Milkshake IPA Recipe: How to Brew a Milkshake IPA

If you have brewed a few batches already and want to try Milkshake IPA, this is a straightforward, all-grain route to it. The backbone is Pilsner malt, with the hop schedule doing most of the work in the boil.

Recipe at a Glance

Brew Day, Step by Step

1	Mash · ~60 min Mash the grain bill, led by Pilsner malt, at a steady temperature to build the fermentable sugars this style needs. Sparge slowly so you do not lose efficiency.

2	Boil · ~60-90 min Bring the wort to a boil and work through the hop schedule, starting with the hop schedule. This is also where you will add any fining agent for a clearer finished beer.

3	Ferment · 20C (68F) Pitch Wyeast 1318 London Ale III once the wort has cooled to fermentation temperature and hold it steady. Primary fermentation is the most active week, do not rush it.

4	Condition · 2 weeks at 10C (50F) 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.

5	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.

Full Recipe: Grain Bill, Hops, and Instructions

Print Recipe

Milkshake IPA

Sweet, soft malt and lactose flavours merge with citrus character from the fruit and hops.

Prep Time1 hour hr

Cook Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

TO FERMENT14 days d

Total Time14 days d 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course: Beer

Cuisine: Larger

Keyword: MILKSHAKE IPA

Servings: 40 pints

Calories: 255kcal

Author: Dan Smullen

Equipment

• Mash tun
• Large brew kettle
• Heat source (such as a propane burner)
• Wort chiller
• 1 Fermentation vessel (such as a carboy or fermenting bucket)
• 1 Airlock and stopper
• 1 Hydrometer
• 1 Thermometer
• 1 Racking cane
• 1 Bottling bucket
• 1 Bottles or kegging equipment
• 1 CO2 tank and regulator (if kegging)
• 1 Sanitizer solution
• 1 Brewing spoon or paddle
• 1 Scale

Ingredients

For the Mash – Liquor 17 Litres (30 Pints) – Mash Time 1 hr – Temperature 66°C (151°F)

• 9 1/2 lb Pilsner malt Quantity 4.7 kg
• 2 1/4 lb Wheat malt Quantity 1 kg
• 14 oz Vienna malt Quantity 400 g
• 14 oz Carapils malt Quantity 400 g
• 14 oz Flaked oats Quantity 400 g

For the Boil – 27 Litres (47 1/2 Pints) – Boil Time 1 hr – 15 mins

• 1 oz Cascade 6.1% When to add – At turn off
• 1 oz Amarillo 10.1% When to add – At turn off
• 1 tsp Protofloc Other – When to add – For last 15 mins of boil
• 1 kg Lactose Other – When to add – For last 10 mins of boil
• 20 g Lemongrass Other – When to add – For last 10 mins of boil

To Ferment – 20°C (68°F) – Conditioning 2 weeks at 10°C (50°F)

• Wyeast 1318 London Ale III Yeast
• 1 3/4 oz Citra 13.8% When to add – For last 3 days
• 1 3/4 oz Simcoe 13.8% When to add – For last 3 days
• 1 3/4 oz Mosaic 12% When to add – For last 3 days
• 500 g Peach purée Other – When to add – At 1.020 gravity
• 2 Vanilla beans Other – When to add – For last 3 days

Instructions

• Begin by heating 17 litres (30 pints) of water in a large pot to 66°C (151°F).
• Add the Pilsner malt, Wheat malt, Vienna malt, Carapils malt, and Flaked oats to the pot, either in a mash tun or a large nylon bag for steeping grains.
• Stir well and maintain the temperature at 66°C (151°F) for 1 hour.
• Remove the grains and bring the pot to a boil.
• Add 1 oz of Cascade hops and 1 oz of Amarillo hops when the boil begins and let boil for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• During the last 15 minutes of the boil, add 1 tsp of Protofloc, 1 kg of lactose, and 20 g of lemongrass.
• For the last 10 minutes of the boil, add the peach puree.
• After 1 hour and 15 minutes of boiling, turn off the heat and add 1 3/4 oz of Citra hops, 1 3/4 oz of Simcoe hops, and 1 3/4 oz of Mosaic hops. Let this sit for 3 days.
• After 3 days, add 2 vanilla beans and let it sit for an additional 3 days.
• Transfer the beer to a fermentation vessel and add the Wyeast 1318 London Ale III yeast.
• Ferment for 14 days at a temperature of 20°C (68°F).
• After 14 days, transfer the beer to a conditioning vessel and condition it for an additional 2 weeks at a temperature of 10°C (50°F).
• Bottle or keg the beer and enjoy!

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

What Makes Milkshake IPA the Style It Is

Milkshake 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 pilsner malt and the hop schedule once it is finished conditioning. Wyeast 1318 London Ale III is the yeast strain behind that profile, so keep an eye on your fermentation temperature.

Style Characteristics at a Glance

• ABV: 6.0-7.5%
• Bitterness: 30-50 IBU
• Color: 4-8 (pale gold, hazy)
• Serving temp: 45-50F (7-10C)
• Glassware: a tulip or shaker pint
• Food pairings: tacos, curry, soft 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.

This recipe is for adults of legal drinking age. Please brew and drink responsibly, and always sanitize your equipment thoroughly to avoid infection.