The Bruce Session NZPA

Based on my recent beer Zythos Session APA but with a few tweaks:

  • NZ hops blend (The Bruce) instead of US hops blend (Zythos)
  • 0.5kg more malt – 1kg of Vienna instead of 0.7kg and 0.2kg of Sour Grapes malt
  • German Vienna and Munich malt instead of NZ
  • Medium crystal instead of light crystal malt
  • Chill instead of no-chill
  • US-05 instead of Mangrove Jacks Empire Ale yeast
  • Fermented under pressure

Again I’m aiming for a lowish alcohol beer that tastes like full on APA, so mashed high at around 69°C (70-68°).

Here’s a blurb about “The Bruce”, an NZ hops blend created by Freestyle Hops:

The Bruce is a vibrant, aromatic and concentrated blend of Freestyle Hops created in honor of Bruce Eggers. To make The Bruce they’ve used early Nelson Sauvin, early Motueka, late Pacifica and mid Pacific Jade (that’s the picking times). The aroma has fresh gooseberry, citrus peel, ripe tropical fruit and orange blossom. When brewed, the complex aromatics remain true to rubbing.

Pressure ferment – I’ve now got a spunding valve so will attempt a pressure ferment.

Style Information

Name: APA/NZPA
Recipe Type: All Grain

Grains & Extracts

Name Amount Notes
Maris Otter Malt 2.5 kg
Bestmalz Vienna 1 kg
Gladfield Medium Crystal 0.5 kg
Bestmalz Munich I 0.5 kg
Flaked Oats 0.3 kg
Gladfield Sour Grapes 0.2 kg

Hops

Name Amount Alpha Acid % AAU Time Notes
The Bruce blend 0.018 kg 9.6% 0.1728 30
The Bruce blend 0.031 kg 9.6% 0.2976 5
The Bruce blend 0.051 kg 9.6% 0.4896 0 Flameout hops
The Bruce blend 0.05 kg 9.6% 0.48 0 Added after 10mins @ 90°, steep for 15+mins
The Bruce blend 0.050 kg 9.6% 0.48 0 Dry hop

Adjuncts

Name Type Use Amount Time Notes
Calcium Chloride Water Agent Mash 0.004 kg 0
Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) Water Agent Mash 0.012 kg 0

Yeasts

Name Amount Notes
US-05 1 pkg Rehydrated

Mash Steps

Name Step Type Step Time Temperature
Saccharification Rest Infusion 50 minutes 69 C

Boil

Amount: 27.3 liters
Water Description:
Time: 30 minutes
Target Batch Size: 26 liters

Fermentation

Step Time Temperature Container Additions
Name: Amount
Notes
first 3 days 18 Fermzilla
pressure up to 17psi
3 days in 18
The Bruce hops: 50g
released pressure & dry hopped, fermentation still active. Oops: Attached spunding valve to liquid post! Cleaned it and reattached to gas post. Let pressure build up again from fermentation.
4 days in 18
pressure up to 20psi (too high?) - reduced to 15psi, set temp to 22C
1 day before kegging 1
cold crashed after unsuccessful attempt to transfer to keg while warm. Cold crash solved the problem

Profile

Estimated OG: 1.045
Estimated FG: 1.011
Estimated ABV: 4.45%
 
Actual OG: 1.047
Actual FG: 1.012
Actual ABV: 4.51%
 

Tasting notes

Tasting great after kegging. A clean tasting, hoppy, easy drinking, moreish beer.

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