Hello, does anyone have a good AG grapefruit IPA recipe? Thanks!
Get the grapefruit from hops. Fermented citrus can taste like vomit. Personally I think it tastes like tequila vomit.
Yep, leave out the grapefruit proper and use a blend of Centennial,Amarillo and a little Chinook, late and dry. Bitter with Chinook. Though you could (I suppose) add the zest of a grapefruit (NOT the pith, zest only !) into the keg in a nylon bag with a string and leave in until it tastes where you like, then yank it out. It would work.
As for the grist, I’d go clean to accentuate the citrus. Maybe 95% 2 row, 5% C40. 1056/001/05 for yeast.
~ 68-70 IBU, OG 1.063ish. Mash 150F.
I’ve thought of using citrus zest in an IPA, but hops honestly bring more than enough on their own for me. I get the most grapefruit from Cascade and Nelson Sauvin, but most C hops will give you plenty.
In the grapefruit vein, I tried a friend’s Saison once where he used the zest in keg just long enough to accentuate the yeast character, and it worked . Really good saison. As for the hops, it seems different every year - some year’s Cascade are really floral to me. The last lb of Centennial I bought were very grapefruity.
I agree with the others…I get grapefruit flavor from Cascade, Amarillo, and Centennial.
Amarillo, amarillo, and more Amarillo!
As mentioned above, I’d use a combination of chinook and centennial to bitter with. Then I’d kill it with Amarillo at 0 minute hop stand and dry hops… Maybe 5 oz at 0 min for 30 minute stand and 5 oz for dry hops.
Adding grapefruit zest during secondary fermentation could be a good idea. I’ve never added any type of zest to an IPA before, but I have added lemon zest to a wheat at 0 minutes and in the secondary and it turned out dandy.
Just feel the need to say in my defense - I have never and would never use grapefruit in my IPA !!! ;D ;D
But you can easily manipulate some PNW hops to get that !
Widmer’s Shaddock IPA is brewed with grapefruit peel and is quite tasty.
I’ve never had the Widmer beer you’re talking about as I tend to shy away from “crafty” beers. Although I did receive a six pack of their hop side down for Christmas and actually enjoyed it. It just goes to show that some of the big Brewers can brew crafty beers- not that I’m surprised. More to discuss but I digress.
Anyway, to get back to your original post, I would recommend hop bursting to get the flavor and aroma you’d like. Get very little IBU’s from the early hop additions (60 mins, 45, 20) and double up on the late additions (15 through flameout). Use some of the free brewing recipe calculators online to determine how much hops to add and when. When adding hops late in the boil it will take more to get the bitterness but adding them late in the boil retains the flavor and aroma.
As far as the hops Amarillo and Cascade give some fruitiness. Just google grapefruit hops and see what you can find. Some New Zealand hops may be worth considering. No matter what, add most of the hops late in the boil to get the aroma and flavor and drink the beer fresh.
Well, I guess most of you haven’t had Citrus Ninja by Westbrook brewing. Those jokers have stolen a few of my ideas (Thai inspired Belgian Wit - I did it first), but they own Citrus Ninja. I believe they use grapefruit post fermentation but how much I have no idea. I have used grapefruit in randall which actually was very awesome, maybe better that Citrus Ninja proper. But I have never used grapefruit itself in an IPA. Though I have given it some thought.
I’d go with crushed grapefruit in secondary. I’d remove most of juice, just add crushed, quartered grapefruit when you dry hop. Definitely go with citrussy hops like Amarillo, Centennial, Cascades, even Columbus. I’d probably throw some Chinook in there as well. And probably start with 5-10 crushed grapefruit in secondary and go from there.
I wouldn’t consider widmer crafty. InBev owns a sizable portion, but not full control. They may not be a craft brewery based on BA definitions, but the BA could always change the definition like they did for boston beer.
Plus, Widmer defined a style before CBA was formed.
Call me sentimental, but I still support widmer.
Widmer makes really good beer in my opinion. Their rotator IPA series is fabulous.
I would do as fmader suggests and about 1 oz of zest at flameout.
Something to consider if you intend to share your beer with others…quite a few people on various medications can’t eat grapefruit. It can make the meds too effective and lead to serious medical problems. I’m one of those people.
That’s news to me Denny. Interesting.
+1. I take a med that’s not grapefruit friendly, too. That’s a good point.
I do believe grapefruit negates some antibiotics as well…
What’s CBA? 
I don’t mean to be contrary, but that responsibility lies on the person taking the meds, not the brewer making a beer with grapefruit in it.
Or course but it’s always good to be aware