In this post, we discuss Mike’s latest homebrewed IPA. It showcases the unique characteristics of three distinct hop varieties: Cashmere, Calypso, and Mandarina Bavaria. His goal was to explore how these hops contribute individually and collectively to the beer’s flavor profile. The video provides an overview of our brewing process and the insights we gained from this experiment.

3 Hops IPA Recipe

As Mike said, this is his “standard, sort of go-to IPA recipe” base.

Batch size: 3.5 US Gallons

Grain Bill:
6 pounds (2.72 kg) of Pilsner Malt
1 pound (0.45 kg) of White Wheat Malt
4 ounces (113 g) of CaraPils Malt
4 ounces (113 g) of Honey Malt

Hops:
0.36 ounces (10 g) Nugget hops added at 60 minutes to go in boil

0.36 ounces (10 g) Cashmere hops added at 10 minutes to go in the boil
0.36 ounces (10 g) Calypso hops added at 10 minutes to go in the boil
0.36 ounces (10 g) Mandarina Bavaria hops added at 10 minutes to go in the boil

0.64 ounces (18 g) Cashmere hops – Whirlpool addition at 180°F (82°C) for 20 minutes
0.64 ounces (18 g) Calypso hops – Whirlpool addition at 180°F (82°C) for 20 minutes
0.64 ounces (18 g) Mandarina Bavaria hops- Whirlpool addition at 180°F (82°C) for 20 minutes

1.0 oz (28 g) Cashmere hops – Dry hop addition for 3 days
1.0 oz (28 g) Calypso hops – Dry hop addition for 3 days
1.0 oz (28 g) Mandarina Bavaria hops – Dry hop addition for 3 days

Yeast:
1 packet of LalBrew Pomona Hybrid IPA Dry Yeast

Brewing Notes:
Mash at 145°F (63°C) for 40 minutes
Mash at 155°F (68°C) for 15 minutes
Mash at 168°F (76°C) for 15 minutes (Mash Out)
Boil for 60 minutes, following the hop schedule above
Cool wort to 68°F (20°C) and pitch yeast
Ferment at 68°F (20°C) for two weeks
Cold crash after primary fermentation
Dry hop for 3 days

Outcomes:
Original Gravity (OG): 1.066
Final Gravity (FG): 1.015
Estimated ABV: 6.69%

Our Tasting Notes

This IPA finished dry at 1.015 but drank even drier. It with a surprisingly soft mouthfeel. The combination of the malt bill and the Pomona yeast strain seemed to create a smooth, almost pillowy texture. It reminded Mike of a Kölsch. Certainly not in flavor, but how the beer sat on the palate. Fermentation was clean with a subtle ester profile. Overall, the beer came out well-attenuated and easy to drink.

This hop blend was chosen for its potential to showcase citrus and tropical fruit notes. What we actually got leaned more toward citrus pith and tangerine, especially from the Mandarina. The Calypso didn’t contribute much of its advertised pear or melon character. Mike talked about how hop flavor can shift over time. As varieties age or respond to different growing conditions, the flavor profile can change.

In this beer, the Pomona yeast didn’t deliver a bold fruit-forward punch. It offered something worth exploring further. Its impact on mouthfeel and fermentation performance was clear. We are curious how it would compare side-by-side with a more expressive strain. This was a solid, drinkable IPA with balanced bitterness and restrained hop character. It was not a fruit bomb, but something Mike would revisit with a few tweaks.

BREW ON!