Craft Beer & Brewing Library

Brewing Hazy IPA the Fidens Way (Audio)

If you'd like to watch the video, head to this link: https://beerandbrewing.com/fidens-hazy-ipa/

In this 43-minute course, Parker details the Fidens approach to hazy IPA—an approach that he began developing as a homebrewer and has continued to develop since the brewery opened in 2019. Among the highlights:

• why they still love to brew and drink hazy IPA
• water profile for a soft, approachable mouthfeel
• the thinking behind the relatively simple grain bill
• adjusting mash temps and finishing gravities to balance sweetness, mouthfeel, and drinkability for hazy beers of various strengths
• why they keep mash pH low
• kettle and whirlpool hopping rates
• selecting hops for survivable compounds
• why they dry hop multiple times over a few days
• when they add which hop varieties, and why
• their house yeast strain and why they like it
• embracing natural carbonation before dry hopping, instead of burping or recirculation
• using a hop cannon to add hops under CO2 pressure
• tips on avoiding diacetyl and hop creep in both hazy and clear IPAs
• under-pitching yeast for softer character in the finished beer
• selecting hop varieties as power chords and backup singers
• desired traits when evaluating hops, such as selecting Simcoe for the Hawaiian punch vibe
• finishing and carbonation level