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Amarillo II: The Amarilloning


Vital Statistics:

Batch Number:106
Style:IPA
Brew Date:27 November 2020
Original Gravity:1.047 (11.67 °Plato)
Final Gravity:1.005 (1.28 °Plato)
ABV:5.5%
ABW:4.3%
Calories per pint:200
Estimated IBU (Rager):114.0
Estimated IBU (Tinseth):90.6
Mash Temperature:153°
Mash Efficiency:69%
Days in Primary:24  
Days in Secondary:0 (kegged on 21 December 2020)
Ferm. Temp. Notes:68-72°
Yeast Used:A38 Juice
Apparent Attenuation:89%
Real Attenuation:73%
Rating:3.28
Entirely Consumed:Yes (finished 9 January 2021)
Availability:19 days
 Recipe:

9 lb Skagit Valley Copeland pale malt
8 oz Victory malt
8 oz Cara-Rye

20 AAU (67g @ 8.4% AA) Amarillo @ 60
10 AAU (33g @ 8.4% AA) Amarillo @ 20
10 AAU (33g @ 8.4% AA) Amarillo @ 5
33.6 AAU (112g) Amarillo @ 0 (dry-hopped in primary)

Imperial A38 Juice
General Notes:

The hops used in this batch were pretty old. They have been in my deep-freeze about 3 years, so I expect the IBU rating to actually be a bit lower than the calculated value. Dry hops added 11 days into fermentation.
Tasting Notes:

Tasting notes taken 12/31/20, 10 days after kegging. Dispensed from keg into a dimpled mug.

Appearance: medium orange hue with a moderate haze and two thick fingers of foam. There's a nice lace left on the glass as well; I think this is looking pretty good. The haziness varies depending on whether the keg has been moved -- it was quite turbid when I racked it out. Still -- looks good. 4

Smell: sweetish malt with a bit of a vegetal hop aroma. Milder than I would have gone for; I'm thinking 3 year amarillos are not the best hop choice in the world. It's ... fine. 3

Taste: a lightly toasty malt flavor, combined with a rather high bitterness and a vegetal hoppiness. This beer did not work ... great. I think the combination of a single hop, along with the fact that those hops are 3 years old, along with a not-great dry-hop timing ... I didn't really do this beer any good service. 2.75

Mouthfeel: medium-rich body with a good level of carbonation and a surprisingly good creaminess. Like, for a beer carbonated in a keg with a bad gas post and only chilled to the level of my garage, this is surprisingly satisfying. Amazing! 4

Drinkability: see the comments on taste for everything there is to say about this beer. The beer is just too bitter and I need to rack like 2 days after dry-hopping, not 2 weeks. That said, the beer's not undrinkable or anything. 2.75


Overall score 3.28 (C+). I mean, it's a beer. There's nothing remarkable here.
Hops Table
Hop Variety Addition Time AAU AA% Quantity (g) Type IBU (Rager) IBU (Tinseth) Notes
Amarillo 60 20.00 8.4 67 Pellet 84.6 64.6  
Amarillo 20 10.00 8.4 33 Pellet 21.5 19.6  
Amarillo 5 10.00 8.4 33 Pellet 7.9 6.4  
Amarillo 0 33.60 8.4 112 Pellet 0.0 0.0 Dry-hopped in primary.