West Coast IPA Recipe
A worked, brew-ready recipe for a classic West Coast IPA — pale gold, brilliantly clear, aggressively dry, and snappy with citrus and pine. This is the benchmark American IPA. Batch size: 5 gallons / 19 L, ~72% efficiency.
#Target Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| OG | 1.064 |
| FG | 1.010 |
| ABV | 7.1% |
| IBU | 65 |
| SRM | 5 |
#Grain Bill
| Malt | Amount | % |
|---|---|---|
| American 2-row | 5.0 kg | 86% |
| Munich malt | 0.45 kg | 8% |
| Light crystal (40L) | 0.20 kg | 3.5% |
| Dextrose (in boil) | 0.25 kg | 4.5% |
Mostly clean 2-row, a touch of Munich for backbone, minimal crystal so it doesn't muddy the hops, and corn sugar to dry it out. See Milling and the Grain Bill.
#Mash
Single infusion at 65 °C for 60 minutes — low and fermentable for a crisp, dry finish. Mash-out at 76 °C. See Mashing.
#Water Profile
Sulfate-forward for that signature snappy bitterness — see Water Treatment for Brewing and the Water Chemistry and the Sulfate-Chloride Ratio.
| Ion | Target (ppm) |
|---|---|
| Calcium | 110 |
| Sulfate | 275 |
| Chloride | 65 |
| Sulfate:Chloride | ~4:1 |
#Hop Schedule
| Timing | Hop | Amount | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 min | Centennial (10% AA) | 28 g | Bittering |
| 15 min | Simcoe | 21 g | Flavor |
| Whirlpool (78 °C, 20 min) | Cascade | 42 g | Aroma |
| Whirlpool (78 °C, 20 min) | Centennial | 42 g | Aroma |
| Dry hop (day 4) | Simcoe | 42 g | Aroma |
| Dry hop (day 4) | Cascade | 42 g | Aroma |
See Hop Additions and Timing and Bittering, Flavor, and Aroma Hops.
#Yeast & Fermentation
- Yeast: clean, high-attenuation American ale strain — see IPA Yeast Strains.
- Ferment: 19 °C, rising to 21 °C for diacetyl rest.
- Dry hop: day 4, 3-day contact, then cold crash. See Fermentation and Dry Hopping.
#Clarity & Packaging
Use a kettle fining and cold crash; optionally gelatin-fine. See Clarification and Haze Management. Carbonate to 2.5 volumes; package with low oxygen — see Carbonation and Packaging.
West Coast hop character fades fast — see IPA Freshness and Shelf Life.