Revolution Brewing’s Louie Louie clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.072   FG = 1.010 IBU = 58   SRM = 6   ABV = 8.2%

Revolution Brewing in Chicago, Illinois decided to brew up a supposed “Zero IBU” IPA on their brewpub system. Using a whooping 5.5 lbs. (2.5 kg) of hops per barrel, it was a hop bomb, but should not technically have any “IBUs” based on isomerized alpha acids. What they found out was that according to lab analysis, there were still 58 IBUs in solution of the finished beer, derived from other compounds.

Ingredients

12.9 lbs. (5.85 kg) 2-row pale malt
1.25 lbs. (567 g) red wheat malt
0.9 lb. (408 g) light Munich malt (6 °L)
2.5 oz. (71 g) Amarillo® hops (hopstand)
2.5 oz. (71 g) Centennial hops (hopstand)
2.5 oz. (71 g) Amarillo® hops (1st round – dry hop)
2.5 oz. (71 g) Centennial hops (1st round – dry hop)
5 oz. (142 g) Mosaic® hops (2nd round – dry hop)
Wyeast 1028 (London Ale) or White Labs WLP013 (London Ale) or Lallemand Nottingham yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step

This recipe is designed to achieve 5.5 gallons (21 L) wort in the fermenter on brew day. This will help offset the loss of volume to the heavy hopping rate of this beer. Mill the grains and mix with 5 gallons (19 L) of soft water at 163 °F (73 °C) to reach a mash temperature of 150 °F (66 °C). Hold this temperature for 60 minutes. Vorlauf until your runnings are clear. Sparge with enough water to obtain 7 gallons (25 L) of wort. You may want to add a pinch of hops or an additive like Fermcap to help with foam control.

After the boil, turn off heat and chill wort to 165 °F (74 °C) then begin a whirlpool of the wort and add the hopstand hops. Let settle for 30 minutes, then chill the wort to 66 °F (19 °C). The aim is to have 5.5 gallons (21 L) of wort in your fermenter. Aerate and pitch yeast. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) for 7 days. Add the first round of dry hops and wait for three days. Carefully rack the beer off the first round of hops, hopefully in a closed transfer situation into a CO₂-purged receiving vessel. Bag the second round of hops and add to the fermenter. Wait 2-3 days then remove. Carbonate to approximately 2.5 volumes. You can cold-crash the beer prior to packaging to 35 °F (2 °C) for 48 hours to improve clarity.

Revolution Brewing’s Louie Louie clone

(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.072   FG = 1.010 IBU = 58   SRM = 6   ABV = 8.2%

Ingredients

7 lbs. (3.2 kg) extra light dried malt extract
1.1 lbs. (0.5 kg) wheat dried malt extract
0.66 lb. (300 g) Munich dried malt extract
2.5 oz. (71 g) Amarillo® hops (hopstand)
2.5 oz. (71 g) Centennial hops (hopstand)
2.5 oz. (71 g) Amarillo® hops (1st round – dry hop)
2.5 oz. (71 g) Centennial hops (1st round – dry hop)
5 oz. (142 g) Mosaic® hops (2nd round – dry hop)
Wyeast 1028 (London Ale) or White Labs WLP013 (London Ale) or Lallemand Nottingham yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step

This recipe is designed to achieve 5.5 gallons (21 L) wort in the fermenter on brew day. This will help offset the loss of volume to the heavy hopping rate. Heat 5 gallons (19 L) of soft water to 180 °F (82 °C) and remove from heat. Stir in all the dried malt extract and return to a boil. Boil wort for 15 minutes then turn off heat and chill wort to 165 °F (74 °C). Follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe.

Bittering Hops:

I asked Revolution Brewing’s Brewer John Palos about his thoughts on the traditional bittering charge of hops with these hop-forward beers and whether they are becoming obsolete. He replied, “They’re definitely not a thing of the past. In fact, I feel that with growing development of (non pellet) hop products, many of which are boil-only, we will see growing interest in boil additions. I do see increasingly a simplification of hop bills, which I think is a positive. Some of the best beers I’ve had are made with stunningly simple recipes. The days of the IPAs with 6 different malts (including 10% crystal) are in the past, and I think 3+ hop additions are also disappearing. However, that bittering charge is still invaluable in many hoppy beers. I feel like it imparts a more stable, tangible, chewy bitterness that will last longer in packaged beer.