Perfecting our Russian River West Coast IPA | The Craft Beer Channel

In this week's episode we look to learn from all the mistakes we made in brewing our first west coast IPA, in a bid to do Vinnie of Russian River proud. Do we get a crisp, clean, clear, floral and piney IPA? Was it ever in doubt?
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[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Who's going to give this a go... or indeed just drink some more West Coast IPA!?

[@dansunder7minutebeerreview271]

I'm always up for a West Coast IPA, I miss them terribly.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

@@dansunder7minutebeerreview271 Well here's to them coming back!

[@modgrip805]

We just made a 20 Hec west coaster with Chinook, Simcoe and Columbus. Stuck to the crystal though cos it's all going into keg and into people's face holes within mere weeks! Also, I love crystal 🤷‍♂ Yours looked great! Well done chaps.

[@andrewchalke1078]

Ill deffo be giving it a go after I've drunk all my 'Two Hearted Ale' clone.. Any chance you can 'tag' the recipe ( and previous recipes on Grainfather ) with CBC as the recipe provider Cheers

[@paskrell]

Im very tempted and have converted the recipe already to brewfather lol. How did you get the water profile? Just checking as I usually have a different one for hoppy beers. Thx!!

[@SuperRS2008]

Absolutely love that the channel has gone down the homebrewing route, such an incredible video!

[@lmomontezzo]

I can't think of a single soul who watched this video till the end and isn't seriously considering brewing this beer, or something pretty similar Great work guys! Cheers from brazil

[@marklpaulick]

You bros gotta do a few more of these home brew collabs! Incredible content!

[@PartyTimeBrewing]

The key to a good WCIPA is a frozen hose. Got it! Looks like it was a great beer!

[@treyokelly9662]

Add that to the style guidelines

[@vikramjitsingh4538]

Had fun watching it vid Johnny.......brewing a classic wcipa is rewarding.......have a good one........cheers

[@thekentishpilgrim]

I've been craving more West Coast style for years now. Glad to see we seem to be achieving a bit more balance these days. Congrats on the beer, looks great!

[@yoelmacia]

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, thanks to this videos I am starting to brew again, bought a few more books and back to the road. Thanks Jonny & Brad ❤

[@DesertScorpionKSA]

Surfing in a pine forest? That must be some really good beer.

[@gregward7079]

With regards to water chemistry I use a company called spotless water that you can go and fill up from, it’s RO water. From there it would be much easier to explain the different profiles. The difference you can get on a NEIPA compared to tap water is impressive. Great video, love the brewing space!

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

WOAH this is an AMAZING tip. Found I have a location not far from me, thanks!

[@TheVindalloo]

I got a bunch of old school West Coast IPA's over Christmas, enjoyed them a lot. On the hops contact time in whirlpool, use a hop spider and pull after 30min. Cheers from a brit in Munich

[@RoranRock]

dry hopping just before cooling has another advantage : because of the temperature difference between the side (cooling part) and center of the fermenter, there's a bit of convection forming in the fermenter, helping moving the hops, thus helping extraction of aromas !

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Never thought about that! Will do some reading!

[@hardyardsbrewers1225]

I am watching this at 7.30am... and now I'm thirsty 🤣 you are right Jonny we are too caught up on how a beer looks when it's the aroma and taste that matter.. in saying that the CBC and Russian River westie looks smack on for a west coast, well done Fellas! 👌 cheers Mike 🍻🍻

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Interestingly I just made their Pliny the Elder using their released recipe and came out so nicely piney! Would love to try and give their West Coast a try!

[@davidmallard8729]

I can feel this Westie elbowing its way into my 2022 brew schedule, as we speak!! Good job fellahs!!

[@chrisnewman861]

I highly recommend you guys get your hands on the Grainfather Whirlpool Paddle. Total game changer.. It attaches to your drill & you'll never manually whirlpool again. Plus everything is better with powertools!

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

We keep meaning to ask for one!

[@matthewjames2129]

I loved every minute of this video🍻 I have recently brewed my own west coast IPA and I have learned so much from your last 3 videos that I’m going to totally re-vamp the recipe and try again… thanks for the inspiration and your beer looks delicious 🤓🍻 love your work boys (from the Sunshine Coast, Australia)

[@richardpetr7245]

Thank you so much for the 2 videos on this beer. I was searching for quite a while for a really good West Coast recipe to be inspired upon. Well...here we are! This is on deck asap and very excited. Much appreciated!

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Our pleasure! Let us know how it turns out!

[@richardpetr7245]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel Just having the first pour from the keg right now and this is outstanding! Absolutely perfect Westie right here and thanks to you and the good people at Russian River! Cheers!

[@richardpetr7245]

Also, I didn't end up using any cryos but this is just fantastic as it is and just very grateful. Thanks again!

[@cjraceway3639]

I'm going to give this a try next weekend! Thanks

[@bbiillyy012]

Thank you for adding the link to your recipe!!

[@daibowen1]

Looks fantastic! There is definitley something satisfying about pitching a healthy yeast starter and seeing it go crazy over the first few days. Great job lads 👏

[@Zetsubou515]

I count myself lucky enough to be a few miles from RR and know of a keg of Younger being tapped this weekend at a secret location.

[@gravlejs6]

Hey! Firstly I love your channel! But I wanted to ask you about getting a clean transfer without getting a lot of hop matter. I also own 2 g30 conical fermenters. And I also have tried to throw all the dry hops directly in the beer. BUT it was a pain in the a** to transfer it to a keg! I dumped as many hop material i could but still. I transfered it thru a inline bouncer filter and it clogged like 3/4 times. I don’t understand how did transfer? 😅 Thanks in advance!❤

[@gravlejs6]

Because I dump and dump and dump the hops and their still in solution and it feels like it’s not possible to get those out. I brewed a NEIPA with 300g dry hops. And lost like I guess 3-4 liters just from dumping the hop matter.. and like I said it still wasn’t all out. Could it be because of the cryo hops? Because of less matter material?

[@stevelewis199]

The beer looked absolutely fantastic! Well done guys great work. Be interested to see what you brew next.

[@HopZine]

Sounds like a real treat.

[@dejjag]

Love these homebrew videos, but I would really sugest you go for dry yeast(US-05) instead of putting 4liter of oxidized starter in your beer mate. If you're to use fresh yeast, try to cold crash the starter so you can discard most of the beer on top :)

[@EMPERORDEATX]

I am so gonna do a DIPA WC style soon!

[@GavM]

Great vid fellas. Cracking looking/sounding beer. It’s on my to brew list.

[@Seether1975]

Well done boys! Looks really good. I will attempt a version of your recipe (based on available ingredients)

[@Jango1989]

Well done!

[@mattbeerguerrilla9717]

Great video guys... who doesn't love a Westie!........ well lots of people, but they're wrong of course!

[@clintsimmons3122]

Nice work

[@andyhiggy]

Amazing video chaps. Probably my favourite of your homebrew videos. The Brewdio/Brudio? Is looking fantastic. Absolutely love your infectious enthusiasm. Being late to board the craft train I'm under exposed to Westies. Do you have any recommendations for any widely available brands worth trying? Love and beer.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Hey Andy - if you're UK based then look out for Westies from Burnt Mill, Duration, Pressure Drop (Alligator Tugboat is UNREAL), Siren Craft Brew and Elusive

[@theoldoakbrewhouse7859]

Great video. Awesome!

[@stephenlaw1782]

West coast my fave over endless niepa It’s a fortune in hops to brew mind

[@mattforge]

Well done guys! Love your videos. And I've had that happen with my bubbler aswell! Have since moved to just running a line into a mug of starsan mixture.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

That was our solution, might stick with it

[@CM13492]

Have you ever tried liquoring back into your fermenter? When I worked in a brewery it was standard practice we would transfer ~700-750l then top it up to 850-900l. Meant we never undershot our OG even if the mash/sparge efficiency may not have been perfect. You can even boost efficiency further by circulating the liquor back in the kettle which I think could work quite well in the Grainfather

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Haven't had to yet but certainly legit to do!

[@andysmith5981]

Cracking show as per usual , top blokes.. its my next brew! im worried you use regular garden hose, not food grade, for brew water, i can taste it in van or boat tanks, especially in the summer.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

The hose itself is food grade. Just not the nozzle but contact time is minimal.

[@lukestevens05]

Great job, the nbs clarity is great stuff use it in all my clear beers now. Also makes the beer gluten reduced

[@andrewpbarry]

Not only which farmer grew the simcoe, but which year's crop? I've definitely noticed a variation from harvest to harvest of the same variety. That's the advantage of pro brewers who brew the same beer every week, and can adapt to changes in crops. Maybe some more chinook and centennial to get some more pine and dank. Maybe a little fermcap-S into the fermenter to keep from blowing the top.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Yeah these hops were all 2021 harvest. It's an interesting point and it's nice to have got to the point in my homebrew journey where I can actually make such fine tweaks - but yes 100% if I made this beer again I'd reduce the Simcoe cryo, or replace some of it with T90 Simcoe

[@MichaelAndersen_DK]

4:00 Vicar Jonny is back. Repent, sinners!! But congrats on making a good Westie. Gotta love it when the enthusiasm just oozes out of the video. Cheers and Amen!

[@Schikitar]

Great vid, glad you guys pretty much nailed the end result! Any chance you could provide recipe in Brewfather or beer XML for import? 🍺👍

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

You can export the Grainfather recipe as an XML I believe?

[@Schikitar]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel yeah, that's what I'm asking, I don't have a GF account but I suppose I can create a free one..

[@Schikitar]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel Nope, you can't add the recipe unless you have an equipment profile and you can't add the G40 unless you have the mobile app and own a G40 by the looks of it, I've got a 35L BrewZilla.. :/

[@sebastianborghi1733]

Great content guys, cheers!

[@libationnation6969]

Looks super tasty. 🍻

[@kenbrown8946]

I'm going to brew this beer using your recipe. I've converted all the metric's to American Imperial measurements and I noticed your mash water to grain volume of 27.28 liters equates to 1.6 quarts per pound of grain which if correct makes for a very thin mash. Is this correct? Thanks in advance for your response.

[@neilarnote9708]

Yes you need to sign up for a free grainfather account to view the recipe FYI

[@kevinpayne3482]

Beautiful looking beer. Wonderful head retention. Can you send can to Lewiston, New York?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Haha this stuff is hyper rare. Distro to neighbours only.

[@robertschonfelder2162]

YES!! Just adapted the hop schedule to a single hopped Nelson Sauvin…. What made you choose Pilsner over a 2-row American pale?

[@robertschonfelder2162]

Just finished watching the full interview and found the answer!! 🍻

[@Jmfufghf]

do you filter out the hops at all I noticed you don't use the basket when you're mashing or when you added it to the final fermentation

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Hi - we definitely use the basket for mashing! And yes we filter the hops out - the G40 has an almost built in false bottom to do so.

[@indiekiduk]

Well Vinnie did say not to use all Simcoe in the dry-hop ;-)

[@matthewford472]

I love this video; its inspired me to brew a big West Coast IPA this weekend, Downunder, and I was just just wondering about your boil... is there a reason you don't do the rolling boil? It seems to be a gentle simmer whenever I see your kettle in action. Thanks guys love your work

[@user-cz2po8mo6q]

What was your mash and pre-boil PH? So important and you didn't mention at all...

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

5.2

[@RecipeswithBen]

To decrease the hop content post whirl pool and while chilling couldn't you place the hops in a mesh bag or mesh strainer and pull it out while chilling?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

We could, but I believe it can reduce utilisation. Might speak to grainfather to confirm.

[@RecipeswithBen]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel I have seen with the clawhammer system you can pump the hot liquid over the hop basket at whirlpool. But I personally just use a mesh bag for my hops but if that does lead to a decrease in utilization that is good to know!

[@smitty7592]

Try your whirlpool at 70C/160F not 80C/180F and hold there for 20min before resuming cooling. I used to whirlpool at 80C for 20 min and found better aroma and flavor once I lowered the whirlpool temp.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Interesting. Will have a go!

[@samshornvibes]

It depends on what your brewing. I've done some NEIPAs with a 60 minute whirlpool at 42°C before. That's pretty extreme, but experimenting with whirlpool temp and length is definitely worth it.

[@stephenlaw1782]

West coast still my fave but it’s a big spend on hops

[@Fotoscore]

awesome work as always! I struggle a bit with the focus of the camera, its no on point in the brewdio.

[@neilbowers6956]

Russian River clone in a Lucky Saint beer bottle. 🤔was Brad really drinking the clone? It looks really bloody good though! I'd be pleased if a beer I made came out like that. Instead for some reason they taste like Toilet Duck.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Haha he certainly was, but I drink a fair amount of lucky saint to keep the wolf from the door.... so I had a lot of bottles!

[@kanhavanand]

Did this recipe, but realized I forgot to buy Chinook and replaced with some more Simcoe as my bittering hop instead (similiar Alpha %). Am I in trouble or will this be alright?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

You'll be absolutely fine! Will work nicely.

[@charlesjohnson5811]

Thoughts on oxygen pick-up from suck back during cold crashing?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Seal it up and/or pump CO2 in during it, and you'll be golden. Even just a blanket of CO2 is better than nothing

[@djdownie3]

ANyone got the recipe somewhere that doesn't require login details? Thanks

[@trevorthomas678]

Can't you just use one packet and a bit more wort? Or step it up? I'd also get a stir plate and use starters, they work so well.

[@SunePedersen88]

Great video and brew guys! One question though not knowing the Grainfather system so much: Given the massive boil additions of hops did you face any issues pumping the wort out to the fermenter? In the video it seems like you're not using any hop filter at all, which to me would be scary to put through the pump of my system.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

The Grainfather has a great filter plate a the bottom of the vessel. Occasionally blocks but easy to unblock when it does. No hop matter makes it through, really.

[@stevebuttle1599]

Great effort guys!! I am planning to order a kit from Malt Miller ASAP Quick question; I am a bit confused as to when to add the NBS Clarity? Top channel fellas

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

At the same time as the yeast!

[@danielgrant1725]

Next brew is a westie!

[@andyfinlay4833]

Beer looks awesome. A west coast IPA is definitely next on my list when my pils runs out! Out of interest how do you create your water profile? Did you use RO water or just make adjustments to your tap/bottled H2O?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Made adjustments to my water, as close as I could (very hard where I am).

[@andyfinlay4833]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel yeh agreed, I am just down the road from Hitchin and I often revert to a good bottled water!

[@danevz88]

Jonny your taste buds seem to be dialed up to 11! Your taste buds are like "mmm sweet daffodils on a crispy Sunday morning" while mine are like "mmm cold and wet, nice." Think it's time to work on my beer tasting skills!!

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

More drinking will help...?

[@jonparry6462]

That looked like a fair amount of hops in the boil, how well does the GF handle it?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Pretty well! Had a blockage on the previous Westie brew, but not on this one. Either way, blowing down the tube quickly always sorts it!

[@d4funky1]

Will the T90 instead of the Cryo have a big impact on the brew?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

It will definitely change the profile - perhaps reduce the juiciness we got. But still will be delicious!

[@kenbrown8946]

What size batch? I'm trying to convert the metrics to U.S. standard. Is your recipe based on a 10 gallon batch? I converted your grain bill to pounds and the equivalent in pounds from KG came out to roughly 9 pounds of grain. That can't be correct to obtain a starting gravity of 1.060 on home brew equipment. Can you help please? Thanks!

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Everything you need is in a link on the follow video. It is a 30 litre batch

[@CampbellDitty1]

Any chance you could send a bottle of it my way if I paid for expenses? I've got a bottle of Pliny The Elder that I would like to compare it to

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Haha afraid we're down to the dregs - it proved very popular with friends. But also it's more like Blind Pig than Pliny!

[@wongchris9036]

Can we have AD Cooperation with ur channel?

[@stueyevilcat9983]

Where you getting your Yakima Cryo from?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

We got it direct as YCH are a sponsor, but I believe they are looking into homebrew supply

[@stueyevilcat9983]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel Yeah i saw a while ago they have a new Huge distribution site in Europe, Surprised Rob at MM isn't stocking it now

[@paulb9478]

Is Brad really drinking your beer? The bottle has a label with a bar code on it!

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Haha he definitely is - I just use old bottles for my homebrew!

[@joshbent653]

Im from the US please use imperial measurement for us yanks

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Nah the world is gonna pretend imperial doesn't exist til you Americans get with the PROGRAM.

[@9hundred67]

you shouldn't have used simcoe

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Why on earth not?! It's the best west coast IPA hop!

[@9hundred67]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel 18:31 you said it yourself, better in a new england style than a west coast IPA, because it's juicy.

[@pv4669]

I enjoy you lads, but when I click on the recipe it wants me to sign in. You lost me there. Cheers.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

This was down to the fact that these videos were sponsored by Grainfather. That deal is now at an end and I hope to find time to port recipes across to another platform soon.

[@troykirtley6854]

You should do a water chemistry collab with @jameshoffmann!

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Ooof there's an idea.