May Brew of the Month: Max Spencer's Flux IPA

By Max Spencer

Spring is upon us, ladies and gentlemen. Weather is not the only herald in this time of transition—the beer we brew and drink also reflects the changing of the seasons. I love to brew and drink stouts, quads and barleywines during the winter — and while they still have a place in my heart during the warmer months, I begin to crave different fare. IPAs tend to be a year-round choice for many beer drinkers, but nothing makes me itch for an IPA quite like spring weather. There is just something about the emergence of fresh greenery, kind-of-warm weather and sunlight that ignites my thirst for hoppy goodness.

In honor of that thirst I brewed an IPA with a fun assortment of hops. I chose Galaxy as my core hop for bittering and aroma additions. Galaxy is an Australian hop known for imparting flavors of passionfruit, peach and citrus. Along with Galaxy I added Wai-iti and Citra hops as aroma additions. Wai-iti is a New Zealand hop which gives flavors of peaches and other stone fruits. Citra is a hop most brewers and beer drinkers are familiar with, providing tropical fruit and citrus flavors.

The finished product was a beautiful deep gold. The nose was rife with fruity goodness — including a healthy dose of peach, citrus and tropical fruit tones. On the palate, I detected more of the passionfruit and peach with a background of citrus and tropical fruit supported by a pleasant dry malt character. The finish was pleasantly bitter and dry with lingering fruitiness. I enjoyed this beer immensely. This malt build has quickly become my go-to for IPAs, and really showcases the hops without being chewy or too overbearing.

All Grain ($45.50)

• 12 lbs. Golden Promise
• 1 lbs. Golden Naked Oats (or Carahell)
• 0.75 lbs. Melanoidin Malt (or Gambrinus Honey Malt)
• Mash @ 154 for 60 minutes
• 0.5 oz. Galaxy @ First Wort (60 minutes)
• 0.5 oz. Galaxy @ 30 minutes
• 1 oz. Galaxy @ 15 minutes
• 1 oz. Galaxy @ 0 minutes
• 1 oz. Wai-iti (or Vic’s Secret) @ 0 minutes
• 1 oz. Citra @ 0 minutes
• 1 oz. Galaxy Dry Hop for 4 days
• 1 oz. Wai-iti (or Vic’s Secret) Dry Hop for 4 days
• 1 oz. Citra Dry Hop for 4 days

Vital Statistics

• OG: 1.066
• FG: 1.010
• IBUs: 66
• SRM: 7.1

EXTRACT ($50.99)

• 9 lbs. Light LME
• 10 oz. Caramunich I
• 7 oz. Gambrinus Honey Malt
• 8 oz. Corn Sugar
• 1 oz. Galaxy @ 60 minutes
• 0.5 oz. Galaxy @ 30 minutes
• 1 oz. Galaxy @ 15 minutes
• 1 oz. Galaxy @ 0 minutes
• 1 oz. Wai-iti (or Vic’s Secret) @ 0 minutes
• 1 oz. Citra @ 0 minutes
• 1.5 oz. Galaxy Dry Hop for 4 days
• 1 oz. Wai-iti (or Vic’s Secret) Dry Hop for 4 days
• 1 oz. Citra Dry Hop for 4 days

Vital Statistics

• OG: 1.068
• FG: 1.010
• IBUs: 59.7
• SRM: 8

Variations

I used OYL-052 for my yeast — Omega’s “Conan” DIPA strain. Their DIPA strain produces esters that taste like peaches and complemented the hops well. You can also use Safale 05 for a dry yeast, or any other American ale strain that you prefer. An additional option is Wyeast 1318 London Ale III, which many people are using for New England style IPAs.