Homebrewing - Fruity IPA?

I thinks it's about time to talk about homebrewing!  I have had a few beers with Simcoe and Citra hops and have loved them!  So I had to give it a try myself.  Well it turns out everyone can make a good one, but me.  I have had this beer on tap since before Thanksgiving.  I just can't seem to drink it much.  It was supposed to be a Simcoe/Citra IPA and this was the second attempt at it.  Both tries have turned out fruity and somehow a little like a wheat, even though there is no wheat in it. 

The first batch I only used Simcoe and Citra hops.  Simcoe for bittering and using both for mid-addition and aroma.  I decided that Simcoe can be a bit harsh as a bittering hop so the second batch I used Northern brewer to bitter and Simcoe and Citra for the mid and aroma.  There is just something off.  I don't know if it is the recipe or the process.  My process is brew-in-a-bag with a full volume mash, no sparge.  Great color and nose but fruit juice aftertaste.

I personally attribute the weird sour/fruity aftertaste to not enough bitterness but I also wonder if it could be from not sparging.  Something i'm getting or not getting from the grain.  Early last year I brewed a single hop Falconer's Flight APA that also had a fruity characteristic.  Makes me wonder about my recipe design because Falconer's Flight should have pretty different characteristic to Simcoe and Citra.  I'm not going to give up though.  With more tweaking, there will be an amazing IPA in my future.

Simcoe/Citra IPA
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Batch Size: 5.143 gal
Boil Size: 6.200 gal
Boil Time: 0.000 s
Efficiency: 75%%
OG: 1.069
FG: 1.017
ABV: 6.7%%
Bitterness: 51.0 IBUs (Tinseth)
Color: 11 SRM (Morey)

Fermentables
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                       Name  Type    Amount Mashed Late Yield Color
       Pale Malt (2 Row) US Grain 11.000 lb    Yes   No  79%%   2 L
 Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L Grain 12.000 oz    Yes   No  74%%  40 L
               Victory Malt Grain 12.000 oz    Yes   No  73%%  25 L
         Cara-Pils/Dextrine Grain  5.000 oz    Yes   No  72%%   2 L
            Caramunich Malt Grain  7.000 oz     No   No  72%%  56 L
Total grain: 13.250 lb

Hops
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            Name  Alpha   Amount  Use       Time   Form  IBU
           Citra 13.9%% 0.500 oz Boil  5.000 min Pellet  4.3
          Simcoe 13.0%% 0.500 oz Boil  5.000 min Pellet  4.1
          Simcoe 13.0%% 0.500 oz Boil 30.000 min Pellet 15.7
           Citra 12.0%% 0.500 oz Boil    0.000 s Pellet  0.0
 Northern Brewer  8.6%% 1.000 oz Boil 60.000 min Pellet 27.0

Yeast
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        Name Type Form    Amount   Stage
 Safale S-05  Ale  Dry 2.232 tsp Primary

Telluride Brewing Company

Cross country Ski trail at Trout Lake

Another amazing day of skiing in the San Juans deserves another great beer.  And Telluride Brewing Co happens to be on my way home from my most recent adventure.  How convenient!

The brewery is located outside of town in a not too easy to find strip mall.  But once you get in the right spot you can see the giant shiny fermenters through the window.  They are not licensed as a bar so there is no seating, but you can have a pint standing at the bar or take it on a "tour" of the brewery, which you are actually standing in.  Short on storage space there is usually an abundance of cans hanging around.  They haven't started canning the Face Down Brown yet, but I guess it will be coming soon.  After another big batch of Bridal Veil gets canned. 

I talked before about the Bridal Veil Pale Ale http://lilbrewergirl.blogspot.com/2012/12/12-beers-of-christmas-bridal-veil-rye.html  one of my favorites!  And really all their beers are great.  They have quite a line-up too.  Something for everyone; light, dark, brown and red beers.  This time around I was enjoying the dark beers.  The Smoke Shack Porter is an excellent example of a slightly smokey porter.  Smokiness from beachwood smoked grain is subtle.  It's easy drinking and not too big at 5.4%.  They also have the Ski-in-Ski-Stout coffee stout.  This stout is brewed with coffee from a local roaster.  The coffee takes some of the roastiness from the stout but adds a nice pick-me-up!

They are not widely distributed and currently only the Bridal Veil is available.  So get out on the trails or slopes then head to over to the brewery and try them all!

http://www.telluridebrewingco.com/

Horsefly Brewing Company

There are so many beautiful places to ski (and drink) in Southern Colorado.  This lil' brewer girl has been getting in as much cross country skiing as possible!  I recently got the opportunity to ski the rim road of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.  Amazing!  

Naturally after a crisp workout one needs some nourishment.  So I headed to the Horsefly Brewing Company in Montrose.  I have frequented this place in the past and I have to say, while the beers are consistent they seem to cater to a different kind of beer drinker than myself.  I usually go for the Six Shooter APA, which at 7.5% can be a dangerous endeavor.  This is the only hoppy beer they really offer.  If you want to go down in percentage you have to sacrifice some flavor.  Their lengthy menu features their Bug-eye blond and Jazzy Razzy among others.  

 I got a chance to have a quick chat with one of the brew help and the word is they are fermenting an Imperial IPA that is going to clock in between 9-10% right up there with their Winter Warmer.  

As for food, I am not the best judge since the only thing I can eat is the veggie burger.  If you are a wing fan then you can partake in the wing challenge or any of the other bar food selections.  And if winter is not your season, then swing by in the summer when the outside beer garden is open.  Cheers!