First Brew in Seven Years: Inspired Paso Ale Hits the Bucket
Today marks a week since I brewed my first batch of beer in over seven years. It felt good spending half the day making magic from grain, water, yeast, and hops.
Trying a Recipe Calculator for the First Time
This was also the first time I used a recipe calculator. I found this gem while searching for brew day content on YouTube and ran into Larry at BEER-N-BBQ, who created a free recipe calculator — looks like it was last supported in 2024.
After watching a few videos associated with the calculator, I spent parts of two days entering my recipe data to see where this IPA could land. By the numbers, it wouldn’t qualify under BJCP Guidelines, but the post-measurement numbers have me optimistic.
Mash and Original Gravity Readings
In homebrewing, a hydrometer is a tool used to measure the density and specific gravity (weight) of a liquid compared to water.
- Mash specific gravity: 1.035
- Post-boil original gravity (O.G.), adjusted for 72.9°F: 1.068 — just .002 off from the recipe spec
Dry Hopping Day 6
Yesterday, after six days of fermentation, I popped the lid of the 5-gallon bucket and took in the aroma. I had 6 ounces of hops to add in a technique known as dry hopping — adding hops after fermentation has cooled and completed, rather than boiling them into the wort. This extracts the hops’ essential oils, adding bold, vibrant aromas and flavors (citrus, pine, tropical fruit) without pulling in the bitter compounds.
Before adding 2 ounces each of CTZ, Amarillo, and Simcoe to the bucket, I pulled a sample into the graduated cylinder and measured a final gravity (F.G.) of 1.015, adjusted for temperature.
Final Numbers
- F.G.: 1.015 (now within BJCP Guidelines)
- IBU: 74 — a bit higher than expected, and 4 points above the recipe target
- ABV: 6.9%
First Taste
I finally sampled the beer pulled from the bucket. It’s not for everyone — it’s a West Coast IPA, hop-forward with a long, drawn-out bitterness through the sip. Notes of warm pine, sweet citrus, orange peel, and tangerine. I think it’s shaping up to be a good IPA, and I’m looking forward to the next step: bottling.