Imperial IPA Recipe: How to Brew a Imperial IPA

If you have brewed a few batches already and want to try Imperial IPA, this is a straightforward, all-grain route to it. The backbone is Pale malt, with (Hops ) Chinook 13.3% doing most of the work in the boil.

Recipe at a Glance

Brew Day, Step by Step

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.

Full Recipe: Grain Bill, Hops, and Instructions

Print Recipe

Imperial IPA

This beer is deceptively strong as the high levels of alcohol are balanced by a hop bitterness, sweet malt flavours, and a fresh, citrus aroma.

Prep Time1 hour hr

Cook Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

TO FERMENT84 days d

Total Time84 days d 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course: Beer

Cuisine: Larger

Keyword: IMPERIAL IPA

Servings: 40 pints

Calories: 250kcal

Author: Dan Smullen

Equipment

• 1 Brew kettle (at least 10 gallons)
• 1 Mash tun (insulated cooler or a kettle with a false bottom)
• 1 Hot liquor tank (kettle or cooler to hold hot water)
• 1 Immersion or counterflow wort chiller
• 1 Fermenting vessel (glass carboy or plastic bucket)
• 1 Airlock and stopper
• 1 Hydrometer and test jar
• 1 Racking cane and tubing
• 1 Bottling bucket or kegging equipment
• 1 Bottles or kegs
• 1 Thermometer
• 1 Scale
• 1 Measuring cups and spoons
• 1 Long-handled stirring spoon
• 1 Cleaner and sanitizer (such as PBW and Star San)
• 1 Gas burner (if brewing outdoors)

Ingredients

For the Mash – Liquor 21 Litres (37 Pints) – Mash Time 1 hr – Temperature 65°C (149°F)

• 17 lb Pale malt Quantity 8.1 kg
• 3 1/2 oz Light crystal malt (60L) Quantity 100 g
• 2 3/4 oz Chocolate malt Quantity 80 g

For the Boil – 27 Litres (47 1/2 Pints) – Boil Time 1 hr – 10 mins

• 2 oz (Hops ) Chinook 13.3% When to add – At start of boil (IBU 64.0)
• 1 oz (Hops ) Simcoe 13% When to add – For last 10 mins of boil (IBU 11.0)
• 1 3/4 oz (Hops ) Simcoe 13% When to add – At turn off (IBU 0.0 )
• 1 3/4 oz (Hops ) Willamette 6.3% When to add – At turn off (IBU 0.0 )
• 1 tsp Protofloc Other – When to add – For last 15 mins of boil

To Ferment – 20°C (68°F) – Conditioning 12 weeks at 12°C (54°F)

• 1 White Labs WLP001 California Ale Yeast
• 1 3/4 oz (Hops ) Willamette 6.3% When to add – Dry hop after 4 days

Instructions

• Heat 21 liters (37 pints) of water to 65°C (149°F) in your mash tun or large stockpot.
• Add the Pale malt, Light crystal malt, and Chocolate malt to the water and stir well to combine. Allow the mixture to rest for one hour at 65°C (149°F).
• While the mash is resting, bring 27 liters (47 1/2 pints) of water to a boil in a large pot or kettle. Once boiling, add the Chinook hops and start the one-hour boil.
• At the end of the boil, add the Protofloc and stir well. Then add the Simcoe and Willamette hops and stir again.
• Use a mesh strainer or colander to remove the spent hops from the wort. Cool the wort to 20°C (68°F).
• Transfer the cooled wort to a fermenting bucket or carboy. Add the White Labs WLP001 California Ale Yeast and stir well.
• Seal the fermenting bucket or carboy with an airlock and bung and let the beer ferment at 20°C (68°F) for about four days.
• After four days, add the remaining 1 3/4 oz of Willamette hops to the fermenter to dry hop the beer. Let the beer condition for 12 weeks at 12°C (54°F).
• Once the beer has conditioned for 12 weeks, transfer it to a bottling bucket or keg. If using bottles, prime with sugar and bottle. If using kegs, carbonate and serve.
• Enjoy your homemade Imperial IPA beer!

Get the fermentation temperature right on Imperial IPA and most of the rest of the process takes care of itself.

What Makes Imperial IPA the Style It Is

Imperial IPA sits in a well-established style family, and the version most homebrewers land on today reflects decades of small adjustments by brewers chasing balance rather than novelty.

Expect a beer that leans on pale malt and (hops ) chinook 13.3% once it is finished conditioning. White Labs WLP001 California Ale is the yeast strain behind that profile, so keep an eye on your fermentation temperature.

Style Characteristics at a Glance

• ABV: 7.5-10.0%
• Bitterness: 65-100 IBU
• Color: 6-15 (gold to copper)
• Serving temp: 45-50F (7-10C)
• Glassware: a tulip
• Food pairings: blue cheese, barbecue, spicy noodles

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:

• Belgian Strong Golden Ale Recipe
• Flanders Red Ale Recipe Recipe
• American IPA Recipe

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.