If you’re craft beer lover who enjoys big, bold, hoppy beers, here’s a recipe with brewing instructions so you can brew your own at home.
Recipe Specifications
Batch Size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Original Gravity (OG): 1.080
Final Gravity (FG): 1.015
ABV: 8.5%
IBU: 80
SRM (Color): 10 (Deep Gold)
Ingredients
Grains
12 lbs (5.44 kg) Pale Malt (2-Row)
1 lb (0.45 kg) Munich Malt
0.5 lb (227 g) Carapils Malt
0.5 lb (227 g) Crystal 40L Malt
Hops
1 oz (28 g) Magnum (60 minutes) – Bittering
1 oz (28 g) Centennial (15 minutes) – Flavor
1 oz (28 g) Simcoe (10 minutes) – Flavor
1 oz (28 g) Citra (5 minutes) – Aroma
2 oz (56 g) Mosaic (0 minutes – Flameout) – Aroma
2 oz (56 g) Galaxy (Dry Hop – 5 days before bottling) – Aroma
Yeast
1 packet American Ale Yeast (Wyeast 1056 or Safale US-05)
Brewing Instructions
Step 1: Prepare Your Equipment
Sanitize all your brewing equipment (fermenter, airlock, spoons, hoses, etc.) using a no-rinse sanitizer. Cleanliness is critical to avoid infections.
Fill your brew kettle with 6.5 gallons (24.6 liters) of water and heat to 165°F (74°C) for mashing.
Step 2: Mashing
Add the grains (Pale Malt, Munich Malt, Carapils, and Crystal 40L) to a mesh grain bag and submerge it in the heated water.
Maintain a mash temperature of 152°F (67°C) for 60 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure even temperature distribution.
After 60 minutes, remove the grain bag and let it drain into the kettle. Do not squeeze the bag, as this can release tannins.
Step 3: Boiling
Bring the wort (the liquid extracted from the grains) to a rolling boil.
Add 1 oz of Magnum hops and start a 60-minute timer.
At 15 minutes left in the boil, add 1 oz of Centennial hops and 1 tsp of Irish Moss.
At 10 minutes left, add 1 oz of Simcoe hops.
At 5 minutes left, add 1 oz of Citra hops.
At flameout (0 minutes), turn off the heat and add 2 oz of Mosaic hops. Stir well.
Step 4: Cooling and Fermenting
Cool the wort rapidly to 68°F (20°C) using an immersion chiller or an ice bath.
Transfer the cooled wort to a sanitized fermenter, leaving any trub (sediment) behind.
Aerate the wort by shaking or stirring vigorously for 5 minutes.
Pitch the yeast (Wyeast 1056 or Safale US-05) into the fermenter.
Seal the fermenter with an airlock and store it in a cool, dark place at 68°F (20°C).
Step 5: Dry Hopping
After primary fermentation (about 7-10 days), add 2 oz of Galaxy hops directly to the fermenter.
Let the beer sit for another 5 days to extract hop aroma.
Step 6: Bottling
Dissolve 5 oz of corn sugar in 1 cup of boiling water, then cool it to room temperature.
Transfer the beer to a bottling bucket, leaving the sediment behind.
Add the sugar solution to the bottling bucket and stir gently to mix.
Bottle the beer and cap the bottles.
Store the bottles at room temperature for 2 weeks to carbonate.
Tasting Notes
Appearance
Deep golden color with a slight haze (from dry hopping).
Thick, frothy white head with excellent retention.
Aroma
Intense tropical fruit (mango, passionfruit) and citrus (grapefruit, orange) notes from the Galaxy and Mosaic hops.
Subtle pine and resin undertones from the Simcoe and Centennial hops.
Flavor
Bold hop flavors dominate, with layers of tropical fruit, citrus, and a hint of pine.
Malt backbone provides a touch of sweetness to balance the bitterness.
Clean, dry finish with a lingering hop aftertaste.
Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation.
Smooth and slightly resinous from the hops.
Overall Impression
A hop-forward Imperial IPA with a perfect balance of bitterness, aroma, and malt sweetness. It’s bold, complex, and highly drinkable despite its high ABV.
Tips for Novice Brewers
Sanitation is Key: Always sanitize your equipment to avoid off-flavors.
Temperature Control: Keep your fermentation temperature steady to avoid unwanted esters or fusel alcohols.
Patience: Let the beer condition in the bottle for at least 2 weeks for optimal carbonation and flavor.
Experiment: Feel free to tweak the hop varieties or amounts to suit your taste preferences.
Enjoy your brewing journey and the delicious fruits of your labor with this big, hoppy, Imperial IPA! If you brew this recipe, please let us know how it turned out for you in the comments below.
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