The newest of new IPA styles, at least at this point in time, is the Brüt IPA. Brewed with added enzymes that makes the wort extremely fermentable so that it finishes dry, this beer presents a new challenge for home brewers of all experience levels. My first attempt using an extract recipe resulted in a ‘just ok’ beer. This time around, I brewed the all grain version of the recipe and had better results. Learn what we learned this time around and how this Brüt IPA stacked up.

Another Northern Brewer Kit

If you want the full recipe, you can go to the Northern Brewer site and look for their DryIPA kit. The grain bill is a 90/10 split of American 2-row malt and Vienna malt. The small addition of Vienna is interesting to me since it may darken the color of the beer.

The hops are all late addition and feature a pairing of Nelson Sauvin and Hallertau Blanc. The kit comes with 3 ounces of each hop (6 ounces total) but I bought additional packs (2 ounces each) from Yakima Valley hops to amp up the hop flavor.

The mash I held at 149° F for 2 hours and added both additional enzymes to it. Even though other professional brewers were experimenting with that procedure, Mike said that was probably a bad move. Amyloglucosidase likes to work at cooler temperatures so my mash addition didn’t work as it should have.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: This beer has a light yellow color, probably lighter to the eye because of the haziness. White head that lingers.

Aroma: This is where it really sings. The white grape aroma was very nice and inviting.

Flavor: Pleasant hoppiness throughout – no issue with diacetyl at all. The aftertaste was dry but not extremely dry. The fermentation could have been a little stronger,

Mouthfeel: Medium light to medium. It wasn’t too thin.

Overall Impression: Even with the additional hops added to the keg, the beer isn’t hoppy enough to carry the IPA moniker. The IPAs I am used to brewing for five gallon batches use a pound of hops and this used just over a half pound. I can say my second attempt was better than my first but I am not sure I would execute a third attempt unless I can find these enzymes for sale on their own in other home brew stores.

Brew ON!