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Recipe: Wren House Spellbinder IPA
Here is a homebrew-scale recipe for Wren House’s best-selling beer—the same that won gold in the most competitive category of the 2020 Great American Beer Festival awards: Juicy/Hazy IPA.
Photos: Capsfoto International
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“A soft, drinkable beer meant to highlight pure American hops,” the brewers say of Spellbinder. “Make sure to use quality hops.”
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency 76%
OG: 1.063
FG: 1.009
IBUs: N/A
ABV: 7.1%
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“A soft, drinkable beer meant to highlight pure American hops,” the brewers say of Spellbinder. “Make sure to use quality hops.”
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency 76%
OG: 1.063
FG: 1.009
IBUs: N/A
ABV: 7.1%
[PAYWALL]
MALT/GRAIN BILL
8.25 lb (3.7 kg) Rahr Pils
1.5 lb (680 g) Rahr White Wheat Malt
12 oz (340 g) raw wheat
12 oz (340 g) flaked oats
HOPS SCHEDULE
3 oz (85 g) Cascade at whirlpool
4 oz (113 g) Citra at dry hop
4 oz (113 g) Mosaic at dry hop
YEAST
Moderately high-attenuating English ale yeast, such as White Labs WLP007 Dry English Ale or Fermentis Safale S-04.
DIRECTIONS
Mill the grains and mash at 152°F (67°C) for 45 minutes, targeting a mash pH of 5.2 (see Brewer’s Notes, below). Vorlauf until the runnings are clear of grain material, then run off into the kettle. Sparge and top up as necessary to get about 6.5 gallons (25 liters) of wort—or more, depending on your evaporation rate. Boil for 70 minutes, then conduct a whirlpool—chilling the wort to 170°F (77°C), if possible. Add whirlpool hops and steep for 20 minutes. Then chill to 62°F (17°C) and pitch the yeast, avoiding excessive aeration (which could inhibit the yeast’s production of fruity esters). Ferment at 64°F (18°C). When the beer is about 60 percent attenuated—i.e., at about SG 1.025—add all the dry hops and leave for 5 days. When gravity has stabilized, cold crash, package, carbonate—and drink it fresh.
BREWER’S NOTES
Before mashing, we adjust the water to elevate calcium chloride—targeting a 3:1 chlorides-to-sulfates ratio, with about 125 ppm of calcium—which lends a softer, rounder mouthfeel to the finished beer.
Editor’s note: Updated with commercially available yeast strains nearer in profile to the brewery’s preferred house strain for this beer.
