Lemon IPA, the IPA inspired to Sorrento
The IPA is nowadays one of the most appreciated style all over the world, because of its good drink-ability, the aroma bouquet that might be very different from one beer to another, the different alcohol levels that can also be quite high if we consider a double IPA, can be crystal clear or not clear at all like the NEIPA, so in short there is an IPA for each one of us.
Lemon IPA, the IPA inspired to Sorrento
As you might know (or in case you are new to this blog just check this link for more details about us) O’ Beerificio (formerly NeaBrew) aims to tell about Naples through beers.
Sorrento is known everywhere in the world for the best Limoncello that almost everyone (that are many households making their own and it’s just great) is making out of the lemons that are growing themselves.
Those lemons are getting their peculiar taste by the influence of the sea, the peculiar composition of the ground, due to the Vesuvius, and the good temperature all over the year. The big size and the essentials oil coming from the peal are the main reason for being the best lemons in the world.
The Style
As for the other recipes made in the past, I always go to check the BJCP reference, that i think is one of the most valuable starting point to build a recipe because there are information about the flavors, the aroma, mouth feel, and many other things important to start writing our own recipe.
Of course the BJCP is not everything you should check out. Usually i also make a lot of research about the style it self, how to value the most the ingredients i am using, and what are the proportions i should use to actually get in the glass what i am having in my mind.
Reading and writing is not enough to brew a beer, we should have some kind of reference to compare the IBU level for example, or to understand the body, the taste and flavors we would like to have, so tasting few beers from the same style is very much important.
Here is the link to the BJCP style. I chose the American IPA as a starting point for my recipe. Below an extract from the BJCP with highlighted the points that are most important for me.
Overall Impression
A decidedly hoppy and bitter, moderately strong, pale American ale. The balance is hop-forward, with a clean fermentation profile, dryish finish, and clean, supporting malt allowing a creative range of hop character to shine through.
Appearance
Color ranging from medium gold to light reddish-amber. Clear, but light haze allowable. Medium-sized, white to off-white head with good persistence.
Aroma
A prominent to intense hop aroma often featuring American or New World hop characteristics, such as citrus, floral, pine, resin, spice, tropical fruit, stone fruit, berry, or melon. Low to medium-low clean, grainy maltiness supports the hop presentation. Generally clean fermentation profile, but light fruitiness acceptable. Restrained alcohol optional.
Flavor
Medium to very high hop flavor (same descriptors as aroma). Low to medium-low clean and grainy maltiness, possibly with light caramel and toast flavors. Medium-high to very high bitterness. Dry to medium-dry finish. Hoppy, bitter aftertaste with supportive malt. Low esters optional. Background clean alcohol flavor optional.
Mouthfeel
Medium-light to medium body, with a smooth texture. Medium to medium-high carbonation. No harshness. Very light, smooth warmth optional.
Characteristic Ingredients
Pale base malt. American or English yeast with a clean or slightly fruity profile. Generally all-malt, but sugar additions are acceptable. Restrained use of crystal malts. Often uses American or New World hops but any varieties are acceptable; new hop varieties continue to be released and may be used even if they do not have the sensory profiles listed as examples.
Vital Statistics
IBU: 40 – 70
SRM: 6 – 14
OG :1.056 – 1.070
FG :1.008 – 1.014
ABV: 5.5% – 7.5%
To summarize, the lemon IPA should have a golden color with a white persistent head, moderately carbonated to support the foam and to release in the air the lemon aroma, medium body balanced towards the bitterness, a bitter dry finish supported by the malt that leaves a little bitterness on your tongue but at same time easy to drink.
The Recipe
Water Profile
| Calcium | Magnesium | Sodium | Chloride | Sulfate | Chloride / Sulfate | |
| (Ca ppm) | (Mg ppm) | (Na ppm) | (Cl ppm) | (SO4 ppm) | Ratio | |
| 68 | 23 | 65 | 69 | 151 | 0.46 | |
Vital Params
| OG | 1.052 |
| FG | 1.013 |
| ABV | 5.7 |
| IBU | 64 |
| Batch size (lt) | 20 |
Grain Bill
| Malt Name | EBC Color | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Maris Otter | 5 | 87 |
| Pale Ale | 9 | 13 |
Mash Profile
| Step Name | Target Temp. (°C) | Duration (min) | Ramp (min) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mash-In | 68 | 5 | |
| Beta | 66 | 60 | 15 |
| Alpha | 72 | 15 | 10 |
| Mash-out | 78 | 5 |
Hopping Profile
| Name | A.A (%) | Usage | Duration (min) | Quantity (gr) | IBU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admiral | 14 | Bitterness | 60 | 5 | 10 |
| Citra | 13 | Aroma | 15 | 25 | 29 |
| Loral | 11 | Aroma | 15 | 20 | 19 |
| Cascade | 5 | Aroma | 5 | 30 | 5 |
| Chinook | 10 | Hop Stand | 30 | ||
| Chinook | 10 | Dry Hopping | 30 | ||
| Citra | 12 | Dry Hopping | 60 |
Fermentation Profile
Yeast: Fermentis SafeAle S-04
| Temperature (°C) | Duration (days) |
|---|---|
| 18 | 10 |
| 20 | 4 |
| 3 | 6 |
The Tasting
The resulting batch of this recipe joined the Cannibale Royale Home brewing Competition 2023. Unfortunately didn’t win, but received a very good feedback:
The Lemon IPA has excellent foam retention and boasts a fantastic color. The taste is characterized by a refreshing and fine bitterness, making it an overall good and enjoyable experience.
We also appreciate the pleasant lemon aroma and taste, which are well-balanced. The beer carries a dry quality and features a top-notch hop aroma. In terms of appearance, it presents itself as hazy with a good foam structure.
The beer is particularly admired for its dryness, bitterness, freshness, and excellent hop aroma.
So far, I am very happy of this recipe and all the batches produced by it.
