Experimental grapefruit IPA brew day

11/14/15:

It was well past time to keg an all-citra IPA that I brewed on October 25, so I decided I'd keg and brew on the same day. These days are really tiring. There's little down time, since I'm constantly working on something, whether it's cleaning, adding hops, chilling the beer, or kegging.

First, I went to walmart and got a package of flaked oats. Adding these to IPAs and pale ales seems to be all the rage these days. Then it was on to coming up with a recipe. I knew for sure I was using 100% experimental grapefruit, which seems to be a variety only available through Yakima Valley Hops. I thought I'd use 12 lbs of grain, because I was aiming for more body and higher alcohol, so I calculated the water I'd need for that, but thought better of it once Brewtoad told me I'd be in the 8% ABV range. I wasn't sure I wanted an 8% beer with hops I'd never tried before. So I reduced the grain bill to 11 lbs, but failed to account for that when I measured out my water.

By the point I changed my mind on the amount of grain, my mash water was heating. I figured I'd just reduce the sparge water, but I guess I forgot. In the end, I had about six gallons of wort that was well under the calculated OG, which was 1.063. Instead, it was around 1.054-56. I ended up dumping half a gallon of wort. And because the wort nearly filled the fermenter to the neck, once fermentation began, krausen began seeping through the airlock. So I had to go to Lowe's and buy tubing for a blow-off tube. By the morning, I had lost an additional half gallon or so to the blow off. So that was disappointing and added unnecessary stress. But it should be a good beer nonetheless.

I continue to drink the galaxy ipa, which tastes great, but continues to be flat, despite two weeks on the gas, and cloudy. I've just had samples here and there, so maybe I haven't drawn off enough to clear it up. Yet it's still curious to think that this beer was quite clear in the fermenter and now is murky and frankly not all that appealing to look at.