The DIPA recipe :
- Color: Copper
- Alcohol: 7.1%
- Volume: 20L
- Bitterness: Pronounced
- Brewing time: 6 hours
- Difficulty: High
Ingredients :
Malt Base :
- 5.7 kg Pale Ale Malt
- 500 g Carared Malt
- 150 g Carapils Malt
Hot Side Hopping :
- 75 g Rakau Hops (Mash Hopping + 45-minute Boil)
- 30 g Rakau Hops (Boil: 10 minutes)
- 45 g Nelson Sauvin Hops (Boil: 10 minutes)
Flame-Out Hopping:
- 45 g Nelson Sauvin Hops (80°C for 30 minutes)
Dry Hop :
- 20 g Rakau Hops (24 hours after pitching)
- 70 g Nelson Sauvin Hops (3 days before cold crash)
Yeast and Water :
- 2 packets of Bry-97 yeast
- Total water volume: 35 L. Preferably Sulfate > Chloride (ideally 2:1 ratio). Target mash pH: 5.3.
Brew the DIPA recipe by PikNZell: Pernicious Weed
Step 1 :
Heat 20.5 liters of water to 72 °C, then add the crushed grains.
Stir thoroughly, making sure to break up any clumps against the sides of the mash tun. The temperature should settle around 66 °C.
Next, add 75g of Rakau hops in a hop sock directly into the mash. Maintain saccharification for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare your sparge water by heating 14.5 liters to 77 °C
Step 2 :
Perform a 10-minute mash out at 75°C.
Remove the Rakau hop sock and set it aside.
Step 3 :
Once the mash out is complete, proceed with sparging and filtration.
Step 4 :
Heat your wort and begin a 60-minute boil.
After 15 minutes, reintroduce the Rakau hop sock.
With 10 minutes remaining, add 30g of Rakau and 45g of Nelson Sauvin.
Step 5 :
Once the boil is complete, steep 45g of Nelson Sauvin for 30 minutes.
Step 6 :
Cool the wort down to 18°C, take a gravity reading (around 1.067), transfer it to the fermenter, and add your yeast.
After 24 hours, add 20g of Rakau hops.
Step 7 :
Maintain a temperature of 18°C during the first 3 days of fermentation.
Then raise it to 21°C for another 3 days. Finally, increase to 24°C for an additional 5 to 7 days (until final gravity reaches 1.012).
Step 8 :
Lower the temperature to 16°C, then perform your second dry hop with 70g of Nelson Sauvin.
After 3 to 4 days, gradually reduce the temperature to 3°C. Maintain this cold phase for at least 7 days.
If you’re using a pressurized conical fermenter, take advantage of it to purge yeast and hop residue through the collection vessel at the base of the cone.
Step 9 :
Carbonate the beer to 2.4–2.5 volumes of CO₂. You can serve directly from the fermenter or bottle using counter-pressure filling.
If you don’t have pressure equipment, transfer the beer to a priming bucket with a sugar syrup dosed at 5g/L and proceed with standard bottling. Let the bottles sit for about ten days at 18–20°C.
Conclusion :
Jordan, the mastermind behind PikNZell, knows exactly how to elevate the hops he personally harvests at the Pikimai Hops farm in New Zealand. This copper-hued DIPA recipe blends the bold character of old-school brews with a modern approach to hopping.
Its generous malt base, supported by Carared and Carapils, delivers a smooth roundness that balances a firm, lingering bitterness.
The use of New Zealand hops—Rakau and Nelson Sauvin—across multiple stages (mash hopping, flame-out, and double dry hop) brings intense aromatic complexity, with notes of tropical fruit, resin, and white wine.
A sulfate-forward water profile sharpens the hop expression, while fermentation with Bry-97 ensures a clean, dry finish. A technical, expressive beer crafted for true hop enthusiasts.
Bonus, Jordan’s interview :
Can you tell us how PikNZell was created and how your connection with the Pikimai Hops farm began ?
Actually, I was really lucky. When I arrived in New Zealand in 2017, Pikimai Hops had just been founded. I started working with them and was there for their very first harvest in 2018 — and I’ve been going back every year since. I mainly help during the harvest season and whenever there are changes or new developments.
PikNZell was born out of the strong relationship built with Pikimai Hops, along with the desire to bring top-quality hops to the French and European markets. The goal was to ensure full traceability while staying close to brewers and building a relationship based on trust.
What makes New Zealand hops so special in your opinion ?
New Zealand hops have a truly distinctive aroma — often very expressive and instantly recognizable. I find them more refined and subtle than American hops, with a beautiful complexity. What also makes them so interesting is their versatility: depending on when you add them during the brewing process — whether for bittering, in the whirlpool, or as a dry hop — you’ll get very different aromatic profiles. It’s a real playground for brewers.
Do you have a favorite hop variety this year ? Why ?
Motueka and NZ Cascade (also known as Taiheke) — they smell incredibly citrusy 🤩.
NZ Cascade offers an impressive aromatic range centered around lemon: you’ll find notes of zest, candied lemon, marmalade, even tangy lemon candy.
As for Motueka, it’s a real gem. Like a bittersweet orange candy, bursting with citrus aromas that hit both the nose and the palate.