Pioneer Series: Cascadian IPA

Early last year I brewed my first 100% Brett beer, (over a gallon size) Pioneer Series: Citra.  Inspired by Chad at Crooked Stave.  Since the start of the project some of my original parameters have changed a little but the goal remains the same.  Creating solid 100% Brett primary fermentation beers.  

This time I wanted to create a beer a little farther off the norm than the first.  I started looking at hops, grains and different styles of Brettanomyces yeasts that I could use.  The more I thought about the flavor contributions I wanted, the more I started drifting towards a darker more robust beer.  The idea of using dark malts in a 100% Brett beer started to grow.  Wanting to staying away from porters and stouts (keeping the series intact) I settled on a Cascadian IPA.   

As of right now I consider Cascadian IPA's to have more dark roast and maybe a little chocolate in the beer compared to a Black IPA.  For Black IPA's, I look for more aroma driven hop flavors with less impact from the darker base malts.  But like I said, "As of right now I consider..."  As these styles are continually evolving and my opinion will likely change.  



Looking to keep the beer "Cascadian" in nature, I started to breakdown recipe ideas.  Less carafa II and more roasted barley, wanting to stay away from chocolate malts (to close to a Baltic Porter).  For the hops, I wanted the beer to not have any tropical flavors.  So that rules out Citra, Belma and Amarillo.  Instead looking at Bravo, Centennial, Cascade and Palasade.  On the 1st Pioneer Citra I used Brett-C, my personal favorite.  Having this yeast at the house is a big positive, but I feel Brett-C will be to fruity for this recipe.  Right now I am leaning towards Brett-Lambicus but honestly it might be a game time decision at my LHBS.  

This is what I settled on for the next 100% Brett only beer:

 

Pioneer Series: Cascadian IPA

American IPA/Experimental Beer

Type: All Grain	Date: 1/27/2013
Batch Size (fermenter): 6.00 gal	Brewer: Chris Lewis
Boil Size: 6.86 gal	Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min	Equipment: Lewys Tower
End of Boil Volume 6.24 gal	Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 6.00 gal	Est Mash Efficiency 72.0 %
Fermentation: Ale, Single Stage	Taste Rating(out of 50): TBA
Taste Notes:
Ingredients
Ingredients Amt Name Type # %/IBU 8 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 52.5 % 5 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 32.8 % 1 lbs Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 3 6.6 % 12.0 oz Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 4 4.9 % 8.0 oz Acid Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 5 3.3 % 1.00 oz Palisade [7.50 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 6 24.2 IBUs 1.00 oz Bravo [15.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 45.4 IBUs 0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 8 1.6 IBUs 1.00 oz Palisade [7.50 %] - Aroma Steep 0.0 min Hop 9 0.0 IBUs 0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Aroma Steep 60.0 min Hop 10 0.0 IBUs 1.0 pkg Brettanomyces Lambicus (White Labs #WLP653) [50.28 ml] [Add to Secondary] Yeast 11 - 2.00 oz Palisade [7.50 %] - Dry Hop 0.0 Days Hop 12 0.0 IBUs 1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Dry Hop 0.0 Days Hop 13 0.0 IBUs
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.067 SG	Measured Original Gravity: TBA SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.017 SG	Measured Final Gravity: TBA SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.5 %	Actual Alcohol by Vol: TBA %
Bitterness: 71.2 IBUs	Calories: TBA kcal/12oz
Est Color: 19.9 SRM
Mash Profile
Mash Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge	Total Grain Weight: 15 lbs 4.0 oz
Sparge Water: 3.92 gal	Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F	Tun Temperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE	Mash PH: 5.20
Mash Steps Name Description Step Temperature Step Time Mash In Add 19.06 qt of water at 172.8 F 160.0 F 60 min
Sparge Step: Batch sparge with 2 steps (0.49gal, 3.43gal) of 168.0 F water
Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).
Carbonation and Storage
Carbonation Type: Keg	Volumes of CO2: 2.3
Pressure/Weight: 10.59 PSI	Carbonation Used: Keg with 10.59 PSI
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 41.0 F	Age for: 30.00 days
Fermentation: Ale, Single Stage	Storage Temperature: 71.0 F
Fermentation Notes
Primary Fermentation:  67 Degrees for 3 days, letting it free rise over 2 weeks
Created with BeerSmith

   
The great thing about these Brettanomyces experiments are the unknown(s).  For years Brett was included with Pedio and Lacto as a unified souring bacteria.  After years of experimentation they are becoming better understood, and that really excites me.