10 Tips for Home-Brewing Hazy IPA

10 Tips for Home-Brewing Hazy IPA

Hazy IPA has taken the beer-drinking world by storm, and it’s all the rage for many flavorful reasons. Sure, its hazy appearance is non-traditional, rebellious, and cool, and we want to be cool, don’t we?  After all, when your beer looks like orange juice, you know something interesting is on its way, and that “something interesting” is a smooth mouthfeel, a juicy hop flavor, and an in-your-face hop aroma. It’s also less bitter and more fruity than standard IPAs, making it more appealing to a wider range of beer drinkers. If you're looking to home-brew your own hazy IPA, then you're in for a fun and flavorful brewing adventure. Hazy IPAs, revered for their cloudy appearance and slap-happy hoppy goodness, require some specific techniques to get just right. From grain selection to yeast strains, hop additions, and more, these 10 tips for home-brewing hazy IPA will guide you through the process of creating a tantalizing hazy IPA that's sure to impress even the most discerning craft beer enthusiasts. And if they're not impressed, then they’re not enthusiasts. And if they’re not enthusiasts, then they’re no friends of yours. And by the way, these are 10 tips for home-brewing hazy IPAs. This is not some lame-ass “9 tips” help list, so we’re delivering the real goods.

1. Use unmalted high protein grains like flaked wheat or flaked oats to achieve the so-called turbid appearance and a smooth mouthfeel. There, we said it. Turbid. Turbid-turbid-turbid. Turbid is the hipster word for cloudy. And, boy, we love our hipsters. By the way, the word “turbid” is not related to the word “turd”, though “turbid” is a crappy name, if you think about it.  No pun intended. Therefore, from here forward, we will not say turbid. Turbid-turbid-turbid. We will say “hazy”. And if it’s raining, we may also say “cloudy”.
2. Ferment with yeast strains known for elevated ester production, generating fruity and peachy scents and flavors. Varieties such as LalBrew® New England American East Coast Style Yeast, Cellar Science Hazy or Wyeast London Ale III, are good examples.
3. Add most of your hops towards the end of boiling or during fermentation to decrease bitterness and boost hop fragrance and taste.
4. Dry-hop in two-stages: first during active fermentation to leverage the yeast-hop biotransformation, and second after fermentation to elevate hop aroma. Using words like biotransformation will impress your friends and intimidate your enemies. In my case, I say it to make myself seem smart. Which I’m not.
5. Use what probably seems like an outrageous, ridiculously stupid quantity of hops, ranging from 8 ounces to a pound per 5-gallon batch, as common for this style. Opt for hops carrying citrusy, tropical, and fruity attributes—like Citra, Mosaic, El Dorado, Galaxy, etc. Hops are expensive, so you’re gonna pay, brother.
6. As an advanced tip, you may adjust your water's chemical composition to elevate the chloride-to-sulfate ratio, intensifying malt presence and beer texture. Strive for a minimum of 150 ppm chloride and under 100 ppm sulfate.
7. If your brewing setup allows, take great effort to minimize exposure to oxygen during dry-hopping, all transfers, bottling and storage, as oxygen will degrade hop compounds and accelerate the development of undesirable flavors. Utilize a closed transfer system when feasible, purge bottles or kegs with CO2, and store the beer cold. Yes, this is asking a lot, so do the best of what you can and just understand that less-than-optimally-handled hazy IPAs will diminish in flavor faster. Thus, drink faster.
8. Avoid filtering or clarifying the beer, as these actions can reduce haze and hop essence. On the other hand, consider cold crashing the beer to settle some yeast and sediment prior to bottling or kegging.
9. Experiment with other ideas to uncover your preferred degree of haziness, juiciness, and mouthfeel. Some brewers incorporate lactose, fruit puree, flour, or other additives to amplify haze and sweetness in their beers.
10. Drink young! Revel in your hazy IPA while it's fresh, as this style is optimal within a few weeks of packaging. The hop aroma and flavor will diminish over time, so avoid prolonged storage.

Home-brewing a hazy IPA is a journey of many things, including art, science, flavor and fun, where your final brew will tantalize the taste buds and delight the senses. Or simply put, it just tastes damn fine. By embracing these 10 tips for home-brewing hazy IPA, you're equipped with the knowledge to experiment, refine, and master the craft of brewing hazy IPAs. And you can employ your other talent of being able to drink the beer! And maybe after drinking a few of those hazy IPAs, you’re incapable of following all ten tips. But don’t worry - we all just do the best we can. So, gather your ingredients, fire up your kettle, and embark on this flavorful journey that promises a glass full of hazy goodness and aromatic pleasures. Remember, each batch is a step closer to brewing nirvana, so savor the process and the rewarding results that follow - thus the beer in your glass. Cheers to you and your very own home-brewed hazy IPA!