My Top 5 Tips for Brewing CRISP, HOPPY MODERN WEST COAST IPAs in 2024

[@vijayramachandran3559]

I'm a big fan of keeping West Coast IPAs very different from hazies. To me, that means a little bit of crystal - I like the darker ones, especially Thomas Fawcett Amber - and more traditional hops - Chinook, Columbus, Amarillo, Cascade, Centenniel, and of course Simcoe

[@lucaparolin5623]

Old school west coast IPAs are the reason why I started homebrewing, because I can't find them anymore I started brewing them myself.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

One of the best reasons to enjoy making your own!

[@TNBen60]

Still a fan of the old style piney hop bomb. I consider them to be “crushable“ to use a term you recently taught me. 😂 I do like the current tendency towards dryness though. I really enjoy your videos.

[@viper29ca]

Yeah, and no one makes them anymore. Or if they do, it is a short run

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Nothing wrong with that - they can be fantastic beers, but it does seem like tastes are shifting again!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Just had a great one recently from a brewery in PA. Balance is tricky but makes a difference!

[@BeetsByHometownBrew]

Local brewery in my neck o' the woods, makes a "Pine trees don't move IPA" It's a ski town, obviously...

[@MKrebs-kl7ud]

Nothing like a Palate Wrecker from Greenflash. While they don’t make it anymore I made a clone about 7 years ago and will make it again. Rock the Bomb!

[@MeFee100]

Great tips as usually. But let me add another one. For lWC I always use some aromatic hops at mashing and first wort hoping as well. It helps especially when you want to elongated freshness of particular aromas for longer shelf life. Works great for big batches . Greetings from Poland. Cheers

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Nice tip!

[@vikramjitsingh4538]

very informative video on the latest trends Steve, it really helps brewers in getting reliable info from a seasoned brewer like you.......keep up the great work..........brewers like me really appreciate this......cheers

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Cheers to that! Glad the video was helpful!

[@williammahley4876]

Well done! I’m very much a traditionalist when it comes to brewing…, e.g. German, Belgian, Czech and UK. I do enjoy the classic American Pale Ales, West Coast and New England IPAs from the great brew houses of those styles. I don’t brew them because I can buy them. But, I’ve always thought if you are going to brew hoppy stuff to show case the wonderful flavors and aromas of the great modern hops varieties do it on a platform of good base malt and moderate bitterness. There should be a presence of malt character and body underneath an explosion of whatever hop character you’re looking for. It is beer after all…

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

To play devils advocate, what about German Pilsner? It's one of the hoppiest styles of European beer. but doesn't need anything other than pilsner malt to get the hops to shine. To each their own, but the point of this video is to work with the constantly shifting landscape of American craft beer.

[@williammahley4876]

@ Pilsner malt is great stuff. I always have a German Pilsner on tap! As a platform for a hop bomb are there some hop flavors and aromas that you think would work best with if? Are there some that might pair better with, say, a Maris Otter, 2-row or Belgian Pils,etc. base?

[@CityscapeBrewing]

Great tips! Definitely love the direction ipas have headed! So many good hops to choose from! 🍺👍

[@BrewmasterDough2]

Danke!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thank you so much for the superthanks!!

[@aaroncook8890]

Great video! I know you're feeling busy these days, but I'd definitely continue watching your recipe videos even if you don't brew the beer. Your passion gets me so pumped to make a certain style

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks for the feedback! I'm always trying to stay engaged with the homebrew community even if I'm not doing as many grain to glass videos!

[@Exposfan4ever]

I still love 70ibu, C-hop IPA's. 😅🔥

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Nothing wrong with that!

[@jackhandy7237]

Great video, AB!

[@DanimalBeerSherpa]

Love a good West Coast!

[@AreYouFor86]

Made a West coast fresh hop IPA this fall. Used S04 on the lower end and it was fantastic. Clean and really clear due to how well S04 flocculates. Would make again next year. Cheers!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Fresh hop beers are amazing!

[@StratoJohn]

Good useful tips

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@vruychev]

Learning something new every day! Cheers, Steve.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@rici_22]

Some really good tips in this. Thanks dude!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I'm glad you found them helpful!

[@jameso904]

I'm brewing a WCIPA tomorrow with Citra and El Dorado hops with lutra kveik yeast. Cheers 🍻

[@mitchschiller4859]

I really think using a lager yeast for these modern West coasts can make an important contribution

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Agreed so much!

[@TheVindalloo]

If you ever visiting Munich, let me know. I'd love to have a brew day with you. I'm actually planning a WC as I'm getting a bit tired of hazy stuff. My new favourite is my NZ Pils and I'm brewing a Italo Pils soon for a competition.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Will do! Its a bucket list place for me

[@timroberts4948]

Great video, thank you!

[@marklpaulick]

@theapartmentbrewer all good tips! do you have a favorite recipe to go by? Specific details like even additions for dropping pH would be great!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

This one is my favorite I've made: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3a6kn-dnsh2atUsi=HoCjDoPEdJz7vYHq

[@ryansmith5126]

Thanks steve, great video as always! Do you have a specific process for dropping your wort ph prior to dry hopping? What is are your target ph's pre and post acid addition? Thanks!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Usually its just a few mL of lactic acid to get it dialed in. 5.0-5.2 is perfect for pre-fermentation.

[@brewing8094]

Thought of some other ideas to replace crystal malts and colour, Supernova malt 114 EBC adds colour and half amount of sweetness. Toffee malt another idea, add with Munich or Vienna , even mixing some of these together 👌.

[@OlDirtyBrewer]

Great video. Keep it up!

[@GREEENZO]

I consider ALDC a necessity at this point, makes life SOOO much easier

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

100%

[@Mikkogram]

Great advice. :)

[@slugger777]

What should your final beer PH actually be then?

[@marksarinana5903]

I’m curious about this as well. Not much I could find on the matter.

[@Mikkogram]

​@@marksarinana5903 the best stability you will get around 4.2. but that is for Lagers. But then again the biochemistry and physics around stability aren't yeast related

[@Will-p2m]

A packaged ph of 4.6 or lower(more acidic)is the general range for safety. ABV and process can affect that though and some beers may need lower ph.

[@slugger777]

@@Will-p2m Interesting. Will be testing some of my beers in this case to see what they are ending up at.

[@Will-p2m]

@@slugger777 here's the source if you want more details cdn.brewersassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/03111651/BAtech21-Food-Safety-Controls-One-Pager.pdf

[@omarpadilla4739]

I still love a small of caramunich malts for balance. I get the shelf life issue, but as a homebrewer who clears the keg within a month, it's negligible. I also hop both during active ferm and completely o2 free post ferm with a magnet. So oxidization isn't a factor at all.

[@BeetsByHometownBrew]

Ascorbic acid for shelf life. Check this channel's other vids!!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I probably should have spoken more about this but a lot more of the anti-crystal/caramel malt stuff has to do with increasing the body and sweetness, which is not the trend nowadays

[@ilblance7755]

Great video

[@robinwagner8713]

to me that sounds exactly like the description of a cold IPA (except that cold IPA's are fermented with a bottom-fermenting lager yeast but at fairly high temperatures). Or is there any other difference :)?

[@marklpaulick]

Ya not that far off. Cold ipa is meant to have a good amount of adjunct (corn or rice) to further lighten the body. Every time I have a cold ipa I wish it had about 20 percent more pilsner!

[@robinwagner8713]

@@marklpaulick right, I forgot about that corn 😉

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Yup - Cold IPA leans REALLY hard into the dryness/fermentability of the beer. Modern WCIPA I think has very similar characteristics but we're not looking at 1.005 FG

[@GentleGiantFan]

So dumb question. What is the difference between a modern WCIPA and a west coast pilsner since pilsen malt and 34/70 are mentioned as part of the ingredients?

[@indiekiduk]

IPA has a load more hops bitterness and alcohol than a wc pilsner. Wc pilsner is likely just a pilsner with C dry hop.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I really think West Coast Pilsner is a subset of WCIPA (like Cold IPA) but just limited in ABV.

[@kiernanmay8177]

What beers are you referring to with old west coast IPAs. I'm a bit older then you and am having a heck of time thinking of a darker weather coast ipa

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Think Stone Ruination, Sierra Nevada Torpedo, Pliny the Elder

[@kiernanmay8177]

@@TheApartmentBrewer Love all those but never thought of them like dark. I'll have to do some "research" over thanksgiving

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

@@kiernanmay8177 the best kind of research!

[@emil926]

Does that water profile work for american ipa/american pale ale too?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I would say so!

[@Humlegruvan]

Great video! Got a recipe to try? Cheers!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

The best I've got is this Cold IPA: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3a6kn-dnsh2atUsi=HoCjDoPEdJz7vYHq

[@goodolarchie]

Only thing I'd add is use Pils malt as your base. 2-row pale english etc. all too sweet/bready for the modern crispy American/NZ-hoppy beer.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Excellent addition to the tips here!

[@rickwitter5165]

The Dude abides

[@BeetsByHometownBrew]

Have it your way, dude...🤠

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Yeah, well thats just like your opinion, man

[@anthonyincrocci9647]

Use sugar to help get a drier beer around 10%

[@TheGoodCrusader]

What is a very malty beer style you'd recommend?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I mean, I love a good baltic porter or doppelbock if we're talking maltiness

[@TheGoodCrusader]

@@TheApartmentBrewer I'll look into them

[@lewsut]

3 weeks ago, hazy IPA tip 2, use some caramel, this week west coast, don't use any caramel malts. If any beer style needs stability it's Hazies and now I'm confused. Has something profound happened in less than a month?...

[@Margarinetaylorgrease]

Telling isn’t it

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Well, maybe it should have been made more clear, but in my opinion that has everything to do with body and sweetness as opposed to shelf stability. Caramel malts will crank your FG up like nothing else. Go back and watch my hazy IPA video again - I said use character malts, not specifically caramel malts, although that could be looped in, but thats in relation to sweetness, mouthfeel, etc. With a hazy you're more likely to have oxidation issues from dry hopping vs grist-related ones so that isn't really a fair comparison. With the modern WCIPA the dryness is such a critical component, and that's why dropping the crystal malts is important. A hazy with FG of 1.015 is desirable whereas a WCIPA with the same FG is not going to work the same way.

[@lewsut]

@TheApartmentBrewer I hear you, it reminds me of the high and low mash temp xbmt Brulosophy did way back when no one could tell the difference between 1.005 & 1.014 FG. Perceived sweetness and mouth feel is interesting for sure, I'm leaning to lack of bitterness, ludicrous hops and slick proteins making the difference over a bit of almost undetectable sugar and in reverse for westies...

[@kogerkoger]

What's the use of calling it a West Coast IPA if you change most of the characteristics?

[@Margarinetaylorgrease]

Exactly

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Take that up with breweries like Russian River and North Park. Tastes shift all the time though, but one of the best things about home brewing is that you can make the stuff that is hard to find nowadays!

[@kenrinc]

Always love your videos Steve. I don't' care for the new fangled modern WC. The entire reason I was drawn to the early micro brew movement was due to the bitterness. I believe that the newer trends actually do not deserve to be called India Pale Ale, especially hazzies. I can't stand them. One of the main reasons why I became a home brewer was due to the proliferation of NEIPAs and so called "West coast IPAs". You walk into a craft brew shop and it's nothing but hazzies and "modern" IPAs.I've dumped more cans of so called IPAs than I care to admit. Most don't even remotely resemble a west coast IPA and I ain't talking about 90's San Diego. Unless you were drinking in the 80's you have no clue (Think Sierra, Anchor..). I will take 12lbs of 2 row and a pound of crystal any day of the week before I reached for a new fanlged hop bomb. Peace bro.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thank you so much for the superthanks!!

[@toddlowe6884]

I love me some 100+ibu’s though

[@Mikkogram]

Although while partly true, I do not like the no Cara trend. Most westies got extremely boring since they only use a max of 5% Munich. A good dry hopped beer usually masks the Strecker Aldehydes pretty good. Unless the brewer is sluggish at packaging the stalling shouldn't be a concern. Problem most brewers have horrendous TPO values...they either do not know what TPO is, do not know how to calculate it (you still need pretty expensive equipment to get the TDI in the first.place) or they just do not care about all the places oxygen enters the product

[@BeetsByHometownBrew]

Brut IPA a subset of West Coast? Yay, or nay?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Historically (even though this is recent history) yes. But of course the BJCP puts it into its own style, but west coast IPA is just lumped in with American IPA. Brut IPA certainly shares more characteristics with west coast IPA than New England IPA at the end of the day

[@danmartvk]

Ascorbic acid to help with oxygen

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

100%

[@riskyb250]

vast majority of these modern ipas are made with W34/70 at ale temps

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

And that works fantastically!

[@MATTW3R]

How to brew a west coast IPA? Make a bad hazy IPA... Ba Dum Tis*

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

😂😂😂

[@danielricardo6151]

Uma sugestão sou cervejeiro brasileiro . Preferia o modelo antigo dos seus vídeos . Quando você bebia e comentava o resultado dela. e o que você mudaria para ficar melhor. Ou não mudaria nada. Cheers Toast 🍻🍻

[@sergeyp6071]

5% of rice will do crisp profile, just copy macro breweries tricks

[@marklpaulick]

Nice tip. Sort of blends new WCIPA with cold ipa.

[@sergeyp6071]

@ I have no idea how it is related to cold ipa(and what cold ipa is). But corn & rice are staples for lightening/crispness. In my experience corn makes a bit corn flavour (resembles a light DMs) unlike rice. The problem with rice is preparing it(unless you are lucky to have flaked rice)

[@BeetsByHometownBrew]

@@sergeyp6071 Even with using flake rice, and I have successfully & unsuccessfully, when you're using alot of it, it can really muck up the mash. Using it sparingly, works best. Lots of rice hulls. I've never tried with prepared rice, but I suspect if you're doing a Japanese lager, where alot of rice is called for in the bill, prepared is the way to go. Flake turns to dust in the bag..