Brewdog Punk IPA

[Ian_68]

If like me, you're partial to the odd BrewDog now and again, i searched for a clone recipe for Punk IPA. I was pleasantly surprised to find a free online book from BrewDog themselves of 215 of their recipes. Google 'DIY Dog from Brewdog ' to download.

Anyway, has anyone tried the Punk IPA (2010-current) from this book? If so, how did it turn out? How did it compare?

Cheers

 

[Ghillie]

Hi @Ian_68,

I do love a Punk IPA myself - one of my favourite American IPA's!

With regards to their DIY Dog recipe publications, they just don't add up for me...

They maintain it's a 60 minute boil with a 20g Chinook and 12.5g Ahtanum addition at the "start". This in it's own would make it a ~40IBU beer before any of the "middle" or "end" hops go in. Assuming that the start hops are at 60min and the middle hops (20g Chinook and 12.5g Ahtanum) are as late as 10min. I'm getting around 62IBU and their recipe says 40IBU.

It's possible to add all the "end" hops post flame out at <75C to avoid any bittering qualities - but that still leaves the brew at 62IBU which is way too high.

It's very kind of them to publish all their recipes, but I do believe they're keeping their trade secrets by giving us a bit of a bum steer wrt hop quantities and timings.

 

[Ian_68]

Hi @Ian_68,

I do love a Punk IPA myself - one of my favourite American IPA's!

With regards to their DIY Dog recipe publications, they just don't add up for me...

They maintain it's a 60 minute boil with a 20g Chinook and 12.5g Ahtanum addition at the "start". This in it's own would make it a ~40IBU beer before any of the "middle" or "end" hops go in. Assuming that the start hops are at 60min and the middle hops (20g Chinook and 12.5g Ahtanum) are as late as 10min. I'm getting around 62IBU and their recipe says 40IBU.

It's possible to add all the "end" hops post flame out at <75C to avoid any bittering qualities - but that still leaves the brew at 62IBU which is way too high.

It's very kind of them to publish all their recipes, but I do believe they're keeping their trade secrets by giving us a bit of a bum steer wrt hop quantities and timings.

I had a similar issue with another recipe; then i realised there was a wrong 'dry hopping' setting in BeerSmith 2. Could that be the answer? Also, i notice that different batches/harvests of the same hops have different (not by much) AA%. Could that be it too maybe?

 

[Ghillie]

I didn't get as far as including the end or dry hops Ian and I was already up at 62IBU. I have Beersmith 3 as well so whirl-pooling imparts no bitterness if the temp is low enough.

It's possible there's AA% differences with their hops, I think I read somewhere that they use whole hops. Not sure what the difference between whole hops and pellet hops are wrt to AA%.

If I were to make this recipe, I would half all the boil hop additions - start middle and end. Start at 60min, middle at 30min and end at 80C when chilling the wort. I'm about 20 minutes from 80C to pitching temp, so would make that a 20 minute steep. Dry hop quantities I would keep the same.

I cobbled together a recipe on Beersmith just now. Upped the grain quantities to match my BH efficiency and also for a 22L batch, not 20L. That huge a dry hop will soak up a lot of beer - so I wouldn't be surprised if their 20L batch only gave around 18-19L of finished beer.

http://beersmithrecipes.com/viewrecipe/2243863/ghillie-punk-ipa

 

[Ian_68]

I didn't get as far as including the end or dry hops Ian and I was already up at 62IBU. I have Beersmith 3 as well so whirl-pooling imparts no bitterness if the temp is low enough.

It's possible there's AA% differences with their hops, I think I read somewhere that they use whole hops. Not sure what the difference between whole hops and pellet hops are wrt to AA%.

If I were to make this recipe, I would half all the boil hop additions - start middle and end. Start at 60min, middle at 30min and end at 80C when chilling the wort. I'm about 20 minutes from 80C to pitching temp, so would make that a 20 minute steep. Dry hop quantities I would keep the same.

I cobbled together a recipe on Beersmith just now. Upped the grain quantities to match my BH efficiency and also for a 22L batch, not 20L. That huge a dry hop will soak up a lot of beer - so I wouldn't be surprised if their 20L batch only gave around 18-19L of finished beer.

http://beersmithrecipes.com/viewrecipe/2243863/ghillie-punk-ipa

I notice you use pellets for dry hop. Do you ever have the problem of cloudy beer? If so, what's your solution?

 

[Linalmeemow]

If like me, you're partial to the odd BrewDog now and again, i searched for a clone recipe for Punk IPA. I was pleasantly surprised to find a free online book from BrewDog themselves of 215 of their recipes. Google 'DIY Dog from Brewdog ' to download.

Anyway, has anyone tried the Punk IPA (2010-current) from this book? If so, how did it turn out? How did it compare?

Cheers

Be very, very careful with the DIY Dog recipes - most of them are very woolly, some of them are downright wrong with massive inaccuracies in malt bills to hit the OGs they advise. If you blindly follow them without running them through brew calculating software first you won't end up with what you're aiming for.

 

[BeerCat]

It's true their recipes are a bit vague. I did the punk 3 times and it came out really nice though do put it in some software. I did 60,15 and flamout additions. Might have to brew this again.

 

[Ghillie]

I notice you use pellets for dry hop. Do you ever have the problem of cloudy beer? If so, what's your solution?

I did have cloudy beer issues when I started brewing this year, but have since found workarounds.

Chill haze - I now cold crash my beers to -1C for three days before kegging - that drops the haze forming proteins out of suspension. So providing I serve my beer warmer than -1C, it's clear as a bell.

Hop polyphenols - I mostly brew pales and IPA's and love dry hopping; but they make the beer cloudy as hell. I've found the easiest way to clear that murk is with gelatin. I add the gelatin when my beer has got to -1C and keg 2-3 days after.

My beers get very good clarity through a combination of cold crashing, gelatin and time in the keg.

Purists and vegans might have something to say about the gelatin, but I'm neither of them so quite happy adding it. I've also found it to have no impact on final flavour either so I'm all for it.

 

[Ghillie]

It's true their recipes are a bit vague. I did the punk 3 times and it came out really nice though do put it in some software. I did 60,15 and flamout additions. Might have to brew this again.

Probably the most expensive beer I've made to date.

Want to try and NEIPA but don't think I have the bottle or finances!

 

[terrym]

I notice you use pellets for dry hop. Do you ever have the problem of cloudy beer? If so, what's your solution?

I use pellets and don't get cloudy beer. If folks got cloudy beer (when they didn't want it) from using pellets they wouldn't be so popular. If you get unwanted cloudy beer I suggest you should look elsewhere, e.g protein hazes, mashing techniques, or in its simplest form not leaving you beer long enough to clear.

 

[Ghillie]

I use pellets and don't get cloudy beer. If folks got cloudy beer (when they didn't want it) from using pellets they wouldn't be so popular. If you get unwanted cloudy beer I suggest you should look elsewhere, e.g protein hazes, mashing techniques, or in its simplest form not leaving you beer long enough to clear.

The OP is referring to dry hops in this instance; specifically huge ones like in the Punk recipe.

Dry hopping that amount and ending up with a clear beer without applying some techniques would be a miracle. There's 190g dry hop in a 20L batch. Your beer will come out cloudy and will likely need time in the keg, cold crashed, fined - or a combination of techniques to clear well.

 

[Ian_68]

The OP is referring to dry hops in this instance; specifically huge ones like in the Punk recipe.

Dry hopping that amount and ending up with a clear beer without applying some techniques would be a miracle. There's 190g dry hop in a 20L batch. Your beer will come out cloudy and will likely need time in the keg, cold crashed, fined - or a combination of techniques to clear well.

Correct, i'm referring to dry hopping on my James Morton Brew - Undead Pale Ale. I'll leave it in the shed to 'winter' cold crash for a while. Failing that, i'll add a sheet of dissolved gelatine.

 

[Ian_68]

I use pellets and don't get cloudy beer. If folks got cloudy beer (when they didn't want it) from using pellets they wouldn't be so popular. If you get unwanted cloudy beer I suggest you should look elsewhere, e.g protein hazes, mashing techniques, or in its simplest form not leaving you beer long enough to clear.

So you use pellets in the boil etc? I'm thinking of trying this but may use a hop basket/spider. Cleaning my kettle full of leaf hops is bad enough hahaha.

 

[Ghillie]

So you use pellets in the boil etc? I'm thinking of trying this but may use a hop basket/spider. Cleaning my kettle full of leaf hops is bad enough hahaha.

Yeah, I only use pellet hops. Never even seen a real one!

I did two BIAB batches when I started all grain brewing, so I have a good sized nylon bag for adding hops to the boil.

Dry hops go into the FV loose. They fall out of suspension during the cold crash anyway, so throwing them in without a bag means nothing requires sanitising.

I did own a hop spider briefly but sold it because we didn't get on... I found the mesh screen too fine and it kept clogging up. Didn't feel that all the oils, etc were getting into the wort.

 

[terrym]

The OP is referring to dry hops in this instance; specifically huge ones like in the Punk recipe.
Dry hopping that amount and ending up with a clear beer without applying some techniques would be a miracle. There's 190g dry hop in a 20L batch. Your beer will come out cloudy and will likely need time in the keg, cold crashed, fined - or a combination of techniques to clear well.

OK, point taken

Dry hops go into the FV loose. They fall out of suspension during the cold crash anyway, so throwing them in without a bag means nothing requires sanitising.

Time, and then crash cooling will assist in getting the hop bits to drop, but not all of the bits want to play. That's why a filter is useful at packaging time, or, if you prefer, a weighted (sanitised) bag to contain the hops. If you don't do that, in my experience you get hop bits going forward. Some may be happy with that, but I'm not.

 

[Ghillie]

Time, and then crash cooling will assist in getting the hop bits to drop, but not all of the bits want to play. That's why a filter is useful at packaging time, or, if you prefer, a weighted (sanitised) bag to contain the hops.

Have been tying one of these to the end of my siphon hose and it works quite well.

Would love to try an actual filter one day!