The kegs have run dry, my bottles are dwindling, and the carboys stand empty. 

I’m definitely overdue for some homebrewing.

After chatting with a few fellow homebrewers at the recent Twin Cities Beer Blogger Summit at Stub & Herb’s (thanks again to Stu for coordinating), including Eric at Bearded Brewing, Derek at Beer This!, Don Osborn, Eric at Lucid Brewing, and Michael at A Perfect Pint, I was reinspired to kick my homebrewing efforts back into full gear.

It’s been a little while since I’ve brewed a batch, and I’ve  been mulling over a few recipe ideas lately, including what I think will be a very interesting use of a local Minnesota ingredient (Sumac Saison, more to come on that). But for my first beer of the new year I’ve decided to brew up a pretty straightforward IPA using all Centennial hops, shooting for something close to Founder’s very tasty version, as it’s always nice to have a sessionable beer on draught.

To keep it even more manageable given my tight schedule these days, I made a game time decision as I walked into Midwest Supplies and opted to use extracts for the bulk of fermentables in the recipe. Here’s what I went with:

Boil volume: 6.5 gallons
Batch size: 5 gallons

OG: 1.053
FG: 1.013
ABV: 5.2%
IBU: 65
SRM: 12

6.6 lbs Gold LME
1 lb Caravienne (steeped at 152 for 30 min)
0.5 lb Crystal 60 (steeped at 152 for 30 min)
0.5 lb Belgian Biscuit (steeped at 152 for 30 min)
1 oz Centennial (60 min)
1 oz Centennial (30 min)
1 oz Centennial (2 min)
1 oz Centennial (dry hop)
Wyeast 1056 (1000 ml starter)

The batch should trend to the sweeter side, thanks in part to the Caravienne and Crystal malts, but the hops should balance that out. It’ll also have a bit of toasty flavor from the Biscuit. I’ll keep everyone updated on progress.