San Diego Bound

When I first started getting into beer, the Bay Area was the hot spot in California for craft brewing. LA had one or two breweries. San Diego had some great breweries: Stone, Alesmith, Ballast Point and more. But SF was the epicenter.

And then Double IPAs hit. Legendarily created by Vinnie Cilurzo when he was at Blind Pig in Temecula, the style became a phenomenon around 2004. San Diego quickly staked its claim as the home of “San Diego Pale Ale.” Thankfully, brewers have stepped back from the early “How many IBUs can we slam in the kettle?” days. Now, the approach is still “simple malt and a lot of hops,” but with the focus more on pushing the hop aroma and flavor, not just the bitterness.

On a recent trip to San Diego, I met up with fellow writer Brian Trout. He hopped about like a proud alchemist with a growler filled with his latest homebrewed DIPA. It was rich, and coated the tongue with hop flavors; playful, with the mango-pineapple of Citra, and bitter enough to remind you that it meant business without being obnoxiously teeth rattling. Even better, he shared his obsessively tweaked recipe to demonstrate all he feels a DIPA should be.

HOPPY HOPPY JOY JOY DIPA (courtesy of Brian Trout)
Brian describes this beer as “San Diego Sunset Golden.” It requires just under a pound of hops.
5.0 gallons, 80-minute boil, 1.079 OG, 163 IBU (rager), 8 SRM, 8.9% ABV

Malt / Grain / Sugar
16.5 lb. domestic 2-row
14 oz Cara-Pils
0.5 lb. Crystal 40L
0.5 lb. white wheat malt
1.75 lb. dextrose

Mash
Strike and rest at 152°F for 60 minutes.

Hops (Pellets)
2 oz Warrior | 16.0% AA | 60 minutes
0.75 oz Centennial | 12.5% AA | 30 minutes
0.75 oz Citra | 14.1% AA | 30 minutes
0.75 oz Simcoe | 13.0% AA | 30 minutes
0.75 oz Citra | 14.1% AA | 15 minutes
1.00 oz Centennial | 12.5% AA | whirlpool (add below 170°F)
1.00 oz Citra | 14.1% AA | whirlpool (add below 170°F)
1.00 oz Simcoe | 13.0% AA | whirlpool (add below 170°F)
1.00 oz Centennial | 12.5% AA | dry-hop (8 days total)
1.00 oz Citra | 14.1% AA | dry-hop (8 days total)
1.00 oz Simcoe | 13.0% AA | dry-hop (8 days total)
1.00 oz Centennial | 12.5% AA | dry-hop (4 days total)
1.00 oz Citra | 14.1% AA | dry-hop (4 days total)
1.00 oz Simcoe | 13.0% AA | dry-hop (4 days total)

Other Ingredients
1 tablet Whirlfloc – 10 minutes in the boil
2.2 gm WLN1000 White Labs Yeast Nutrient – 10 minutes in the boil

Yeast
WLP001 California Ale Yeast

Instructions
Chill and ferment the beer at 67°F for 2–3 weeks. Crash to 38°F for 3–5 days before racking to the keg. Warm to ferment temps and add the dry hops in weighted nylon mesh bags. Use plain, unflavored, unwaxed dental floss to facilitate bag removal. Brian percolates CO2 through the keg for a few minutes every other day to circulate. After the second dry-hop, pull the bags, and carbonate and filter. ■