American IPA is a ipa that homebrewers reach for when they want a project worth the extra attention. This version keeps the grain bill built around Pale malt, and leans on Citra 13.8% to shape the finish.
Recipe at a Glance
Recipe at a Glance
| Style | American IPA |
| Batch Size | 5 gallons (19L) |
| Boil Time | 60-90 minutes |
| Original Gravity | 1.056-1.070 |
| Final Gravity | 1.010-1.014 |
| ABV | 5.8-7.5% |
| IBU | 50-70 |
| SRM | 6-14 (gold to copper) |
| Difficulty | Intermediate (all-grain) |
Brew Day, Step by Step
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1
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Mash · ~60 min Mash the grain bill, led by Pale malt, at a steady temperature to build the fermentable sugars this style needs. Sparge slowly so you do not lose efficiency. |
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2
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Boil · ~60-90 min Bring the wort to a boil and work through the hop schedule, starting with Citra 13.8%. This is also where you will add any fining agent for a clearer finished beer. |
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3
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Ferment · 18C (64F) Pitch White Labs WLP060 American Ale Yeast Blend once the wort has cooled to fermentation temperature and hold it steady. Primary fermentation is the most active week, do not rush it. |
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4
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Condition · 6 weeks at 12C (54F) Rack to secondary (or leave in primary if your recipe calls for it) and let the beer round out at a cool, steady temperature. This step does more for the final flavor than people expect. |
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5
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Package · 1 day, then wait Bottle or keg once gravity has held steady for a few days in a row. Give it time to carbonate and, for bigger styles, additional time to mellow before your first taste. |
That’s the shape of brew day and the weeks after it. For the exact grain bill, hop schedule, and full step-by-step instructions with amounts, use the recipe card below.
What You Will Need
Sourcing your own ingredients locally is always fine, but if you want to skip a homebrew store trip, here is what’s in stock in our shop right now:
- Base and specialty grain: Grains & Adjuncts (e.g. Weyermann Chocolate Rye Malt 1 Lb)
- Bittering and aroma hops: Brewing Hops (e.g. Chinook Hop Pellets 8 oz)
- Yeast: Brewing Yeast (e.g. LalBrew Nottingham Brewing Yeast (2 Pack) – Make Beer at Home)
- Secondary fermenter for conditioning: Fermenters & Carboys (e.g. 3 Gallon Clear Glass Italian Carboy)
- Priming sugar for bottling: Priming Sugar (e.g. Corn Sugar Dextrose Bottling Priming Sugar 1 lb Highly Fermentable N)
- General kit and tools: Homebrew Equipment (e.g. Deluxe Bottling Kit Craft a Brew Homebrew Bottler Equipment Home Bre)
- Pour it right when it’s ready: a tulip glass shows off the color and holds the aroma better than a straight pint glass
Serve It Right
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A American IPA is best served in a tulip or shaker pint, it fits the body and carbonation of this style better than a straight pint glass. Here is one from our shop: |
Ingredients & Gear for This Batch
Grain / Adjuncts |
Hops |
Yeast |
Fermenter Italian Carboy 5 Gallon | Clear Glass Fermenter for Wine and Beer |
Priming Sugar |
Equipment |
Full Recipe: Grain Bill, Hops, and Instructions
American IPA
Equipment
- 1 Brew kettle
- 1 Fermentation vessel (carboy or fermenter)
- 1 Airlock
- 1 Mash tun or large pot for mashing
- 1 Wort chiller
- 1 Brewing spoon or paddle
- 1 Hydrometer
- 1 Thermometer
- 1 Auto-siphon or racking cane
- 1 Tubing for siphoning
- 1 Bottles or kegs for packaging
- 1 Bottle capper or kegging system
- 1 Sanitizing solution or cleaner
- 1 Airlock brush
- 1 Brewing gloves
- 1 Measuring cups and spoons
- 1 Scale for weighing ingredients
- 1 Timer or stopwatch
- 1 pH meter or pH test strips (optional)
- 1 Brewing software or calculators (optional)
Ingredients
For the Mash – Liquor 15 Litres (26 Pints) – Mash Time 1 hr – Temperature 65°c/149 °F
- 13.4 lb Pale malt Quantity 6kg
For the Boil – 27 Litres (47½ Pints) – Boil Time 1 hr – 10 mins
- 1 oz (Hops) Citra 13.8% When to add – At start of boil (IBU 40.9)
- ½ oz (Hops) Citra 13.8% When to add – For last 10 mins of boil (IBU 7.2)
- ½ oz (Hops) Simcoe 13% When to add – For last 10 mins of boil (IBU 6.8)
- 1½ oz (Hops) Citra 13.8% When to add – At turn off (IBU 0.0)
- 1½ oz (Hops) Simcoe 13% When to add – At turn off (IBU 0.0)
- 1 tsp Protofloc Other – When to add – For last 15 mins of boil
To Ferment – 18°C (64°F) – Conditioning 6 weeks at 12°C (54°F)
- 1 White Labs WLP060 American Ale Yeast Blend
- 1¾ oz (Hops) Citra 13.8% (Hops) – When to add – Dry hop after fermentation
- 1¾ oz (Hops) Simcoe 13% (Hops) – When to add – Dry hop after fermentation
Instructions
Mash:
- Heat 15 liters (26 pints) of water to a temperature of 65°C (149°F).
- Add 13.4 lb (6 kg) of pale malt to the water and stir well.
- Maintain the mash temperature at 65°C (149°F) for 1 hour.
Boil:
- Transfer the mash to a boil kettle with 27 liters (47.5 pints) of water.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and start the timer for 1 hour.
- At the beginning of the boil, add 1 oz of Citra hops (13.8%) to achieve an IBU of 40.9.
- After 50 minutes of boiling, add 1/2 oz of Citra hops (13.8%) and 1/2 oz of Simcoe hops (13%) for the last 10 minutes of the boil. This will contribute to the hop aroma with IBUs of 7.2 and 6.8, respectively.
- Add 1 tsp of Protofloc during the last 15 minutes of the boil to aid in clarifying the beer.
- At turn off, add 1 1/2 oz of Citra hops (13.8%) and 1 1/2 oz of Simcoe hops (13%) for additional hop aroma. These additions will not contribute to bitterness (IBU 0.0).
Fermentation:
- Cool the wort to a temperature of 18°C (64°F).
- Transfer the cooled wort to a fermentation vessel.
- Pitch the American Ale Yeast Blend (White Labs WLP060) into the vessel.
- Seal the vessel with an airlock and ferment the beer at 18°C (64°F) for approximately 28 days.
Dry Hopping:
- After fermentation is complete, add 1 3/4 oz of Citra hops (13.8%) and 1 3/4 oz of Simcoe hops (13%) to the fermentation vessel.
- Allow the beer to sit on the dry hops for a few days to infuse the flavors and aromas.
Conditioning:
- After dry hopping, transfer the beer to bottles or kegs for carbonation and conditioning.
- Condition the beer at a temperature of 12°C (54°F) for 6 weeks.
- The beer will be ready to drink after this conditioning period.
Enjoy:
- Serve the American IPA chilled and savor the hoppy bitterness, citrus aroma, and balanced flavors of this classic beer.
Get the fermentation temperature right on American IPA and most of the rest of the process takes care of itself.
What Makes American IPA the Style It Is
Like most classic beer styles, American IPA has a long, slightly tangled history behind it, shaped as much by regional brewing traditions as by any single inventor.
The character of this beer comes down to a beer that leans on pale malt and citra 13.8%, and White Labs WLP060 American Ale Yeast Blend is doing more of that work than the grain bill gets credit for.
Style Characteristics at a Glance
- ABV: 5.8-7.5%
- Bitterness: 50-70 IBU
- Color: 6-14 (gold to copper)
- Serving temp: 45-50F (7-10C)
- Glassware: a tulip or shaker pint
- Food pairings: spicy food, grilled meats, sharp cheeses
Common Questions
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes, the grain bill and hop schedule scale linearly with batch size. Just make sure your equipment, mash tun and boil kettle both, can actually handle the volume you are scaling to.
What is the biggest mistake homebrewers make with this style?
Rushing the schedule. Pulling a beer off yeast too early or skipping conditioning time is the most common way to shortchange a recipe like this one.
Can I substitute a different yeast strain?
You can, but expect the flavor profile to shift. Stick close to the same yeast family (English ale, American ale, Belgian, lager, etc.) if you want a result close to what this recipe is aiming for.
Keep Exploring
Once you have this one down, here are a few more homebrew recipes worth trying next:
Browse the full homebrew recipe collection for more styles, or if you are just getting into the hobby, start with one of our homebrewing starter kits for new brewers.
This recipe is for adults of legal drinking age. Please brew and drink responsibly, and always sanitize your equipment thoroughly to avoid infection.
