Transfer the cooled wort to a sanitized fermenter, leaving behind any sediment or hop residue.
  10. Pitch the yeast according to the manufacturer’s instructions and seal the fermenter with an airlock.
  11. Allow fermentation to take place at a controlled temperature between 60-68°F (16-20°C) for around 1-2 weeks, or until fermentation activity has ceased.
  12. Once fermentation is complete, transfer the beer to a bottling bucket, leaving behind any sediment in the fermenter. Add the priming sugar to the bucket and gently stir to ensure even distribution.
  13. Bottle the beer in sanitized bottles and cap them securely.
  14. Store the bottles in a cool, dark place for approximately 2-3 weeks to allow carbonation to occur.
  15. After the conditioning period, refrigerate the bottles to chill the beer before serving.
  16. Enjoy your homemade Crispy Bois Lager meets West Coast IPA!

Remember to sanitize all equipment and follow proper brewing practices to ensure the best results. Cheers and happy brewing, Jeremy! Let me know if you need any further assistance.

What is a good water profile for this recipe?

For this recipe, you can aim for a balanced water profile that enhances both the malty and hoppy characteristics of the beer. Here’s a suggested water profile:

Calcium (Ca): 50-100 ppm Magnesium (Mg): 10-30 ppm Sodium (Na): 0-50 ppm Sulfate (SO4): 50-100 ppm Chloride (Cl): 50-100 ppm

These values are approximate ranges and can be adjusted based on your personal preferences. The calcium content is important for yeast health and clarity, while magnesium helps with enzyme activity. Sodium levels can impact the overall flavor perception, and sulfate and chloride concentrations affect the hop and malt character respectively.

It’s worth noting that if you’re using tap water, it’s a good idea to check the water report from your local water supplier. This can give you an idea of the mineral content and help you make adjustments if the levels are significantly different from the desired range.

To adjust your water profile, you can use brewing water additives like gypsum (calcium sulfate) or calcium chloride to increase the respective ions. Keep in mind that water adjustment is an advanced brewing technique, and it’s important to understand the impacts of different mineral compositions on your beer.

If you’re new to water adjustments, you can also brew with distilled or reverse osmosis (RO) water and build up the desired profile from scratch using brewing salts. This gives you more control over the water chemistry, but it’s also an extra step in the brewing process.

Remember, water adjustments are optional, and you can still brew a great beer without them. It ultimately comes down to personal preference and experimentation.