Bottling a Session Hazy IPA

[BasementArtie]

Completely irrelevant but I am currently enjoying a Westmalle Tripel .

So on to my Session Hazy. Well what more is there to say. After my Triple NE IPA went surprisingly well. I wanted to try something which I could get more out of and drink more of rather than a 10% which was a struggle to carb.

The beer turned out 4.5% ABV so completely smashing sessionable. I'm just going to include a time line of the beer in photo form to again test the effects of oxidation over time from my not so special set up.

Within this brew batch I had 4 variables (ish more like 2 and two different coloured bottles) 450ml green Grolsch Swing top bottle filled normally with a bottling wand and another overfilled. 500ml Brown Homebrew Swingtop filled normally with a bottling want and another overfilled.

Brewed Wednesday 11th August 2021
Bottled Wednesday 25th August 2021
Fridged Batch Monday 30th August 2021

Here is a picture of the colour from the fermenter and the first (Saturday 28/08/21) and second (Monday 30/08/21) bottled beer I tried out of the batch. Before fridging the batch down. (Leaving one of each variable to age at room temp).

 

[BasementArtie]

First photo Day 6 after bottling (Tuesday 31/08/21).

Second photo Day 8 (Thursday 02/09/21).

Third photo Day 9 (Friday 03/09/21).

Forth photo Day 10 (Saturday 04/09/21).

Fifth photo Day 11 (Sunday 05/09/21).

Sixth photo Day 12 (Monday 06/09/21).

Seventh photo Day 13 (Tuesday 07/09/21).

Eighth photo Day 14 (Wednesday 08/09/21).

Ninth photo Day 16 (Friday 10/09/21).

Tenth photo Day 16 (Friday 10/09/21). This is where I had two on the same day from the same 500ml brown swingtop one filled normally one filled high/overfilled and this one which was filled normally had slightly darkened and had a very very slight difference in flavour (i.e. slightly more bitter less floral and citrus) This may be an indication again as with my Triple that the bottles overfilled taste a little better and keep their character longer.

So we're completely up to date now. I've been a bit lazy on the front of drinking and tonight I fancied a Belgian!

 

[BasementArtie]

Day 24 (18/09/21). 5 days carbing before being fridged at 2-6C for 19 days. 500ml Brown Overfilled Fliptop Variable.

The carbonation on this one and it's only been a problem on this bottle so far was lackluster during the pour. However was carbed inside. The seal I believe wasn't great on this bottle. However the aroma surprisingly was still great and the flavours and brightness is still there.

I've had some great feedback on this session beer, on all four variables nonetheless. Some even preferring the very slightly more bitter more subtle hop aromaed normal filled green bottles. I know it's early days so let's see how they progress.

I have 4 bottles (one of each variable) which have been sat at 15-28c since bottling on the 25th August and I'm curious to see what changes are occuring in those bottle. Only time will tell .

 

[BasementArtie]

Day number 30 (23/09/21) -

450ml overfilled 5 days carbing, 22 days fridge 2 days car 1 fridge. This was because I took this on a trip to Devon, UK.

Carbonation great. Still hoppy and fruity in both flavour and smell. Hasn't changed one bit the overfilled version.

P.s. look at theses cakes

 

[BasementArtie]

Day 32 (Saturday 25/09/21) - 450ml Grolsch bottle with a normal fill 5 days carbing 27 days fridge.

Carbonation good but the standard now. Smell surprisingly still present of hops. Flavour may be on the slide for the non overfilled bottles as I'd say it's all a little mellower than the overfill and I'd say still very much a little darker (minimal) but hasn't progressed so maybe the fridge is stalling flavour change and colour change.

 

[krispn]

Great test and comparison - I've seen a few of my attempts get much darker more quickly with standard kegging although having the ability to pressure transfer from Fermzilla to keg had been a great improvement.

 

[BasementArtie]

Day 35 (Tuesday 28/09/21) and all is good in the good! No problems here..except from the Autumnal weather has smashed in very quickly!

So this one was a 450ml Green Grolsch Overfilled 5 days carb and 30 days fridge. The hop smell remains fresh and the beer remains as good as day 5 when the fridge got switched on. Carbonation is getting better as time goes on even with being at 2-7C for this long.

 

[BasementArtie]

Day 38 ( Friday 01/10/21) actually starting to go past IPA season for me. I can't wait to brew my beligan dubbel however house renovation is taking priority in every free daylight hours moment. May have to start cracking my stout and beligan store more often.

On to the proper subject, this beer as you can see is a 500ml brown bottle and was filled normally. 5 days carb 33 days fridge.

Like the last 450ml Grolsch normal fill version the beer has darkened ever so slightly and the smell has faded more. But the fridge is doing a tremendous job of stalling any huge effects of oxidation. Obviously the Overfilled bottles smell fresher however I'm my personal preference the taste of the normal fill is slightly more bitter which currently is making it my preference.

Again as with the first experiment I did with SMB, I haven't taken any protocols to remove oxygen from my processes, other than being careful and using a bottling wand to fill. I am genuinely surprised how wel these batches are lasting and it leaves me wondering what has happened with those individuals with purple and brown beer after a month? Can someone explain to me why theirs turn out so bad and mine don't despite using little to no precautionary measure?

We go on and I'm gradually getting more and more intrigued about these 4 bottles left out off the fridge from the start in a way I hope one of the normal filled bottle is noticeable darker and stale.

 

[Alastair70]

Wow, what a great thread. What’s the verdict, both bottles and filling?

 

[BasementArtie]

Wow, what a great thread. What’s the verdict, both bottles and filling?

I don't know if it's blasphemy to share a thread from another forum however I do think this answers a lot of hazy/NEIPA bottling question better than I can.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/the-definitive-neipa-bottling-experiment.695258/#post-9164487
Seem like filling high and purging head space with co2 is best, in the absence of CO2 filling high is a good alternative.

 

[Alastair70]

Definitely not blasphemy, my work commute today was oxidation heavy, (this weeks Brülab podcast).
I’m seriously looking at a significant cold side upgrade to allow closed pressure transfer from FV to keg. The bump in beer flavour when I moved to a simple closed loop setup was shockingly large, it’s the obvious next step.

 

[BasementArtie]

Day 39 (Saturday 02/10/21) 5 days fridge 34 days fridge.

I marked this bottle as when I filled it, it underwent a lot of splashing. This is a 500ml brown bottle overfilled O2 exposed. The colour is great the smell is great. Actually filled higher than most of the overfilled so when it was popped there was no hiss..worried me for s second thinking the seal was **** however it was well carbed. Taste wise, I would say 100% has got more bitter and it's seem like this was definitely down to the splashing.

However no where near as bad as I was expecting and the beer was still hoppy and enjoyable

 

[BasementArtie]

Day 49 (5 day carb 44 days fridge) (12/10/21) green Grolsch 450ml bottle Normal fill (second bottle out the fermenter).

Wow I have no idea what happened here. Pop goes the bottle and boom the most hop aroma I've had from any bottle, more than any over filled. Lovely lovely smell coming out of the bottle and pour. Head was great. Taste is banging, no signed oxidation in the slightest. This was a top quality IPA super fresh.

 

[BasementArtie]

Day 62 (5 Days carb 57 days fridge). Bottle filled normally brown 500ml flip top!

Sorry for the radio silence I've been moving into a renovation project and been enjoying my stout box and beligans. I've been meaning to brew my Dubbel but haven't had time which is really annoying.

So onto the IPA, I've got a feeling the seal on this one wasn't great. Some of these brown bottle stock seals I've notice are not as good and thick and strong as the Grolsch bottles ones. Limited fizz (could have been due to being served 2-3C).

However, it's clear on this one the colour has browned and darkened. The smell isn't lost but was a shell of its former self. The flavour hasn't degraded at all but has subtle changes, hops maybe not as forward in their floral fruity notes by a little more bitter however I'm shocked at how drinkable this beer still is for a style which is meant to be drunk fresh.

The horizon test of the 4 variables stored at 9-25c what ever the temperature outside is not that far away...or I might bring them in from the garage before winter store them even longer on purpose to hope for massive differences. We're already at 2 months I wonder what 3-4-5 months might be like. I'll see how I'm feeling.

 

[BasementArtie]

Day 74 (5 days carbing 69 days fridging) Green Grolsch 440ml bottle Overfilled.

Head retention and pouring head formation is better than ever. The aroma in this overfill was pungent as ever. Colour is a vibrant and yellow as ever (tried to get a good picture using various rooms various camera settings but none did it justice) weirdly I think the haze has faded that's all. Taste wise this is a banging IPA as it always has been.

Hoppy and fresh, maybe not something to enjoy in the evening in November of wet day but I'm enjoying this bad boy!

I am incredibly interested to see how the last overfill (refrigerated after 5 days) 500ml brown bottle compares to this as I think the tighter flip top seal on the Grolsch bottle makes for better head and better all round smell and flavour. But that's just a guess after 70+ days.

The real test will come when the 4 non fridged variables are tested.

 

[chillipickle]

My hats off to you for keeping a neipa for 75 days, let alone in a bottle :hat:

The best mine gets is 10/12 days in the keg and a couple of weeks before friends and family have destroyed it

 

[BasementArtie]

My hats off to you for keeping a neipa for 75 days, let alone in a bottle :hat:

The best mine gets is 10/12 days in the keg and a couple of weeks before friends and family have destroyed it

I've been very lucky with circumstances summer has turned to winter it would seem in a blink of an eye. House renovation means losing track of time. 44 bottles have seemingly lasted me a long time however since autumn struck at the start of September I've been all over the Belgian beers and my Stout box of aging stouts has been rampaged delaying my consumption of my Session NEIPA. I'm glad I've been delayed as it been a very interesting experience having bottles close to three months old being very very enjoyable and very much like fresh IPAs and like you say BOTTLED.

The filling high seems like a necessity however getting a good seal seems extremely important. Looks like some flip bottle stock seals don't cut the mustard.

 

[BasementArtie]

Day 91 we're 3 months in!!! (5 days carbing 86 days in the fridge).

So this is a brown 500ml bottle filled normal. Seal on this was better than the last brown bottled I think because the cage was tighter this in turn gave this bottle a nice fizz as I opened it.

However reminiscent of day 62 of this variable it's darker in my perception, than the previous overfilled brown and green bottles, which is surprising even more so seeing as this IPA has dropped near clear and looks like a lager in the glass and no longer bright yellow more like a darkened yellow brown.

The smell of the IPA hops is still there faded but no more lost than that of day 62. The flavour is muted but some how would still pass as a Brewdog standard/level session IPA.

I've got one more brown 500ml overfilled bottled left which was fridged after 5 days. Then we're on to the 4 variables which have stored at between 1C-25C in the garage (I may bring them inside this winter until I fridge them for testing). How long should I give those 4 variables before trying them?

 

[BasementArtie]

Day 120 (3.945 months) carbed after 5 days, fridged until about day 100, then taken out to cellar in the garage from 1-10C. Then fridged again for 1 day. 500ml Overfilled.

Hop aroma is nearly non-existant. However colour and flavour is great. It's actually shocking how good it is for its age. Not hugely dissimilar from the original other than the haziness has nearly completely dropped clear. Maybe darkened a tad .

I really think the four variables (opening on the 8th Jan which will be 4.5months after bottling) will prove to me at least overfilling saves the NEIPA style in flavour and colour.....maybe not aroma and haze.

 

[ssashton]

I've only skimmed this thread so sorry if I missed it. When will you try ascorbic acid in the bottling process?