New England IPA is not a complicated beer to brew, but it rewards attention to detail. Pilsner malt forms the base of the mash here, and ( Hops )Simcoe 13.8% carries the hop character through to the glass.
Recipe at a Glance
Recipe at a Glance
| Style | New England IPA |
| Batch Size | 5 gallons (19L) |
| Boil Time | 60-90 minutes |
| Original Gravity | 1.060-1.070 |
| Final Gravity | 1.012-1.016 |
| ABV | 6.0-7.5% |
| IBU | 30-50 |
| SRM | 4-8 (pale gold, hazy) |
| Difficulty | Intermediate to Advanced |
Brew Day, Step by Step
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1
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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. |
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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 ( Hops )Simcoe 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 · 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. |
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4
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Condition · 4 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. |
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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. Briess BJ-5U8M-8RRM Chocolate Malt 1 lb., Brown)
- Bittering and aroma hops: Brewing Hops (e.g. Magnum Hop Pellets 1 oz)
- Yeast: Brewing Yeast (e.g. Safbrew T-58 (3 Count 11.5 g Packs))
- Secondary fermenter for conditioning: Fermenters & Carboys (e.g. FASTFERMENT Floor Stand for FastFerment 7.9 Gallon Conical Fermenter)
- Priming sugar for bottling: Priming Sugar (e.g. Mr Beer Homebrewing Carbonation Drops)
- General kit and tools: Homebrew Equipment (e.g. Monster Brew Home Brewing Supplies Home Brew Ohio Complete Beer Equi)
- 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 New England 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 LalBrew Verdant IPA Brewing Yeast (2 Pack), Make Beer at Home |
Fermenter |
Priming Sugar |
Equipment |
Full Recipe: Grain Bill, Hops, and Instructions
New England IPA
Equipment
- 1 Large pot or mash tun
- 1 Fermentation vessel (carboy or bucket)
- 1 Airlock and stopper
- 1 Hydrometer and test jar
- 1 Thermometer
- 1 Auto-siphon
- 1 Bottles or kegging equipment
- 1 Bottle capper or kegging system
- 1 Sanitizer (such as StarSan)
- 1 Funnel
- 1 Large spoon or paddle for stirring
- 1 Muslin bag for hops
- 1 Digital scale for weighing ingredients
Ingredients
For the Mash, Liquor 14.5 Litres (25 1/2Pints), Mash Time 1 hr, Temperature 66°C (151°F)
- 8 lb Pilsner malt Quantity 4 kg
- 2 1/4 lb Flaked oats Quantity 1 kg
For the Boil, 27 Litres (47 1/2 Pints), Boil Time 1 hr, 15 mins
- 1 3/4 oz ( Hops )Simcoe 13.8% When to add, At turn off
- 1 3/4 oz ( Hops ) Amarillo 10.1% When to add, At turn off
- 1 tsp ( Hops ) Protofloc Other, When to add, For last 15 mins of boil
To Ferment, 20°C (68°F)- Conditioning 4 weeks at 10°C (50°F)
- 1 Wyeast 1318 London Ale III Yeast
- 5 1/2 oz ( Hops )Citra 13.8% When to add, For last 3 days
- 3 1/2 oz ( Hops )Galaxy 14.5% When to add, For last 3 days
Instructions
Mash:
- Heat 14.5 litres (25 1/2 pints) of liquor to 66°C (151°F) in a large pot or mash tun.
- Add 8 lbs of Pilsner malt and 2 1/4 lbs of flaked oats to the heated liquor and stir to combine.
- Maintain the mash temperature at 66°C (151°F) for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, drain the wort from the mash and sparge with hot water to extract as much sugar as possible from the grains.
Boil:
- Heat 27 litres (47 1/2 pints) of water in a large pot.
- Once the water is boiling, add the wort from the mash and bring to a boil again.
- Add 1 3/4 oz of Simcoe hops and 1 3/4 oz of Amarillo hops at turn off.
- Add 1 tsp of Protofloc for the last 15 minutes of the boil.
Fermentation:
- Cool the wort to 20°C (68°F) and transfer it to a sanitized fermentation vessel.
- Pitch 1 Wyeast 1318 London Ale III yeast and ferment for 14 days at 20°C (68°F).
- After 14 days, add 5 1/2 oz of Citra hops and 3 1/2 oz of Galaxy hops to the fermenter and allow to condition for 4 weeks at 10°C (50°F).
- After 4 weeks, bottle or keg the beer and enjoy!
Get the fermentation temperature right on New England IPA and most of the rest of the process takes care of itself.
What Makes New England IPA the Style It Is
There is nothing exotic about the roots of New England IPA, it grew out of practical brewing choices, local ingredients, and the tastes of the people drinking it.
What you get in the glass is a beer that leans on pilsner malt and ( hops )simcoe 13.8%, with a finish shaped by Wyeast 1318 London Ale III. Get the fermentation temperature right and the rest of the process is mostly patience.
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.
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.
