Golden South Platte Trout IPA
by @john
Two rainbows holding in cold, quick water
A 6.0% West Coast IPA named for the South Platte, piney and dry, for a cold pour after a day on the river.
Brewed to order
A West Coast IPA label showing two rainbow trout swimming through pale, swirling South Platte water below grey rocks and dark pines. The top band is mustard gold with white lettering, and the fish wear olive backs, dark spots and rose-pink stripes.
- ABV
- 6.0%
- IBU
- 38
- Colour
- 14SRM
- OG to FG
- 1.0581.012
- West Coast IPA, 6.0% ABV
- 38 IBU, dry and bitter finish
- Pine resin, grapefruit, caramel malt
- Simcoe and Centennial dry hop
- Two rainbow trout on a gold band
In the glass
Pine resin and grapefruit pith over a caramel malt backbone, dry and bitter on the finish
- Serve
- 45°F in a tulip or nonic pint
- Alongside
- Green chile burgers, sharp cheddar, fish tacos
Two rainbow trout cut across pale water, their olive backs speckled and their sides streaked rose pink. Grey rock and a pair of dark pines rise behind them. Above, a wide mustard-gold band carries the name in white.
It pours amber and drinks dry. Pine resin and grapefruit come first, caramel malt holds the middle, and a firm bitterness closes it out. Open one when the waders are off and the light is going gold.
Dry hopping is the step to watch. Simcoe and Centennial go in on day eight for four days, and a CO2 purge first keeps that pine sharp.
The numbers
6.0%Alcohol by volume
(1.058 − 1.012) × 131.25
38Bitterness, IBU
Bitterness only means anything against the style. This one is a West Coast IPA.
14Colour, SRM
The swatch above is this number on the standard reference ramp, not an impression of it.
Gravity1.058 down to 1.012 — 79% apparent attenuation.
Named for the South Platte River
Colorado Front Range · CO
The water it is named for
- Water type
- Tailwater
Details
Details
- River
- South Platte River
- Style
- West Coast IPA
- ABV
- 6.0%
- Tasting notes
- pine resin, grapefruit, caramel malt, dry bitter finish
- Colors
- mustard gold, pale grey, rose pink, olive green, white
Make it yourself
At a glance
- Style
- West Coast IPA
- Gravity, OG → FG
- 1.058 → 1.012
- ABV
- 6.0%Derived from OG and FG
- Bitterness
- 38 IBU
- Colour
- 14SRMdeep amber
- Difficulty
- Second batchthe dry hop and the cold crash ask for a little practice.
- First pint
- 35 daysFrom brew day, including conditioning
- Brew day
- 2 h 30 minKettle on to kitchen clean. The rest is the yeast.
- You supply
- 8-gallon brew kettle, mash tun, fermenter with airlock, wort chiller, hydrometer, thermometer, sanitiser, bottling bucket or keg system, auto-siphon
- Written for
- 5 gal (18.9 L)
- Efficiency assumed
- 72%Brew-in-a-bag, full-volume. House guidance
Grain bill
4 malts · 11.5 lb for 5 gal
Milled grain, weighed for each batch size. The percentage is each malt's share of the grist and stays the same at every size.
| Malt | % of grist | 12-pack batch · 1.25 gal | Classic · 5 gal | 12×12 batch · 15 gal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pale 2-row | 78.3% | 2.25 lb (1.02 kg) | 9 lb (4.08 kg) | 27 lb (12.25 kg) |
| Munich | 8.7% | 4 oz (113 g) | 1 lb (0.45 kg) | 3 lb (1.36 kg) |
| Crystal 60L | 10.9% | 5 oz (142 g) | 1.25 lb (0.57 kg) | 3.75 lb (1.7 kg) |
| Crystal 120L | 2.2% | 1 oz (28 g) | 4 oz (113 g) | 12 oz (340 g) |
| Total grain | 100% | 2.88 lb (1.3 kg) | 11.5 lb (5.22 kg) | 34.5 lb (15.65 kg) |
Hop schedule
5 additions · 60 min boil
Pellet hops, weighed in grams. Boil times count down to the end of the boil, so 60 minutes means the first thing in the kettle.
| Hop | Use | Time | 12-pack batch · 1.25 gal | Classic · 5 gal | 12×12 batch · 15 gal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus | Boil | 60 min | 3.5 g (0.13 oz) | 14 g (0.5 oz) | 43 g (1.5 oz) |
| Centennial | Boil | 15 min | 3.5 g (0.13 oz) | 14 g (0.5 oz) | 43 g (1.5 oz) |
| Cascade | Whirlpool | 20 min | 7.1 g (0.25 oz) | 28 g (1 oz) | 85 g (3 oz) |
| Simcoe | Dry hop | 4 days | 11 g (0.38 oz) | 43 g (1.5 oz) | 128 g (4.5 oz) |
| Centennial | Dry hop | 4 days | 7.1 g (0.25 oz) | 28 g (1 oz) | 85 g (3 oz) |
Yeast and pitch
Chico ale yeast · 1 dry pack for 5 gal
Chico ale yeast (US-05). Pitch at 64°F.
| Yeast | 12-pack batch · 1.25 gal | Classic · 5 gal | 12×12 batch · 15 gal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chico ale yeast | 1 dry pack | 1 dry pack | 3 dry packs |
One pack per 5 gal, and one more above 1.060 OG in a batch over 3 gal. Never fewer than one. House guidance
Water
8.17 gal into the mash for 5 gal
Full-volume brew-in-a-bag: all the water goes in at the start and there is no sparge. Volumes are the total to heat, so the kettle has to hold the mash and still leave room to boil: the 12-pack kit sells a 5 gal stockpot and the 12×12 kit a 30 gal kettle for that.
| Water | 12-pack batch · 1.25 gal | Classic · 5 gal | 12×12 batch · 15 gal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Into the mash | 2.13 gal (8.1 L) | 8.17 gal (30.9 L) | 20.01 gal (75.7 L) |
| Boiled off | 0.5 gal (1.9 L) | 1.25 gal (4.7 L) | 1.25 gal (4.7 L) |
| Held by the grain | 0.23 gal (0.9 L) | 0.92 gal (3.5 L) | 2.76 gal (10.4 L) |
| Left as trub | 0.15 gal (0.6 L) | 1 gal (3.8 L) | 1 gal (3.8 L) |
| Into the fermenter | 1.25 gal (4.7 L) | 5 gal (18.9 L) | 15 gal (56.8 L) |
Boil-off, grain absorption and trub are typical figures for a stovetop pot and a propane kettle, not measurements of your own gear. Brew once, note what you end up with, and adjust. House guidance
Water profile Moderately hard water with sulfate well above chloride sharpens the hop bite.
Mash
150°F · 60 min
The mash turns starch into sugar. Hold the temperature steady and the beer finishes the way the recipe intends.
- Rest150°F for 60 minutes
- Strike waterHeat to 160°F; the grain cools it to the rest temperature. House guidance
- Mash-outRaise to 168°F and hold 10 minutes, then lift and drain the bag. House guidance
- Mash ina cooler rest keeps the finish dry
- Mash outthis stops conversion and loosens the sugars
Boil
60 min · 3 hop additions
Hops go in on a countdown from the end of the boil. Early additions give bitterness; late ones give aroma.
- Length60 minutes
- 60 minColumbus
- 20 minCascade (whirlpool)
- 15 minCentennial
- 15 minA kettle fining (whirlfloc or Irish moss) clears the beer if you have one. House guidance
- Chillto 64°Fpitch only once the wort is cool
Also on the recipe's brew-day card:
- Whirlpool20 min at 180°Fhop oils stay put without extra bitterness
Fermentation
4 steps · 2 dry hop · first pint in 35 days
The recipe's own schedule, in order. Temperature control matters more than almost anything else on this page.
- 7 days at 64°F
- 3 days at 68°F to finish clean
- Dry hop on day 8
- Cold crash at 34°F for 2 days
- Dry hopSimcoe, 4 days
- Dry hopCentennial, 4 days
First pint 35 days from brew day.
Packaging and carbonation
2.5 volumes CO₂ · bottle or keg
Target 2.5 volumes of CO₂.
| Bottling | 12-pack batch · 1.25 gal | Classic · 5 gal | 12×12 batch · 15 gal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corn sugar to prime | 1.1 oz (31 g) | 4.39 oz (124 g) | 13.17 oz (373 g) |
| 12 oz bottles it fills | 12 | 50 | 144 |
Dissolve the sugar in a little boiled water, stir it gently into the beer, then bottle. The amount is worked out for 68°F, the warmest the beer got while it fermented.
Kegging Set the regulator to 11.2 psi at 38°F.
Kegging instead Skip the bottles with 3 × 5 gal ball-lock kegs, 1 × 5 lb CO₂ tank, 1 × dual-gauge regulator, 1 × gas and beer lines with picnic taps: the kegging upgrade for the 15 gal home brewery, $594.
Brewer's notes
3 tips
- Keep the crystal malts to the weights listed; more turns the beer sweet.From the recipe
- Purge the fermenter with CO2 before the dry hop to keep the pine bright.From the recipe
- Drink it fresh; the hop aroma fades after a few weeks.From the recipe
Every kit size
Ingredients only
Ingredient kit · 12-pack batch
$24.31
$2.03 a bottle
Grain milled, hops bagged per addition, yeast, priming sugar and 12 caps, for 1.25 gal.
Includes Pale 2-row · Munich · Crystal 60L · Crystal 120L · and 10 more
Every item in this kit · 14 items
Ingredients
- Pale 2-row$5.15
- Munich$0.65
- Crystal 60L$0.90
- Crystal 120L$0.18
- Columbus (60 min)$1.50
- Centennial (15 min)$1.50
- Cascade (whirlpool, 20 min)$1.50
- Simcoe (dry hop, 4 days)$1.50
- Centennial (dry hop, 4 days)$1.50
- Chico ale yeast$6.49
- Milling and kitting$3
Packaging
- Corn sugar for priming$0.44
- Crown capsIncluded
Guide
- Printed brew guideIncluded
Ingredient kit · 12×12 batch
$175.24
$1.22 a bottle
Grain milled, hops bagged per addition, yeast, priming sugar and 144 caps, for 15 gal.
Includes Pale 2-row · Munich · Crystal 60L · Crystal 120L · and 10 more
Every item in this kit · 14 items
Ingredients
- Pale 2-row$61.83
- Munich$7.77
- Crystal 60L$10.84
- Crystal 120L$2.17
- Columbus (60 min)$5.99
- Centennial (15 min)$5.99
- Cascade (whirlpool, 20 min)$11.97
- Simcoe (dry hop, 4 days)$17.96
- Centennial (dry hop, 4 days)$11.97
- Chico ale yeast$19.47
- Milling and kitting$8
Packaging
- Corn sugar for priming$5.28
- Crown caps$6
Guide
- Printed brew guideIncluded
Complete home brewery
Complete home brewery · 12-pack batch
$218.13
$18.18 a bottle
Bought separately $239.67 · you save $21.54
All the equipment, then the ingredient kit, for 1.25 gal. Works on a kitchen stove.
Includes 5 gal stainless stockpot · Fine-mesh brew bag · 1.5 gal glass fermenter with drilled bung · 3-piece airlock · and 24 more
Every item in this kit · 28 items
Equipment
- 5 gal stainless stockpot$49.99
- Fine-mesh brew bag$9.99
- 1.5 gal glass fermenter with drilled bung$17.99
- 3-piece airlock$2.49
- No-rinse sanitizer, 4 oz$12.99
- Hydrometer and test jar$15.99
- Digital probe thermometer$14.99
- Mini auto-siphon with tubing$13.99
- Spring-tip bottle filler$5.99
- 12 oz amber bottles$16.99
- Wing capper$19.99
- Brewery wash, 1 lb$9.99
- 0.1 g kitchen scale$14.99
- Long stainless spoon$8.99
Ingredients
- Pale 2-row$5.15
- Munich$0.65
- Crystal 60L$0.90
- Crystal 120L$0.18
- Columbus (60 min)$1.50
- Centennial (15 min)$1.50
- Cascade (whirlpool, 20 min)$1.50
- Simcoe (dry hop, 4 days)$1.50
- Centennial (dry hop, 4 days)$1.50
- Chico ale yeast$6.49
- Milling and kitting$3
Packaging
- Corn sugar for priming$0.44
- Crown capsIncluded
Guide
- Printed brew guideIncluded
Complete home brewery · 12×12 batch
$1,271.24
$8.83 a bottle
Bought separately $1,393.02 · you save $121.78
All the equipment, then the ingredient kit, for 15 gal. You supply a propane tank and water.
Includes 30 gal stainless kettle with ball valve and thermometer · 72 · 30 gal brew bag · 50 ft copper immersion chiller · and 27 more
Every item in this kit · 31 items
Equipment
- 30 gal stainless kettle with ball valve and thermometer$399
- 72,000 BTU propane burner and stand$99
- 30 gal brew bag$44.99
- 50 ft copper immersion chiller$129
- 7.9 gal fermenting buckets with lids and airlocks$89.97
- No-rinse sanitizer, 32 oz$32.99
- Brewery wash, 4 lb$34.99
- Hydrometer and test jar$15.99
- Refractometer$29.99
- Digital thermometer$24.99
- ½" auto-siphon with tubing$24.99
- Bottling buckets with spigots$55.98
- Bottle filler$5.99
- 12 oz amber bottles (6 cases)$119.94
- Bench capper$59.99
- Mash paddle$24.99
- Digital scale$24.99
Ingredients
- Pale 2-row$61.83
- Munich$7.77
- Crystal 60L$10.84
- Crystal 120L$2.17
- Columbus (60 min)$5.99
- Centennial (15 min)$5.99
- Cascade (whirlpool, 20 min)$11.97
- Simcoe (dry hop, 4 days)$17.96
- Centennial (dry hop, 4 days)$11.97
- Chico ale yeast$19.47
- Milling and kitting$8
Packaging
- Corn sugar for priming$5.28
- Crown caps$6
Guide
- Printed brew guideIncluded
The creator
Remixes
No remixes yet — make your own version.
Where this came from
river beer · made
0 — nothing entered the score yet, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.
- west coast ipa
- south platte
- rainbow trout
- trout
- ipa
- fly fishing
- pine
- grapefruit
- homebrew recipe
- colorado river
- craft beer