India Pale Lager Clone Recipes
India Pale Lager (IPL) is a modern hybridization of the India Pale Ale (IPA) style and a (insert your own interpretation of the) “lager component” that has taken a craft beer industry foothold in recent years. Some argue that its lack of official definition is what appeals to many brewers, giving them full artistic freedom to interpret and execute such a beer as they see fit. Points of interpretation to consider include the following; will you simply brew your usual citrusy and piney American IPA recipe but just pitch lager yeast? Or will traditional German noble hops be used in mass quantities, amplifying them to American IPA levels? Similar decisions must be made with regards to malt profile interpretation. Should you utilize Pilsner base malt or standard 2-row malt for more of an American IPA feel? If the former, will you increase your boil time to 75 or 90 minutes to reduce additional DMS from the Pilsner malt? Are you interested in bringing traditional lager processes like kräusening, lagering, and/or decoction mashing?
All of these questions illustrate how, in a way when brewing an IPL, you get a chance to play Dr. Frankenstein and sculpt your delicious “creation” as you see fit. Take your brush to the canvas reimagining, reconfiguring, and reanimating the fundamentals (as well as the nuances) of the two base styles involved in this hybrid. Smuttynose Brewing Co. in Hampton, New Hampshire seems to be on the exact same page, given that they brew an awesome IPL appropriately named “Frankenlager” that will be covered in a bit. But first, let’s go over the components of the base styles of IPL.
Malt Selection
While Pilsner malt is the backbone of many lager beers, an IPL is often made with a base malt variety typically found in an IPA. This is perhaps because the delicate flavor and pale color offered by Pilsner malt is generally highlighted by clean lager production and masked by American IPA hopping rates. As for specialty malt choices, the two styles to be hybridized tend to have some overlap on that front. Both Pilsners and IPAs often use Munich malt (up to 10%) or Vienna malt (up to 20%), so they are natural IPL choices as well.
Hop Selection
Any hop choice is fair game in an IPL, provided the beer is hopped to an intensity associated with an Imperial pale ale. Don’t overlook the possibility of blending noble hops with the Pacific Northwest/southern hemisphere varieties associated with IPAs. Some of the newer citrusy/fruity German hop varieties like Mandarina Bavaria are also great options for an IPL. Most India pale lagers fall in the 45–70 IBU range established by American imperial pale ales. Late hopping and dry hopping IPA techniques are almost always used when making IPLs, and using a hop back certainly is another viable option.
Lager Yeast
Using lager yeast is a requirement for this style. Lager yeasts are bottom-fermenting strains that generally utilize a fermentation temperature range of 50–55 °F (10–13 °C) to achieve a very clean flavor profile. Due to the relatively cold fermentation temperature and increased pitch rate requirements (often double the cell count of ale yeasts) of lager brewing, ester production is significantly reduced. Quite akin to using neutral ale yeast in a hop forward ale to allow the hop flavors and aromas to shine, brewers of IPLs are using the clean flavor profile that lager fermentation offers to showcase big hop flavors and aromas
Decoction
Decoction is a mash technique that involves removing a small portion of your mash (it should be “stiff” in that it’s mostly grain with little wort), boiling it for a short time, and then returning it to the mash. The process allows you to raise the temperature of your mash from one “step” to another. It also breaks up the starch molecules of unconverted grist and can lend to greater extraction from moderately-modified malts. Some traditionalists feel it is essential to producing the dry malty character found in German Oktoberfest beers and other continental lagers.
Lagering
Making a lager (aka fermenting with lager yeast) should not be confused with lagering a beer. Lagering a beer is adding an optional extended cold conditioning phase to the lager making process. This lagering period can last for up to three months, but frequently is reduced significantly by most commercial breweries. Some simply perform a shorter lagering period, others use clarifying agents (or filtering equipment) to help expedite that portion of the process. One thing that happens during the lagering phase is that yeast, hops, and proteins will flocculate out, leaving behind a crystal clear beer. The lagering phase also conditions the beer, reducing fermentation byproducts and producing a crisp mouthfeel. For the purposes of making an IPL, the use of a lagering period should bring at least two considerations to mind. First, you might want to bitter the beer slightly more to make up for the reduction in perceived bitterness that will happen during lagering phase (all bitterness will fade with age). Second, you might want to consider doing a second dry hop after the lagering phase to drive the aromatic hop intensity back to Imperial standards.
Diacetyl Rests
A diacetyl rest is often used in lager fermentations. This process promotes the re-absorption of diacetyl produced by yeast during the fermentation. Much like ale yeasts, some lager strains produce more diacetyl than others. Generally speaking, the colder fermentation temperatures associated with lager fermentations can also inhibit the lager yeast from reabsorbing diacetyl as effectively as possible. So again, performing a diacetyl rest is generally recommended when using lager yeast. One approach is to wait until after your beer reaches terminal gravity and then increase fermentation by roughly 5 °C / 10 °F and hold it at this warmer temperature for three to five days. Another approach is to begin a gradual temperature increase at a specific attenuation point (often between 6–8 °P/1.024–1.032 SG). You then spread the 5 °C/10 °F temperature increase across a 3–5 day period. Some yeast strains react positively to this approach, as the additional heat encourages them to fully attenuate the wort. I also like this approach because it occurs when more yeast is still in suspension, increasing yeast to wort surface area contact and allowing them to do a more effective job of reducing diacetyl than they would have while flocculated in a trub pile.
Kräusening
Kräusening is another way of reducing diacetyl often used in lager production. It will speed up conditioning, which will reduce not just diacetyl but also other fermentation byproducts. The process entails adding fresh, actively fermenting wort (roughly 10% by volume) to an already finished beer. The actively fermenting wort is chock full of suspended yeast that is capable of quickly reducing any remaining diacetyl in said already finished beer. With regards to IPLs, kräusening is also a way to get an additional surge of fresh hop oils into your beer just prior to packaging time. One can simply kräusen with actively fermenting wort that was very heavily late hopped to boost the hop profile of the IPL receiving the fresh wort. A nice bonus here is that the refermentation that occurs when adding fresh wort to a finished beer is generally mild. Therefore, less of these freshly added hop oils will be volatized than they would have been if added prior to primary fermentation.
August Schell Brewing Co.’s Arminius
(5 gallons / 19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.065 FG = 1.015
IBU = 70 SRM = 6 ABV = 6.5 %
August Schell Brewing Co. is the second oldest family-run brewery in the US – second only to Pennsylvania’s Yuengling. Schell’s Arminius is named after the legendary chieftain whose alliance of tribes defeated the Roman army a couple of thousand of years ago, solidifying the German border still honored to this day. Like the tribal alliance, this beer brings together German, French, and American hops. A simple “pale plus munich” malt bill supports this multinational hop smattering.
Ingredients
12.5 lbs. (5.7 kg) US 2-row pale malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) light Munich malt (10 L)
18.6 AAU German Magnum pellet hops (60 min.) (1.33 oz./37 g of 14% alpha acids)
5 AAU of Smaragd (Emerald) pellet hops (0 min.) (1 oz./28 grams at 5% alpha acids)
3.5 AAU of Saphir pellet hops (0 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 3.5% alpha acids)
4 AAU of Strisslespalt pellet hops (0 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4% alpha acids)
1.25 oz. (35 g) Mandarina Bavaria pellet hops (dry hop)
1 oz. (28 g) Saphir pellet hops (dry hop)
0.75 oz. (21 g) Cascade pellet hops (dry hop)
12 tsp. yeast nutrients (15 min.)
½ Whirfloc® tablet (15 min.)
Wyeast 2035 (American Lager) or White Labs WLP802 (Czech Budejovice Lager) or Wyeast 2278 (Czech Pils) yeast
2/3 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Several days before your brew day be sure the make a yeast starter. It is recommended that you pitch 448 billion yeast cells, which can be obtained by using either 1 fresh vial after making a 2.5 L stir plate starter, 2 fresh vials after making a 4.8 L non-stir plate starter or 5 fresh vials without a starter.
This is a multi-step mash, so be sure to account for some extra time added to your brew day. Mill the grains and mix with 4.7 gallons (17.8 L) of 153 F (67 C) strike water to reach a mash temperature of 144 F (62 C). Hold at this temperature for 40 minutes. Step rise the mash temperature up to 162 F (72 C) and hold for 20 minutes. Next step up to 170 F (77 C) and hold for 10 minutes if you wish to perform a mash out. Vorlauf until your runnings are clear. Sparge the grains with 3.5 gallons (13.25 L) of 170 F (77 C) water until 6.5 gallons (24.6 L) of wort is collected in your boil kettle. Boil for 60 minutes adding hops, yeast nutrient, and kettle finings according to the ingredients list.
After the boil, turn off the heat and add the 0 min. hop additions according to the ingredients list. Whirlpool the kettle by gently stirring with a mash paddle for 2 minutes and then let rest for an addition 13 minutes to achieve a 15 minute flame out steep. Next, chill the wort to 50 F (10 C) and transfer into a clean and sanitized fermenter. Aerate the wort with pure oxygen for 90 seconds and pitch yeast.
Ferment at 54 F (12 C) and once your SG reaches around 1.019 add half of the dry hops to the fermenter. Add the other half of the dry hops a week later. Three days after the second dry hopping, crash cool the fermenter and implement a three week lagering period. Package and carbonate to between 2.4 and 2.5 volumes of CO2 then enjoy!
August Schell Brewing Co.’s Arminius
(5 gallons / 19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.065 FG = 1.015
IBU = 70 SRM = 6 ABV = 6.5 %
Ingredients
9 lbs. (4.1 kg) Briess Goldpils® Vienna liquid malt extract
18.6 AAU German Magnum pellet hops (60 min.) (1.33 oz./37 g of 14% alpha acids)
5 AAU of Smaragd (Emerald) pellet hops (0 min.) (1 oz./28 grams at 5% alpha acids)
3.5 AAU of Saphir pellet hops (0 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 3.5% alpha acids)
4 AAU of Strisslespalt pellet hops (0 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4% alpha acids)
1.25 oz. (35 g) Mandarina Bavaria pellet hops (dry hop)
1 oz. (28 g) Saphir pellet hops (dry hop)
0.75 oz. (21 g) Cascade pellet hops (dry hop)
12 tsp. yeast nutrients (15 min.)
½ Whirfloc® tablet (15 min.)
Wyeast 2035 (American Lager) or White Labs WLP802 (Czech Budejovice Lager) or Wyeast 2278 (Czech Pils) yeast
2/3 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Several days before your brew day be sure the make a yeast starter. It is recommended that you pitch 448 billion yeast cells, which can be obtained by using either 1 fresh vial after making a 2.5 L stir plate starter, 2 fresh vials after making a 4.8 L non-stir plate starter or 5 fresh vials without a starter.
Bring 6 gallons (23 L) of water up to a boil. Remove from heat and add your malt extract. Stir until fully dissolved then bring back to a boil. Add hops, yeast nutrient, and kettle finings according to the ingredients list over the course of the 60 minute boil. After the boil, turn off the heat and add the 0 min hop additions according to the ingredients list. Whirlpool the kettle by gently stirring with a mash paddle for 2 minutes and then let rest for an addition 13 minutes to achieve a 15 minute flame out steep. Next, chill the wort to 50 F (10 C) and transfer into a clean and sanitized fermenter. Aerate the wort with pure oxygen for 90 seconds and pitch yeast.
Ferment at 54 F (12 C) and once your SG reaches around 1.019 add half of the dry hops to the fermenter. Add the other half of the dry hops a week later. Three days after the second dry hopping, crash cool the fermenter and implement a three week lagering period. Package and carbonate to between 2.4 and 2.5 volumes of Co2 then enjoy!
Tips For Success:
Other than the bittering addition, all kettle hops are added to this brew during the whirlpool. It’s worth mentioning that a commercial brewery whirlpool hop addition often soaks in wort hot enough to isomerize the alpha acids for up to an hour. This differs vastly from most homebrew systems, which are often capable of doing the same task in about a third of the time. One might therefore want to consider moving the above mentioned whirlpool hop addition back to say the 15 minutes remaining in the boil point rather than adding them at and flame out.
If you are comfortable with adjusting your water profile, target something along the lines of a Dortmund profile for this beer. August Schell Brewing has hard water that they dilute with reverse osmosis water to achieve a profile along those lines.
Jack’s Abby Brewing Hoponius Union clone
(5 gallon/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.063 FG = 1.014
IBU = 65 SRM = 6 ABV = 6.7%
Head Brewer Jack Hendler suggests “We like Hoponius to be fairly dry, typically around the 80% apparent attenuation mark. A low temperature single infusion (148 °F/64 °C) works well. If you have temp control, ferment in the 50-55 °F (10-12 °C). Dry hop at same temp and lager at 32 °F (0 °C) for 3 weeks. If you don’t have great temp we recommend a clean ale yeast like a Kölsch strain.
Ingredients
10.5 lbs. (4.5 kg) 2-row pale malt
1.6 lbs. (0.73 kg) Munich malt (9 °L)
9 oz. (255 g) Weyermann Carabelge® malt (12 °L)
9 oz. (255 g) spelt berries
3.3 AAU Magnum hop pellets (60 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g at 13% alpha acids)
16.5 AAU Centennial hop pellets (5 min.) (1.5 oz./ 43 g at 11% alpha acids)
22 AAU Centennial hop pellets (0 min.) (2 oz./57 g at 11% alpha acids)
26 AAU Citra® hop pellets (0 min.) (2 oz./57 g at 13% alpha acids)
1.5 oz. (43 g) Centennial hop pellets (dry hop)
1.5 oz. (43 g) Citra® hop pellets (dry hop)
White Labs WLP830 (German Lager) or Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian Lager) or White Labs WLP029 (German Ale/ Kölsch) or Wyeast 2565 (Kölsch) yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
This is a single infusion mash. Mix strike water with grains to achieve a stable mash temperature at 148 °F (64 °C) and hold for 90 minutes. Raise temperature of the mash either by direct heat or injecting boiling water to 168 °F (64 °C) and hold for 5 minutes. Recirculate until runnings are clear, then begin your sparge. Sparge until you collect 6 gallons (23 L) of wort in your kettle. Bring to a boil and add the Magnum hop pellets. Boil for a total of 60 minutes adding first Centennial hops with 5 minutes remaining. At the end of the boil, remove from heat and add it 0 minute hops. Begin a whirlpool and let settle for about 20 minutes. At the end of the 20 minutes, cool to wort all the way down to yeast pitching temperature, 65 °F (18 °C) if using a Kölsch strain and 50 °F (10 °C) if using the lager strain. Ferment at 65 °F (18 °C) for the Kölsch strain and 50-55 °F (10-12 °C) for the lager strain. Dry hop at the same temperature and lager at 32 °F (0 °C) for 3 weeks. Bottle or keg as usual.
Jacks Abby Brewing Hoponius Union clone
(5 gallon/19 L partial mash)
OG = 1.063 FG = 1.014
IBU = 65 SRM = 6 ABV = 6.7%
Ingredients
7 lbs. (3.2 kg) golden light liquid malt extract
1.6 lbs. (0.73 kg) Munich malt (9 °L)
8 oz. (227 g) Weyermann Carabelge® malt (12 °L)
9 oz. (255 g) spelt berries
3.3 AAU Magnum hop pellets (60 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g at 13% alpha acids)
13.5 AAU Centennial hop pellets (5 min.) (1.5 oz./ 43 g at 11% alpha acids)
33 AAU Centennial hop pellets (0 min.) (3 oz./85 g at 11% alpha acids)
39 AAU Citra® hop pellets (0 min.) (3 oz./85 g at 13% alpha acids)
2 oz. (85 g) Centennial hop pellets (dry hop)
2 oz. (85 g) Citra® hop pellets (dry hop)
White Labs WLP830 (German Lager) or Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian Lager) or White Labs WLP029 (German Ale/ Kölsch) or Wyeast 2565 (Kölsch) yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Place the crushed grains in a large nylon bag. Mix grains with one gallon of 158 °F (70 °C) water to achieve a stable mash temperature at 148 °F (64 °C) and hold for 60 minutes. Raise temperature of the mash either by direct heat or adding boiling water to 168 °F (64 °C) and hold for 5 minutes. Remove the grain bag and place in a colander. Slowly pour 1 gallon (3.8 L) hot water of the grains. Add water in your brewpot until you have about 5.5 gallons (21 L) of wort in your kettle. Add liquid malt extract off heat then bring up to a boil. Add the Magnum hop pellets and boil for a total of 60 minutes, adding first Centennial hops with 5 minutes remaining. At the end of the 20 minutes, cool to wort all the way down to yeast pitching temperature, 65 °F (18 °C) if using a Kölsch strain and 50 °F (10 °C) if using the lager strain. Ferment at 65 °F (18 °C) for the Kölsch strain and 50-55 °F (10-12 °C) for the lager strain. Dry hop at the same temperature and lager at 32 °F (0 °C) for 3 weeks. Bottle or keg as usual.
Smuttynose Frankenlager clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.060 FG = 1.015
IBU = 61 SRM = 4 ABV = 6.1%
Ingredients
12.5 lbs (5.7 kg) US 2-row pale malt
50 AAU German Magnum pellet hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 14% alpha acids)
1.8 AAU Saphir pellet hops (20 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 3.5% alpha acids)
3.4 AAU Saphir pellet hops (10 min). (0.75 oz./21 g at 3.5% alpha acids)
3.5 AAU Saphir pellet hops (0 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 3.5% alpha acids)
5 oz. (140 g) Saphir pellet hops (dry hop)
½ tsp. yeast nutrient (15 min.)
½ Whirfloc® tablet (15 min.)
White Labs WLP920 (Old Bavarian Lager) or White Labs WLP833 (German Bock Lager) yeast
2/3 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Several days before your brew day be sure the make a yeast starter. It is recommended that you pitch 424 billion yeast cells, which can be obtained by using either 1 fresh vial after making a 2.3 L stir plate starter, 2 fresh vial after making a 4.35 L non-stir plate starter or 5 fresh vials without a starter.
This is either single or double decoction mash, so build in some extra time in your brew day to account for the added steps. Mill the grains and mix with 4.7 gallons (17.8 L) of 158 F (70 C) strike water to reach a mash temperature of 147 F (64 C). Hold at this temperature for 40 minutes. Remove one gallon (3.8 L) of the grist and bring it to a boil (decoction) then add it back to the mash tun. This should step the mash up to 162 F (72.2 C) where you hold again for 20 minutes. Direct fire (or double decoct) up to 170 F (77 C) and hold for 10 minutes if you wish to perform a mash out. Vorlauf until your runnings are clear. Sparge the grains with approximately 3.5 gallons (13.25 L) of 170 F (72.2 C) water until 6.5 gallons (24.6 L) of 1.046 SG wort is collected in your boil kettle. Boil for 60 minutes adding hops, yeast nutrient, and kettle finings according to the ingredients list.
After the boil, turn off the heat and add the 0 min. hop additions according to the ingredients list. Whirlpool the kettle by gently stirring with a mash paddle for 2 minutes and then let rest for an addition 13 minutes to achieve a 15 minute flame out steep. Next, chill the wort to 50 °F (10 °C) and transfer into a clean and sanitized fermenter. Aerate the wort with pure oxygen for 90 seconds and pitch yeast.
Ferment at 50 °F (10 °C) until you reach terminal gravity. Add dry hops and dry hop at 50 F for a week. Crash cool for two days and then package. Carbonate to between 2.4 and 2.5 volumes of CO2 then enjoy!
Smuttynose Frankenlager clone
(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.060 FG = 1.015
IBU = 61 SRM = 8 ABV = 6.1%
Ingredients
8.5 lbs. (3.9 kg) golden light liquid malt extract
50 AAU German Magnum pellet hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 14% alpha acids)
1.8 AAU Saphir pellet hops (20 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 3.5% alpha acids)
3.4 AAU Saphir pellet hops (10 min). (0.75 oz./21 g at 3.5% alpha acids)
3.5 AAU Saphir pellet hops (0 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 3.5% alpha acids)
5 oz. (140 g) Saphir pellet hops (dry hop)
½ tsp. yeast nutrient (15 min.)
½ Whirfloc® tablet (15 min.)
White Labs WLP920 (Old Bavarian Lager) or White Labs WLP833 (German Bock Lager) yeast
2/3 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Bring 6.5 gallons (24.6 L) of water up to a boil. Remove from heat then add your malt extract and stir until fully dissolved. Once the extract is fully dissolved, return to a boil and add your hops, yeast nutrient, and kettle finings according to the ingredients list over the course of the 60 minute boil. After the boil, turn off the heat and add the final hop additions according to the ingredients list. Whirlpool the kettle by gently stirring with a mash paddle for 2 minutes and then let rest for an addition 13 minutes to achieve a 15 minute flame out steep. Next, chill the wort to 50 F (10 C) and transfer into a clean and sanitized fermenter. Aerate the wort with pure oxygen for 90 seconds and pitch yeast.
Ferment at 50 F (20 C) until you reach terminal gravity. Add dry hops and dry hop at 50 F (10 C) for a week. Crash cool for two days and then package. Carbonate to between 2.4 and 2.5 volumes of CO2 then enjoy!
Base Camp Brewing Co.’s In Tents IPL clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.066 FG = 1.016
IBU = 62 SRM = 9 ABV = 6.8%
Base Camp Brewing is a production brewery in Portland Oregon offering an India Pale Lager as a flagship. This is a labor intensive beer to produce, utilizing a triple batch sparge, krausening, and a three week bulk lagering period, and oak chip aging. The result is a malty and firmly hopped oak-aged lager softened by some natural carbonation. The lager yeast allows the piney and floral aromatics to shine while the oak chips heighten the maltiness of the brew.
Ingredients
12.5 lbs (5.11 kg) Vienna malt
1 lb (0.45 kg) Simipsons Golden Naked Oats™ malt
1 lb (0.45 kg) melanoidin malt
17.5 AAU Summit™ pellet hops (60 min.) (1.15 oz./32 g at 15.2% alpha acids)
0.75 oz (21 g) Nugget pellet hops (dry hop)
0.75 oz. (21 g) Mt. Hood pellet hops (dry hop)
0.75 oz. (21 g) Fuggle pellet hops (dry hop)
0.75 oz. (21 g) Centennial pellet hops (dry hop)
0.25 oz. (7 g) dark toasted American oak chips (added during dry hop)
½ tsp. yeast nutrients (15 min.)
1 Whirfloc® tablet (15 min.)
Krausen beer
-8 oz. (0.23 kg) pale dried malt extract
-2.5 g Summit™ pellet hops
White Labs WLP802 (Czech Budejovice Lager) or Wyeast 2278 (Czech Pils) yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Several days before your brew day be sure the make a yeast starter. It is recommended that you pitch 468 billion yeast cells, which can be obtained by using either 1 fresh vial after making a 2.7 L stir plate starter, 2 fresh vial after making a 5.2 L non-stir plate starter or 5 fresh vials without a starter.Mill the grains and mix with 3.9 gallons (14.7 L) of 154 F (68 C) strike water to reach a mash temperature of 142 F (61 C). Hold at this temperature for 75 minutes. Step the mash (increase the temperature) to 158 F (70 C) and hold for an additional 15 minutes before performing an optional mash out at 168 F (76 C) for 10 minutes. Vorlauf until your runnings are clear. You will need 5.2 gallons (19.7 L) of 170 (77 C) sparge water. The sparge water is divided across a triple batch sparge as follows. Drain the mash tun then refill first with 1.6 gallons (6.1 L). Drain the mash tun then refill a second time with 2.6 gallons (9.8 L). Drain the mash tun again and add the final 1 gallon (3.8 L) until 7 gallons (26.5 L) of 1.050 SG wort is collected. Boil for 90 minutes adding hops, yeast nutrient, and kettle finings according to the ingredients list.
After the boil, turn off the heat and whirlpool the kettle by gently stirring with a mash paddle for 2 minutes. Let rest for an additional 13 minutes. Next, chill the wort to 55 F (13 C) and transfer into a clean and sanitized fermenter. Aerate the wort with pure oxygen for 90 seconds and pitch yeast. Ferment at 57 F (14 C) for 7 days, then lower to 45 F (7 C) and hold for 4 more days. Transfer the beer to a secondary vessel (carboy or keg) that contains the dry hops and oak chips. Harvest and store about 2 fluid ounces (60 mL) worth of yeast slurry from the primary fermenters yeast cake, and allow the beer to rise back up to 57 F (14 C) in the secondary fermenter. Make a small amount of krausen beer by boiling 8 oz. (0.23 kg) of pale dried malt extract with 0.4 gallons (1.5 L) of water for roughly 45 minutes, until you reduce it down to about 0.26 gallons (1 L) of 1.068 specific gravity wort. Add 2.5 grams of Summit™ hops (15.2% AA) at flame out, cool, and transfer to a growler (or small carboy). Pitch your 2 fluid ounces (60 mL) worth of yeast slurry and add an airlock to your growler (or small carboy). The next day, or when active fermentation is present, transfer the krausen beer into the secondary vessel that your main batch is in. Hold the secondary vessel at 57F (14 C) for 3 days after adding the krausen beer, then slowly cool to lagering temperature (35-45 F/2-7 C), depending on activity levels of yeast strain). Lager for 3 weeks at this temperature. If a keg was used as secondary vessel, simply touch up carbonation at this point with extraneous CO2 and serve, pouring off first pint or so of sedimentation. If an open vessel was used as secondary and bottling is desired, rack out of secondary to bottling bucket, repitch with fresh yeast and prime with corn sugar as normal, then bottle condition for 3 weeks at approximately 57 F (14 C).
Base Camp Brewing Co.’s In Tents IPL clone
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.066 FG = 1.016
IBU = 62 SRM = 9 ABV = 6.8%
Ingredients
8 lbs (3.6 kg) Briess Vienna liquid malt extract
1 lb (0.45 kg) Simipsons Golden Naked Oats™ malt
1 lb (0.45 kg) Weyermann Carared® malt (20 L)
17.5 AAU Summit™ pellet hops (60 min.) (1.15 oz./32 g at 15.2% alpha acids)
0.75 oz (21 g) Nugget pellet hops (dry hop)
0.75 oz. (21 g) Mt. Hood pellet hops (dry hop)
0.75 oz. (21 g) Fuggle pellet hops (dry hop)
0.75 oz. (21 g) Centennial pellet hops (dry hop)
0.25 oz. (7 g) dark toasted American oak chips (added during dry hop)
½ tsp. yeast nutrients (15 min.)
1 Whirfloc® tablet (15 min.)
Krausen beer
-8 oz. (0.23 kg) light dried malt extract
-2.5 g Summit™ pellet hops
White Labs WLP802 (Czech Budejovice Lager) or Wyeast 2278 (Czech Pils) yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Mill the grains, place them in a grain bag, then add the grain bag to 2 gallons (7.57 L) of 150 F (66 C) water. Allow grain bag (which will float) to steep for 20 – 30 minutes while you continue to heat the water up to no hotter than 170 F (77 C) in order to avoid extracting tannins. Next remove the grain bag, top your kettle up with enough pre-heated water to reach a total pre-boil volume of 7 gallons (26.5 L), and turn your heat source back on. Once you reach a boil, add your malt extract and hops according to the ingredients list.
After the 90 minute boil, turn off the heat and whirlpool the kettle by gently stirring with a mash paddle for 2 minutes. Let rest for an additional 13 minutes. Next, chill the wort to 55 F (13 C) and transfer into a clean and sanitized fermenter. Aerate the wort with pure oxygen for 90 seconds and pitch yeast. Ferment at 57 F (14 C) for 7 days, then lower to 45 F (7 C) and hold for 4 more days. Transfer the beer to a secondary vessel (carboy or keg) that contains the dry hops and oak chips outlined in the ingredients list. Harvest and store about 2 fluid ounces (60 mL) worth of yeast slurry from the primary fermenters yeast cake, and allow the beer to rise back up to 57 F (14 C) in the secondary fermenter.
Make a small amount of krausen beer by boiling 8 oz. (0.23 kg) of pale dried malt extract (DME) with 0.4 gallons (1.5 L) of water for roughly 45 minutes, until you reduce it down to about 0.26 gallons (1 L) of 1.068 specific gravity wort. Add 2.5 grams of Summit Hops (15.2% AA) at flame out, cool, and transfer to a growler (or small carboy). Pitch your 2 fluid ounces (60 mL) worth of yeast slurry and add an airlock to your growler (or small carboy). The next day, or when active fermentation is present, transfer the krausen beer into the secondary vessel that your main batch is in. Hold the secondary vessel at 57 F (14 C) for 3 days after adding the krausen beer, then slowly cool to lagering temperature (35-45 F/2-7 C), depending on activity levels of yeast strain). Lager for 3 weeks at this temperature.
If a keg was used as secondary vessel, simply touch up carbonation at this point with extraneous CO2 and serve, pouring off first pint or so of sedimentation. If an open vessel was used as secondary and bottling is desired, rack out of secondary to bottling bucket, repitch with fresh yeast and prime with corn sugar as normal, then bottle condition for 3 weeks at approximately 57 F (14 C).
Tips for Success:
Base Camp Brewing recommends using extremely soft base water and adding 2 grams of calcium sulfate (gypsum) plus 1 gram of calcium chloride to the mash.
This beer is very flexible with regards to base malt. Brewers are encouraged to substitute the listed Vienna malt for other darker pale malts such as Maris Otter, Golden Promise, ESB malt, etc. If you are an extract brewing, then Maris Otter liquid malt extract or pale ale malt extract
