Recipe: Hazy IPA

LalBrew Verdant IPA, chosen in partnership with Verdant Brewing Co. (UK), excels in crafting a spectrum of hop-forward and malt-rich brews. With a moderate to high attenuation, it cultivates a delicately balanced malt character, offering a touch more body compared to standard American IPA yeast varieties. Its distinctive flavour profile features prominent of tropical fruit and citrus notes.

Key features of Verdant-style IPA:

Hazy appearance: These IPA’s have a characteristic haze, which results from the use of certain brewing techniques and ingredients, typically high-protein grains like oats and wheat, as well as the addition of large amounts of hops during late-stage hopping or dry-hopping.
Smooth mouthfeel: Verdant-style IPA’s often have a soft and smooth mouthfeel, thanks in part to the use of oats and wheat in the grain bill. This can contribute to a fuller body and creamy texture, enhancing the overall drinking experience.
Intense aroma & juicy flavor: Verdant IPA’s are known for their explosive aroma, which is dominated by fruity hoppiness. They tend to have a juicy and fruit-forward flavour profile, with prominent notes of tropical fruits. This juiciness is achieved through the use of specific hop varieties, as well as techniques such as dry hopping during fermentation to maximize hop flavour and aroma extraction.
Low bitterness: A Verdant-style IPA has usually lower range of bitterness, compared to traditional IPA’s. This allows the vibrant hop flavours to shine without overwhelming the palate with bitterness, resulting in a more balanced and enjoyable beer.

Hazy IPA’s have gained widespread popularity among craft beer enthusiasts for their innovative and flavorful approach to the fruitiest hops. Therefor this time we are brewing a Verdant-style hazy IPA to represent a modern interpretation of the classic IPA style, characterized by their cloudy appearance, intense hop aroma, and juicy flavour.

Grain bill

Some brewers use Ale malt for their IPA’s, while others prefer Pilsner as the base malt. To have a crisper and cleaner malt profile that allows the hop flavours to stand out we go for Swaen Pilsner, complemented by Swaen Munich Light and Gold Swaen Light for added body. To achieve the desired haziness and creamy mouthfeel, we also include high-protein grains like Swaen Wheat Classic and Flaked Oat.

Variety	Quantity	Quantity	Colour EBC	Colour ºL	Ratio
Swaen Pilsner	4.5 kg	9.9 lb	4	1.5	77%
Swaen Munich Light	0.5 kg	1.1 lb	12	5.5	9%
Swaen Wheat Classic	0.3 kg	0.66 lb	4	1.5	5%
Flaked Oat	0.3 kg	0.66 lb	2	0.8	5%
Gold Swaen Light	0.25 kg	0.55 lb	15	5.7	4%

Combine crushed malt with flakes and perform a mash at 67°C (152°F) for 60 minutes.

Hops

This recipe retains the juicy, tropical hop character but utilizes Mosaic hops alongside Citra for a slightly different flavour profile. Feel free to adjust hop quantities or timing according to your taste preferences.

Variety	Quantity	Quantity	Duration
Citra	14 g	0.5 oz	60 min
Citra	56 g	2 oz	Hop stand¹
Mosaic	42 g	1.5 oz	Hop stand¹
Citra	28 g	1 oz	1st dry hop²
Mosaic	28 g	1 oz	1st dry hop²
Citra	56 g	2 oz	2nd dry hop³
Mosaic	42 g	1.5 oz	2nd dry hop³

¹ Perform a hop stand for 15-20 minutes at 80 °C (176 °F).

² Once vigorous fermentation subsides (usually after 48 hours) add first amount of dry hops. This “biotransformation” hopping takes advantage of the interaction between yeast and hop compounds and contributes to unique fruity and tropical characteristics.

³ As soon as the primary fermentation is completed, add the rest of dry hops and allow them to stay in the fermenter for 3-4 days.

Determining IBU levels in such IPA’s is tricky due to late hop additions, altered hop utilization, perceived bitterness, complex chemistry, and measurement limitations.

Yeast

As already described LalBrew Verdant IPA will enhance hop flavours and aromas, while providing a clean fermentation profile. This yeast strain contributes subtle fruity esters, which complement the vibrant hop character and contribute to the smooth mouthfeel and balanced finish of the beer.