Brush Valley Brewer’s Northwest Golden Cascade Extract IPA

I brewed this beer back in April after seeing the “Six-pack IPA” episode of the Basic Brewing Video podcast.

Makes four 22-ounce bottles

OG: 1.060 SG
FG: 1.018 SG
ABV: 5.6%
IBU: 66
SRM: 4.7 (Dark Straw)

Ingredients

• 1 pound Briess Golden Light DME (end of boil)
• 0.3 ounces Cascade pellets (60 minutes)
• 0.1 ounces Cascade pellets (15 minutes)
• 0.1 ounces Cascade pellets (5 minutes)
• 0.25 ounces Cascade whole (in primary)
• Wyeast Northwest Ale yeast propagator pack (1332)

Directions

1. Make a 1-quart starter several days in advance.
2. Put 5 quarts of water into a 12 quart pot. Cover. Bring to a boil. Remove cover.
3. Add 0.3 ounces Cascade pellets. Continue boil for 45 minutes.
4. Add 0.1 ounces Cascade pellets. Continue boil for 10 minutes.
5. Add 0.1 ounces Cascade pellets. Remove from heat and add 1 pound of dry malt extract. Stir to dissolve. Return to heat. Boil for 5 minutes.
6. Turn off heat. Cover. Place pot in a sink of cold water. Stir wort with a sanitized spoon. Be careful to not aerate the wort while hot. Change the water occasionally as it warms up. Continue until wort reaches 70°F.
7. Pour wort into a sanitized 1-gallon jug through a sanitized funnel with a screen to remove the sediment.
8. Swirl the starter to suspend the yeast. Measure out 0.5 cups into a sanitized measuring cup. Pitch. Cap the jug with a sanitized stopper and shake to aerate. Affix a sanitized 3-piece airlock and drilled stopper. Place in a 65–75°F dark place for 1 week.
9. Place 0.25 ounces whole Cascade hops in enough warm (less than 167°F) water to just cover. Steep covered for 20 minutes. Add the hop tea and hops to a sanitized 1-gallon jug.
10. Using a sanitized siphon, racking cane, and siphon hose, transfer the beer from the primary fermenter to the secondary onto the hop tea. Affix a sanitized 1-piece airlock and drilled stopper. Place in a 65–75°F dark place for 1 week.
11. Combine 0.7 ounces DME with 12 fluid ounces of water. Bring to a boil for several minutes. Cool to 70°F. Add to a sanitized bottling bucket.
12. Using a sanitized racking cane and siphon hose, transfer the beer from the secondary to the bottling bucket.
13. Using a sanitized siphon hose and bottling wand, fill four 22-ounce bottles. Cap and store in a 65–75°F dark place for 2 weeks before sampling.

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p>Notes

Good clarity. Color of dark straw — not quite amber. Well carbonated. Good citrus aroma. Slightly “green” taste — could age longer. Served a bit too cold. Citrus flavor. Good bitterness. Not thin. Success! This was my first brew after a 14 year break. While it is not terribly complex, it was quite good and a good confidence builder.