West Coast Brewer Home Brewing Blog

Category: Beer Recipes (Page 1 of 2)

A collection of home brewing recipes.

Battle Hammer Viking IPA & Kviek Yeast

Kviek Yeast
Perhaps  the biggest brewing trend of 2019 has been the explosion in popularity of Kveik (pronounced Ki-Vike) yeast. Kveik is a group of Norwegian yeast strains that were previously best known for their use in Norwegian farmhouse brewing. Kviek yeast has been used in brewing for over 400 years now, but recently has seen a resurgence in popularity because of some of its unique properties.

So what is so special about Kviek? Primarily it boils down to temperature! Unlike typical ale yeast, which ferments best around 68F, Kviek yeast strains ferment well up to temperatures of 100°F (a temperature that would kill most lager or ale yeast strains).  In fact, the sweet spot for Kviek yeast strains is between 70°F and 95°F  and at high temperatures it imparts little noticeable difference in ester production. The ideal fermentation temperature for a lager is typically between 45F and 60F ; for an ale it is 68F and 72F.  Unlike Kviek, most lager and ale yeast strains produce undesirable off flavors / esters once they exceed their optimal fermentation temperature ranges. If a home brewer does not have the ability to control their fermentation temperature this often times translates to sub par beer.

The high fermentation temperature range of Kviek yeasts has another big benefit, SPEED! You know how cold blooded animals like snakes and lizards move slower when it is cold outside and faster when it is hot? Well yeast works the same way.  When the temperature is high, yeast gets super charged.  It is the reason why lagers ferment so much slower than ales. Using Kviek yeast is kinda like trading in your old 2007 Dodge Caravan for a 2020 Porsche GT2 with a carbon fiber spoiler, reduced weight seats and upgraded suspension package.

Not wanting to drive a Minivan any longer, I figured I would give Kviek a shot and see what all the hype was about.

 

Kviek Yeast Fermentation TemperaturesTEMP: 65–100F (18–38C) FLOCCULATION: MEDIUM-HIGH ATTENUATION: 75–85% ALCOHOL TOLERANCE: 10% Norwegian Voss Kveik Strain. Highly versatile, can be used in a wide variety of beer styles. A traditional Norwegian Kveik strain that has an extremely wide fermentation temperature range. This strain has been traditionally used in Norwegian farmhouse style beers however, due to it’s fermentation temp range can be used in a variety of beers from pseudo lagers, Belgian inspired, and hop forward beers. The possibilities seem endless when fermenting with Loki. On the cool end of the range Loki is super clean; producing little to no esters. On the high end of the fermentation range, 85-95F, it tends to produce a huge fruit ester profile.

Home Brewing with Kviek Yeast

To take full advantage of the Kviek fermentation benefits, I purchased a dual stage temperature controller and an “always on” heating pad for my fermentation chamber (converted chest freezer).  Keep in mind that as yeast ferments it is releasing a bunch of energy as it replicates, digests sugar, pees out alcohol and burps out CO2. In the image at the top of this article, you can see that I set my fermentation temp to 86F and the yeast brought the temperature all the way up to 90.1F during primary fermentation. It is advised that you make sure you keep that in mind as you set your desired fermentation temperature into your temp controller if you happen to use one.

For my first Kviek batch, I fermented a Double IPA and used the Imperial Loki Kviek yeast strain. Here is some of Imperials information on it:

Imperial Loki Kviek Yeast

TEMP: 65–100F (18–38C) FLOCCULATION: MEDIUM-HIGH ATTENUATION: 75–85% ALCOHOL TOLERANCE: 10%
Norwegian Voss Kveik Strain that can be used in a wide variety of beer styles. A traditional Norwegian Kveik strain that has an extremely wide fermentation temperature range. This strain has been traditionally used in Norwegian farmhouse style beers however, due to it’s fermentation temp range can be used in a variety of beers from pseudo lagers, Belgian inspired, and hop forward beers. The possibilities seem endless when fermenting with Loki. On the cool end of the range Loki is super clean; producing little to no esters. On the high end of the fermentation range, 85-95F, it tends to produce a huge fruit ester profile.

I created a yeast starter with the Kviek yeast the night before. The brew day went well with no mishaps. I pitched the wort, placed the fermenter in the fermentation chamber and checked in on it periodically.   The fermenter was already bubbling after just a few hours. I had never seen fermentation begin so rapidly. Primary fermentation concluded in just 3 days which was incredibly fast for a beer with an approximate ABV of 8.5%.  I dry hopped the beer for 3 additional days and then cold crashed for 2 days at 45F. My highest fermentation temperature reached was 91F.

 

Battle Hammer - Viking IPA with Kviek Yeast

Battle Hammer – Viking IPA with Kviek Yeast

I named my first Kviek beer Battle Hammer – Viking Double IPA. It is extremely hoppy, but with a name like Battle Hammer, I figured it needed to be. I had only let the beer condition in the keg for about a week and at this point it is still a little cloudy;  I am hoping it will clear a bit over the next couple of weeks. The beer tastes fantastic; very clean and with no off flavors that might have come from the yeast. I was unable to taste any noticeable difference between brewing with this Kviek Loki yeast to when I had brewed this same beer in the past with a Wyeast 1056 American Ale yeast strain. The beer came out great, my only change would be to perhaps swap out some of my old school hops for some Citra to brighten the hop profile a bit.

To celebrate the beer, I had created a tap handle inspired by it’s Norwegian heritage.

Norwegian IPA - Battle Hammer - Kviek Yeast

Norwegian IPA – Battle Hammer – Kviek Yeast – Tap Handle Being Welded

 

Norwegian IPA - Battle Hammer - Kviek Yeast - Finished Tape Handle

Norwegian IPA – Battle Hammer – Kviek Yeast – Finished Tape Handle

The runes on the tap handle read “IPA” or at least that is what the Google tells me.

I already have another Kviek fermented beer in the works. For this batch I am using the Omega Kviek Hornidal strain. It is going to be a Coconut Milkshake Hazy IPA.  I am hoping that some of the tropical not from them Hornindal Kviek strain take hold in the beer. The hop profile of this beer is far more subtle than my Battle Hammer Viking IPA, so the yeast should have a greater impact on the flavor of this beer.  Here is some information on the Kviek yeast stains put out by Omega.

HotHead

HotHead is Norwegian in origin from the Stranda Kveik. The famous Lars of Larsblog collected it in Norway and then sent it away for isolation. This isolate has a uniquely pleasant fruitiness and an absurdly wide fermentation range, and ferments clean across the entire range. This is great for brewers who want to be energy efficient with temperature control, or who lack temp control in warm climates. It maintains a stable ester profile, and we advocate it’s be used for hoppy American ales.

Attributes:  Med-High Flocculation, 75-85% Attenuation, : 72-98° F Temp Range, 11% ABV Alcohol Tolerance

HotHead Kviek Yeast can be purchased here for $8.99

Voss Kveik

Voss Kveik is also a Norwegian farmhouse strain from the Gjernes farmhouse which is new to US brewers. It maintains character over a broad temperature range with subtle orange citrus notes that match fruity hops well.

Attributes: Medium Flocculation, 75-82% Attenuation, 62-98° F Temp Range, 12% ABV Alcohol Tolerance

Omega Voss Kviek Yeast can be purchased here for $8.99
Hornindal Kveik

A wonderfully unique Norwegian farmstead Kveik.  Hornindal presents a tropical flavor and aroma of fresh pineapple, mango and tangerine, which complement fruit-forward hops. Add even more dimension to C hops with a high fermentation temperature, intensifying aroma and fermentation speed. Ferments well at 90+° F.

Attributes: High Flocculation, 75-82% Attenuation, 72-98° F Temp Range,  16% ABV Alcohol Tolerance

Omega Hornindal Kviek Yeast can be purchased here for $8.99

 

Celebrate IPA Day!

Happy IPA Beer Day!

Happy IPA Beer Day!

Happy IPA Beer Day! In honor of this beloved beer drinkers holiday, you can reap the rewards at MoreBeer! From now until Sunday, you can save 15% on all of MoreBeer’s IPA home beer brewing kits including their famous Pliny the Elder beer kit! Here are the details and links to this More Beer promo code.

Promo Code Description: 15% OFF IPA BEER KITS AT MOREBEER.COM WITH THIS MORE BEER PROMO CODE
Promo Code Date: 8/2/2019 to 8/4/2019
MoreBeer Promo Code: IPADAY – Click for Promo Code Offer 
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New Hazy Session IPA Recipe

West Coast Brewer Hazy Session IPA All Grain Recipe

West Coast Brewer Hazy Session IPA All Grain Recipe

I recently transferred my Hazy Session IPA to the keg and let it carbonate. I was really pleased with the results and figured I would post the recipe in case anyone was looking to brew one. I did my best to keep the ABV right at or slightly under 5%. Since session beers tend to be a little thin on body, I tried to round mine out by adjusting the mineral profile of the water. I also loaded my Hazy Session IPA up with Citra hops to give it that lush and juicy taste that you come to expect with a Hazy IPA.

Hazy Session IPA All Grain Recipe

Beer Name: Murky Depths Hazy Session IPA
Beer Style: New England Style Hazy Session IPA
Recipe Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 5 Gallons
Mash Type:
Infusion
(60 Min) 152F
(10 Min) 169F Mash Out
1 tsp Calcium Chloride
.5 tsp Gypsum / Calcium Sulfate
Grain Bill:
9 LBS Pale 2 Row US
1 LBS Flaked Oats
1 LBS Caramel / Crystal Malt 40L
Hops:
.5 oz Centennial – 60 minutes
1 oz Cascade – 20 minutes
1 oz Cascade – 10 minutes
2 oz Citra – 0 Minutes & Whirlpool
Yeast:
London Ale III Wyeast #1318
Fermentation:
2 Week Primary @ 70F
– I ferment this at a slightly higher that usual temperature to increased ester production
and to create a more active fermentation)
On day 3 of active fermentation make the following hop additions
2 oz Citra
On day 7 of fermentation make the following hop additions
1 oz Cascade
2 oz Citra
Once fermentation has completed cold crash and transfer to keg or bottle.

I hope you like it and happy brewing!

MoreBeer.com Promo Code – Save 25% On Pliny the Elder Homebrew Kits

Pliny the Elder Home Brewing Kits

Pliny the Elder Beer Kits

 

More Beer Coupon Code Date: 8-27-2018 to 9-2-2018
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More Beer Promo Code: KOTW – CLICK HERE
Availability: In Stock
MoreBeer.com Coupon Code Description: This week at MoreBeer, they have an incredible new promotion running that will save you 25% On Pliny the Elder All Grain and Extract Home Brewing Beer Kits! In order to take advantage of this limited time More Beer deal on Pliny the Elder homebrew kits, make sure that you enter the MoreBeer.com promo code KOTW at checkout and save 25%! Click the link for all of the details and to take advantage of this homebrewing deal from MoreBeer! Don’t forget, you will also get FREE SHIPPING on orders over $59 at More Beer. This is perhaps More Beer’s best beer kit in my opinion and I have brewed it many of times.

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PLINY THE ELDER HOME BREWING KITS

 

West Coast Brewer NEIPA Hazy IPA Version 2

West Coast Brewer NEIPA – Hazy IPA Recipe v2.0

We just finished brewing our most recent batch of beer!  For this one, we took another crack at a Hazy IPA. Hazy IPA’s have quickly become one of my very favorite styles to both brew and consume.  The combination of tropical hops and fruity esters from the yeast end up creating a hoppy fruitiness that is difficult to resists!

Just a word of caution, if you choose to brew this recipe, beware that there is a good deal of oats and wheat in it and depending on your system it could cause sparge and recirculation issues.  I personally experienced that with this batch.  It may be wise to add some rice hulls to the mash to help prevent it from sticking. It did finally clear, but it was a struggle for a little while. I ended up adding an extra gallon of water to the mash to help clear it.

Ss BrewTech Stainless Steel Conical Homebrewing Fermenter

Ss BrewTech Stainless Steel Conical Homebrewing Fermenter

Sanitizing the stainless steel Ss BrewTech conical fermenter. I ended up chopping the feet off of mine and using a flat top so that it fits inside my cest freezer for fermentation. I also traded out the racking arm for More Beer’s Ultimate Racking Arm solution. I am super happy with it and also have a 14 gallon version.

 

Here is the post boil whirlpool after I added the additional hops in at flame out!  I let it whirlpool for approximately 15 minutes. I added a weldless stainless steel whirlpool arm from More Beer and it has worked out really well for me.  It was easy to install into my kettle and has been completely leek free!

 

The TrubTrapper Post Boil

The Trub Trapper Post Boil

This is probably my best recent purchase! The Trub Trapper did an incredible job on this batch and really exceeds expectations when I use it in conjunction with a whirlpool process.  It captures 90%+ of the hops and trub so that I can draw in clean wort to my fermentor with out worry!

Here is my West Coast Brewer Hazy IPA v2.0 beer recipe!

If you brew it, please let me know how it turns out for you!

Beer Name:  West Coast Brewer Hazy IPA v2.0
Beer Style: New England IPA / NEIPA / Hazy IPA / Vermont Style IPA
Recipe Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 5 Gallons
Mash Type: Infusion
(60 Min) 150F Mash with recirculation
(10 Min) 169F Mash Out
1 tsp Calcium Chloride
1/2 tsp Gypsum / Calcium Sulfate
Grain Bill:
12 LBS Pale 2 Row US
2 LBS Flaked Oats
2 LBS Flaked Wheat
1 LBS Flaked Malt
1 LBS Honey Malt
Hops:
1 oz Mosaic – 5 Minutes
2 oz Citra – 5 Minutes
1 oz Mandarina Bavaria – 5 Minutes
1 oz Citra – 0 Minutes – Whirlpool for 15 Minutes
1 oz Mosaic – 0 Minutes – Whirlpool for 15 Minutes
Other: DO NOT USE A CLARIFIER
Yeast: London Ale III Wyeast  #1318
Fermentation:2 Week Primary @ 72F
– I ferment this at a slightly higher that usual temperature to increased ester production
and to create a more active fermentation)
On day 3 of active fermentation make the following hop additions
2 oz Mandarina Bavaria
On day 7 of fermentation make the following hop additions
2 oz Mandarina Bavaria
2 oz Citra
Once fermentation has completed or on day 10, cold crash and transfer to keg or bottle.

Adventures in Homebrewing Beer Kit Promotion

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Sale Date: 5-20-2017 to While Supplies Last
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All-American Pale Ale by Palmer Brewing
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Biere De L’inde English IPA by Palmer Brewing
Programmer’s Elbow Extra Special Bitter by Palmer Brewing
Glorious Abyss Black IPA by Palmer Brewing
Black Widow Robust Porter by Palmer Brewing
McQuaker’s Oatmeal Stout by Palmer Brewing
Cerveza de Malta Seca Dry Irish Stout by Palmer Brewing
Nutcastle Northern English Brown Ale by Palmer Brewing
Triple A American Amber Ale by Palmer Brewing
Ruabeoir Irish Red Ale by Palmer Brewing
Raison D’Saison Ale by Palmer Brewing
Kent’s Hollow Leg American Wheat by Palmer Brewing
Harold – is – Weizen Hefeweizen by Palmer Brewing
North of the Border Vienna Lager by Palmer Brewing
To George! Bohemian Pilsner by Palmer Brewing
Munchen Grobes Bier Munich Helles Lager by Palmer Brewing
JZ Fruh Kolsch by Palmer Brewing
Snatch the Pebble American Pilsner by Palmer Brewing
Weed, Feed and Mow Cream Ale by Palmer Brewing
Hop Hammer Double IPA by Palmer Brewing
Strict Observance Belgian Tripel by Palmer Brewing
Munich Madness Oktoberfest/Marzen by Palmer Brewing

 

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John Palmer Beer Recipe Sale

John Palmer Beer Recipe Kits

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Juicy IPA Recipe

Juicy IPA Recipe #juicy #ipa #recipe #homebrew #homebrewing #home #brewing

Juicy IPA Recipe #juicy #ipa #recipe #homebrew #homebrewing #home #brewing

So I started doing some research and decided that I was going to start with the “HAZE CRAZE IPA” all grain hazy IPA beer kit from More Beer.  The name did not sell me on the kit, but the recipe and hop additions certainly did.  I made a couple of small tweaks to the recipe, but they were pretty insignificant. Here is what I ended up with:

 

Water Additions:
1 tsp Calcium Chloride (Mash 60 min)
1/2 tsp Gypsum (Mash 60 min)

 

Grain Bill: (Mash at 150F)
12 lb Pale Ale Malt
1 lb Flaked Oats
1 lb Flaked White Wheat
8 oz Flaked Barley
4 oz Honey Malt

 

Hop Additions:

60 min .5 oz Warrior
5 min 1oz Citra
0 min 2oz Mosaic
0 min 1oz Citra Bavaria (I love this hop)
Whirlpool 15 min
Whirlpool 15 min

 

Dry Hop Additions:
I know this is not typical, but add the dry hops about 3 days after the start of fermentation.  Begin fermenting at 65F and then boost the temp to 70F when adding the dry hops.
1oz Citra (Did I mention I love this hop?)
2oz Mosaic

7 days after the start of fermentation
2oz Citra
1oz Mosaic

 

Yeast:
London Ale III (This is important for fruity ester and haze production)

 

The beer came out fantastic! If you are considering brewing up a Hazy IPA, I highly recommend this recipe.  Homebrew Supply also has a extract version of the recipe available for extract brewers.  The beer kits can be found here:

 

Haze Craze IPA Home Brewing Recipe

 

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Pliny the Elder All Grain Homebrewing Recipe

Pliny the Elder All Grain Homebrewing Recipe

Pliny the Elder All Grain Homebrewing Recipe

 

For anyone who is interested in brewing an all grain homebrew batch of Pliny the Elder, I have posted the recipe that I brew.  It is a great recipe and tribute to one of the most famous and hard to get Double IPA’s out there. In fact it is so hop packed that this home brewing recipe even calls for a hop addition to the mash!

 

Click here to view the Pliny the Elder Homebrewing Recipe

Updated Homebrewing Beer Recipe Listing

Hot Girl Chugging Beer Animated Gif

Girl Chugging Beer Animated Gif

 

Beer drinkers and home brewers rejoice!  I am happy to announce that I have updated my homebrewing beer recipe archive and will be adding additional recipes shortly including my Pliny the Elder All Grain Beer Recipe and my Squanto Pilsner Homebrew Recipe.  So please check back often and let me know if you have any suggestions!

Home Brewing Beer Recipe Archive

 

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MoreBeer.com & MoreBeer Home Brewing Coupons
Coupon Codes for MoreBeer.com Homebrewing

 

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Promo Codes for the Month of  July  2016
Coupon Code Date: 7/28/2016 to 7/29/2016
Promotion Details: Save $5 On MoreBeer Home Brewing Beer Kits
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