The key challenges included managing the mash temperature, which was difficult to control due to the hot summer weather, and cooling the wort efficiently. The brewer used a simple stainless steel cooling coil connected to a tap, which was not tightly fitted, leading to water leakage. Additionally, the wort boiled over due to inexperience, resulting in the loss of 1-2 liters of wort.
The American IPA was brewed using pale ale malt, possibly with a small amount of caramel malt. The mash was conducted at around 65°C for 70 minutes using 16-17 liters of water. The wort was boiled with Cascade hops added at 60, 50, and 30 minutes, totaling 50 grams. The yeast used was a common American IPA yeast, which was activated before pitching. The fermentation lasted about 10 days at 24-26°C, using a water bath method to control temperature.
For the Punk IPA clone, the brewer used a more detailed and professionally presented recipe kit, which included high-quality printed instructions and pre-measured ingredients. The process was more controlled, with specific mash and fermentation temperatures. The brewer also used a more efficient cooling method and added dry hops post-fermentation, which significantly enhanced the beer's aroma and flavor compared to the first attempt.
The Punk IPA clone used 4.38 kg of pale ale malt and 250 grams of Weyermann's red caramel malt. The hop schedule included Chinook and Ahtanum hops added at 60, 30, and 0 minutes, totaling 30 grams. Additionally, 80 grams of hops were used for dry hopping, including Chinook, Ahtanum, Simcoe, Cascade, and Amarillo. The yeast was Safale US-05, fermented at 19°C for 5 days, followed by dry hopping at 13-15°C for 5 days.
The Punk IPA clone had a more pronounced hop aroma and flavor, despite using only half the amount of hops compared to the original recipe. This improvement was attributed to the dry hopping process, which was not used in the first American IPA. The brewer noted that the Punk IPA clone tasted significantly better, with a more complex and satisfying flavor profile, even though the final gravity was higher than expected, indicating incomplete fermentation.