Tag Archives: Rodger Davis

Brew Day Notes: Laurel IPA

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Today we brewed the ‘House’ India Pale Ale. The wort’s color looks much more like the picture on the right. It looked like an SRM 10 or 11 rather than the 6 that was forecast.

Julian Shrago’s Laurel IPA is the base recipe for our ‘House’ IPA. Of course we here at Flog This Dead Brewing tweaked the original recipe (which is at the bottom of this post). We wouldn’t be homebrewers if we didn’t change something about the recipe, would we? For one thing, Julian “Burtonizes” the water, and that will make the beer seem bitterer than the already mindbogglingly high 96 IBUs. To my taste, the Burtonizing the water for Beachwood BBQ Brewery’s offering gave it a tinge of diesel. And, diesel is a taste I don’t lust after.

Brewday Notes

  • My mash temperature was 8-10F too hot (temp did not drop after adding grain). The rule of thumb for heating water for mashing the milled grain is to heat it 10-12F above the desired mash temperature (e.g. 161-163F for a desired mash temp of 151F). I expected the temperature to when I added the nearly 15 pounds of grain to the heated water. It didn’t. Do you have a similar experience? Is this because of the keggle’s mass holding the heat and the weldless thermometer?
  • The pre-boil gravity calculated by BeerAlchemy is too low (perhaps by 7 points), which means my assumed evaporation is too high.
  • Total time for brew day: 7 hours. That includes set-up and clean-up.
  • Mash at 151F (needed to cool down wort to 151)
  • Measured pre-boil gravity: 1.053
  • Measured Original Gravity: 1.065
  • Target Final Gravity: 1.015
  • Target IBUs: 95
  • Expected ABV: 6.5%
  • Expected Color: 5.8 SRM (looks more in the 10-11 SRM neighborhood)

Today’s House IPA recipe

– 5 gallon batch at 70% efficiency

Grain Bill
13 lbs 15 oz Pale Malt (94.7%)
7.20 oz Carapils (Dextrin) Malt (3.1%)
5.40 oz Crystal 40L Malt (2.3%)

Hops
0.77 oz German Hallertauer Magnum – first wort hop (FWH)
1.85 oz Cascade – 60 minutes from end
0.75 oz Centennial – 30 Min From End
0.30 oz Simcoe – 10 Min From End
0.30 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) – 10 Min From End
0.20 oz Cascade – flame off
0.45 Centennial – flame off
12.12 oz Cascade – Dry-Hopped
1.30 oz Summit – Dry-Hopped
1.30 oz Centennial – Dry-Hopped

Yeast
White labs WLP001- California Ale

Mash at 151F
Target pre-boil gravity: 1.045
Target Original Gravity: 1.064
Target Final Gravity: 1.015
Expected IBUs: 95
Expected ABV: 6.7%
Expected Color: 5.8 SRM

For Extract Brewing

For an extract, try 6.9 lbs of dry light malt extract and steeping 0.4 lbs carapils and 0.3 lbs of caramel 40 at 160F for 30 minutes or so.

Mike “Tasty” McDole’s  Laurel IPA recipe  (12.5 gallon batch)

Last November while on the Brewing Network, Rodger Davis and Julian Shrago announced a Pro/Am collaboration on Julian’s Laurel India Pale Ale. Rodger (then at Triple Rock) and Julian (at Beachwood Brewing ) invited homebrewers to brew the same recipe that they would be brewing at their respective breweries.Then in December came the tasting.  The two brewers made radically different beers. Julian loves first wort hopping and Burtonizing the water. Then Triple Rock brewer, Rodger Davis does not believe in first wort hopping or Burtonizing. There were other differences. The brand of grains was different and the water was different (Berkeley vs. Long Beach).

Julian Shrago’s Laurel IPA recipe:

THE LAUREL IPA
– 5 gallon batch at 75% efficiency –

* 11.5 lbs. American 2-row malt
* 0.4 lbs. Carapils malt
* 0.3 lbs. Crystal 40 malt

Mash @ 151 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour.

90 minute boil

* 0.8 oz. Amarillo pellets (9.6% AA) for first wort hop (FWH)
* 0.55 oz. Summit pellets (18% AA) for 60 minutes
* 0.75 oz. Centennial pellets (9.2% AA) for 30 minutes
* 0.3 oz. each Simcoe (12.2) and Columbus pellets (14.0) for 10 minutes
* 0.5 oz. Amarillo pellets (9.6% AA) at flameout/whirlpool
* Dry hops: 1.3oz each Amarillo, Centennial, and Summit pellets for two weeks

Ferment with White Labs California Ale Yeast WLP001 or Wyeast 1056

OG/FG: 1.064/1.010
SRM: 5.2
IBUs: 108

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Thinking the next batch ought to be a Laurel IPA

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Laurel India Pale Ale moments before being devoured by a beer-thirsty horde

Last November while on the Brewing Network, Rodger Davis and Julian Shrago announced a Pro/Am collaboration on Julian’s Laurel India Pale Ale. Rodger (then at Triple Rock) and Julian (at Beachwood BBQ Brewery) invited homebrewers to brew the same recipe that they would be brewing at their respective breweries.

I brewed it and was able to compare it to the Triple Rock and Beachwood versions (Beachwood “Burtonized” their water and that changed the taste completely).  The Triple Rock and Beachwood versions were radically different. To my taste, the Burtonizing of the water for Beachwood’s gave it a tinge of diesel.

Without Burtonizing, Laurel is now my go-to IPA and we here at Flog This Dead Brewery are now running dangerously low.

Here’s my recipe (65% efficiency):

Grain Bill
14 lbs 2-Row Malt (94.3%)
7.75 oz Carapils (Dextrin) Malt (3.3%)
5.75 oz Crystal 40L Malt (2.4%)

Hops
0.8 oz Amarillo – First wort hopped
0.55 oz Summit – 60 minutes from end
0.75 oz Centennial – 30 Min From End
0.3 oz Simcoe – 10 Min From End
0.3 oz Columbus(Tomahawk) – 10 Min From End
0.5 oz Amarillo – At turn off
1.30 oz Cascade – Dry-Hopped
1.30 oz Summit – Dry-Hopped
1.30 oz Amarillo – Dry-Hopped

Yeast
White labs WLP001- California Ale

Mash at 151F with mash out
Target pre-boil gravity: 1.045
Target Original Gravity: 1.064
Target Final Gravity: 1.015
Expected IBUs: 95
Expected ABV: 6.7%
Expected Color: 5.8 SRM

For an extract, try 6.9 lbs of dry light malt extract and steeping 0.4 lbs carapils and 0.3 lbs of caramel 40 at 160F or so.

Here is Julian Shrago’s recipe:

THE LAUREL IPA
– 5 gallon batch at 75% efficiency –

* 11.5 lbs. American 2-row malt
* 0.4 lbs. Carapils malt
* 0.3 lbs. Crystal 40 malt

Mash @ 151 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour.

90 minute boil

* 0.8 oz. Amarillo pellets (9.6% AA) for first wort hop (FWH)
* 0.55 oz. Summit pellets (18% AA) for 60 minutes
* 0.75 oz. Centennial pellets (9.2% AA) for 30 minutes
* 0.3 oz. each Simcoe (12.2) and Columbus pellets (14.0) for 10 minutes
* 0.5 oz. Amarillo pellets (9.6% AA) at flameout/whirlpool
* Dry hops: 1.3oz each Amarillo, Centennial, and Summit pellets for two weeks

Ferment with White Labs California Ale Yeast WLP001 or Wyeast 1056

OG/FG: 1.064/1.010
SRM: 5.2
IBUs: 108

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Rodger Davis leaving Triple Rock

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Grand Place brewpub in Brussels.Jay Brooks over at Brookston Beer Bulletin writes that Rodger Davis of Triple Rock Brewery celebrated his 42nd birthday last week. But the big news was that Rodger will be leaving Triple Rock to start his own brewery. It will be called Faction Brewing.

Go to the Brookston Beer Bulletin for more details.

Happy Birthday, Rodger, and good luck in the business side of craft beer, you certainly do the brewing side proud.

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Laurel IPA – The Tasting

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Though “The Buzz” on Triple Rock Brewing’s website gave more, lots more electronic ink to its Festivus celebration on December 23, they had Julian Shrago of  Beachwood BBQ & Brewery at Triple Rock Brewery on December 22 with his version of Laurel India Pale Ale on tap.

I and a few other homebrewers tasted Rodger Davis’s and Julian shrago’s versions. My version (at right in picture) came closer, in color, to Rodger’s version. His was much smoother than mine. My Laurel was a bit danker, piney with hints of citrus. Julian’s was darker in color.

I got to talk with Triple Rock’s General Manager, Jesse Sarinana, who was gracious and excited that a homebrewer had tried the recipe. I left a 22-ounce bomber with him to try at his leisure.

Thank you Triple Rock and Beachwood BBQ for sharing the recipe.

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Laurel IPA collaboration update – Will there be sharing?

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Laurel IPA is piney with hints of citrus. Still slightly cloudy with a SRM color around 6

The Buzz on Triple Rock Brewing’s website may have been updated.

You may recall last month’s Wet Behind the Beers Batch-22 post here about Laurel IPA. The folks at Triple Rock and Beachwood BBQ Breweries invited homebrewers to collaborate with them on Julian Shrago’s Laurel IPA. But it looks as though the invitation/announcement has changed somewhat.

It seems that they may not want to taste the batches made by homebrewers but allow only the Laurel IPA on tap, which is already flowing at Triple Rock, to be shared at the pub. Here’s a comparison of the present invitation and last month’s.

“This event wouldn’t be complete without the inclusion of fellow homebrewers. We would be honored if each of you would brew your own batch of Laurel IPA and bring it to Beachwood or Triple Rock on the 22nd of December at 3pm. Hope to see you there.”

I’m grateful to Triple Rock and Beachwood for sharing the recipe. I’ve brewed my batch of Laurel IPA, and it tastes pretty damn awesome. The hops are up front and stay with you. It’s piney and floral. Very piney with hints of citrus. I’m definitely brewing it again, soon.

So, what to do on Thursday, December 22, 2011? I’m planning on putting a couple of 22 ounce bottles in a cool carrier bag and checking with the staff if Rodger or anyone would like a taste.  And, I’ll taste to see if Rodger‘s beer is as good as mine is.

UPDATE:

Here is what Beachwood Brewing and Barbeque has on their website under events.

Dec 22 3pm

Laurel IPA Side by Side Tasting with Rodger Davis of Triple Rock Brewing

Beachwood BBQ & Brewing

Come enjoy one of Julian’s most popular IPA recipes brewed by both Beachwood Brewing and Triple Rock brewing. In the spirit of collaboration Julian & Rodger are visiting each others’ breweries with their own version of Laurel IPA in tow. We’ve posted the recipe in the Beachwood Newsletter as well as on Triple Rocks’ website for any homebrewers who want to make a version of their own to share. Event starts at 6 pm. No reservations required.

It’s a happening. Either at 3pm or 6pm there.

UPDATE II:

Here is a link to Rodger Davis and Julian Shrago discussing the Laurel IPA collaboration on the Brewing Network.

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