After dwindling the Mountain IPA #5 cans to zero, I brewed a new batch using kveik yeast for quicker turnaround. Despite fermenting both Mountain IPA #6 and Mountain IPA #4 with kveik, the recipes were more different than similar.
Inspiration for Mountain IPA #6 came from fellow homebrewer Dominick Patrick’s Double New England IPA (NEIPA) with Citra and Strata recipe.
Malt & Mash
Mecca Grade Lamonta malt was an important flavor contribution in my session NEIPA recipes (Mountain IPA #1 and Mountain IPA #4) but too sweet in my standard NEIPAs recipes (Mountain IPA #2, Mountain IPA #3, and Mountain IPA #5). Therefore, for Mountain IPA #6, I removed Lamonta completely and instead used only Pelton and Shaniko for the grist at 88% and 12%, respectively. Patrick used a combination of Pilsner, Malted Oats, Chit Malt, and Honey Malt, with the latter specialty malts comprising nearly one-third of his grist. While I may eventually give that a shot, I have enjoyed the mouthfeel and haze using just 12% Shaniko so far.
To further reduce the perceived sweetness found in my standard NEIPAs, I reduced the mash temperature to 148°F for 90 minutes followed by a mash-out at 168°F.
Hops & Boil
Like Patrick, I used an economical high alpha hop for efficient bittering. My hop of choice for this purpose is Columbus, while Patrick used Magnum. I used 0.2 oz/gal (~12 IBU) in the mash (as recommended by Scott Janish to complex metal ions and reduce oxidation reactions for improved beer stability) and 0.2 oz/gal (~40 IBU) in the boil at 60 minutes. I have been slowly increasing my Mountain IPA IBUs to help balance the malt sweetness.
Still eager to use Yakima Valley Hops Idaho 7 in the whirlpool due to its massive survivables content, I added 1.2 oz/gal at 185°F for 15 minutes.
Drawing inspiration from Patrick, I used a combination of Citra and Strata for a two stage double dry hop. The first stage of dry hops (2 oz/gal) were added on day 0 since I was using kveik and didn’t want to miss its quick biotransformation window. The second stage (2 oz/gal) were added on day 6 for a total dry hop rate of 4 oz/gal – twice the rate of Mountain IPA #5 and nearly four times that of Mountain IPA #1!
Yeast & Fermentation
I used Imperial Yeast A44 Kveiking for Mountain IPA #6 since it a blend of three kveik strains that produce a strong tropical fruit character – perfect for a NEIPA! I pitched half the pouch into 2.5 gal of wort and fermented at a blazing 90°F for six days before dropping to a cold crash temperature of 30°F for nearly two weeks (due to business travel). A44 Kveiking took the specific gravity from 1.054 to 1.006 for an ABV of 6.3% and an attenuation of 88.4%.
I force carbonated at 56°F with 20 psi to target 2.4 volumes of carbon dioxide.
Water
I used my approximate Tree House Julius average profile of 96 ppm Ca, 27 ppm Mg, 21 ppm Na, 196 ppm Cl, and 115 ppm SO4.
Recipe
You can find the recipe for Mountain IPA #6 here: https://share.brewfather.app/2SLj0K8nnHWpgA.
Review
Mountain IPA #6 was brewed on February 10, canned on March 28, and consumed on April 3.
Appearance – Poured violently into a Spiegelau IPA glass, the beer has a beautiful orange glow making it the perfect color for NEIPA in my mind. The foam is thin and stout with big bubbles and there is a respectable amount of haze
Smell – Hands down, this is the most aromatic beer I have ever brewed! Loads and loads of pineapple juice/candied pineapple bits melt into biscuit, cracker, and cheap white bread aromas from the Mecca Grade Estate Malt. In the background I pick up lemon-lime Gatorade which grows more intense as the beer warms.
Taste – Mountain IPA #6 is intensely fruit with flavors of peach and apricot taking center stage. There is a mild herbaceous flavor which becomes more prominent in the finish. There is a pleasant lingering flavor of dank marijuana which adds a nice dimension to the fruity/herbal quality.
Mouthfeel – Perfect level of bitterness with an effervescent, medium mouthfeel that is fleeting. There is a slight astringency in the finish, reminiscent of tangerine pith.
Overall – I really enjoy the dynamic combination of Citra (tropical) and Strata (herbaceous) in this one. I will most definitely use these two hops together in the future. Another great kveik NEIPA recipe – easy to brew and even easier to drink!
Changes For Next Time – The only change I would make for next time would be using Imperial Yeast A38 Juice or a comparable yeast strain to get the full NEIPA effect. I want to optimize my whirlpool and dry hop rate, so I may do some split batch experiments in the future.