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#57:  Hop Bitters (India Pale Ale)
  • Hop Bitters was the name of the Rochester, NY American Association baseball team. They played a single season in 1890, finishing with a record of 63 and 63. The American Association was absorbed by the National League in 1890. Hop Bitters was a best selling snake-oil patent-medicine of the era. This recipe is based on late nineteenth century India Pale Ale recipes.
Chris Swingley 
22-Apr-2006

Recipe (for 5 gallons final volume)
13 pounds (81%) Crisp Maris Otter Pale Malt
3 pounds (19%) Briess 6-Row Malt

1 ounce   Northern Brewer whole hops, 7.0% AA (first wort hop)
1.25 ounces   Chinook whole hops, 12.1% AA (75 minutes)
1 ounce   U.S. Goldings whole hops, 5.0% AA (2 minutes)

0.25 teaspoon   Irish Moss (15 minutes)

  • White Labs WLP022 Essex Ale Yeast, pitched at 66°F
  • Starter: Top crop from previous recipe stored under distilled water in fridge, pitched into 1 quart sterile wort a few days early, crash cooled, decanted, warmed.
  • Aeration: Drill aerator for three minutes after pitching

Water
  • Fairbanks city water
  • 40.25 quarts  water treated with:
    • 4 ml Potassium Metabisulfide solution (50ppm). removes chlorine ion and chloramine, reduces oxidation
  • 24 quarts mash water treated with:
    • 2 teaspoons Gypsum. adds 90 ppm Calcium ion, 216 ppm Sulfite
    • 1 ml 88% Lactic Acid.

Mash
  • 24 quarts water @ 159°F, grist ratio of 1.5 quarts:pound @ 150°F (Held 100 minutes)

Sparge
  • 11.5 quarts water @ 210°F, drain
  • 5 quarts water @ 168°F, drain

Boil
  • Boiled 8.0 gallons for 90 minutes to yield 5.5 gallons wort

Fermentation
  • Primary: bucket, 7 days, 66°F, Temperature range 65 - 70 F
  • Secondary: keg, 14 days, 65°F, Gravity 1.021 at transfer

Packaging
  • Kegged at 8 psi, 50°F (1.8 volumes CO2)
  • Conditioned for 8 weeks
  • Ready to drink on 8-July-2006

Properties
Starting Gravity: 1.078 Final Gravity: 1.018
Original Extract: 18.9°plato Apparent Extract: 4.6°plato
Real Extract: 7.36°plato
Alcohol: 7.9% by volume (6.2% by weight)
Apparent Attenuation: 75.8% Mash Efficiency: 74%
Bitterness: 55 IBU Color: 7 SRM
BU:SG: 0.71 BV: 1.53

Tasting Notes

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