Flight Path IPA

My house sits directly under the incoming flight path for the San Diego International Airport. On cloudy nights the jets will pass over and a few seconds later the air they displace will come crashing back into the place it once idly sat and make the craziest, eeriest noise. We have lived here for almost 3 years and I have wanted to make an IPA named after our location under the flight path.

As I have said before, I love San Diego/West Coast style IPAs that are light on malt bills, have moderately high bitterness, and a ton of flavor and aroma additions. I am making this beer in a similar manner. Simple malt bill, moderate bittering charge and big citrusy, fruity late hop additions of Amarillo and Nelson. As I sit here writing this post the Nelson hops are just smelling amazing and my mouth is watering for this beer.

I didn't hit my OG, so the beer will be a little smaller, maybe more like a Pale than an IPA, oh well.

Ingredients: US-2Row, Honey Malt, Warriors @60, Amarillo and Nelson @30, Amarillo and Nelson @15, Amarillo and Nelson @1, Dry Hopped with Amarillo.

El Diablo: Belgian Golden Strong

It has been a while since I last posted. Between the end of the school year, NHC and some out-of-town work trainings I haven't had a chance to brew or post much. At one point just before NHC, I had 17 fermentations of some form going. Club night allowed me to "get rid" of some beers, along with a work party. Last week I racked my Berliner, Pilsner and 100% BRETT beer into kegs. I also bought grain for 4 beers (Golden Strong, IPA, Summer Saison, Gose) that I will be brewing over the next couple of weeks. These should get me through the summer and then I will turn my attention towards my Fall beers (Festbier, Rauchbier and some others tbd).

Today I am brewing a Belgian Golden Strong. I brewed this style back a few years ago with a friend and it fermented a little too warm and I had it on the higher end of the abv level for the style. Because of these two factors it ended up pretty hot and with a bunch of fusel alcohols. I did some research and decided that I wanted to shoot for something like Russian River's Damnation. Vinnie Cilurzo says that when he dialed the beer back down close to 8% the beer was way more drinkable. I am shooting for a very drinkable beer. The style is so dry, crisp, with a nice hop profile, and a restrained Belgian yeast profile that it is a perfect summer beer. I have a yeast cake left over from my Belgian Pale so I will be pitching that for this beer.

Ingredients: Belgian Pilsner Malt, Sugar, Goldings at 60, 30, and 15. Saaz at Flameout. WLP575 Belgian Ale Blend.