West Coast IPA recipe : Pacific Frost

West Coast IPA Recipe:

• Color: Clear golden (11.6 EBC)
• Alcohol: 6.7%
• Quantity: 20L
• Bitterness: Firm (58.6 IBU)
• Brewing time: 5h
• Difficulty: Medium (Atmo friendly 😉)

Ingredients :

Grains :

• 4kg Pale Ale malt
• 0.7kg Munich 15 malt
• 0.7kg Rye malt
• 250g Carapils malt
• 250g Oat flakes

Hops :

• 30g  Centennial hops  (Boil – 60min)
• 20g  Centennial hops (Boils – 5min)
• 50g Simcoe hops (Whirlpool – 20min ; 90°C)
• 20g Idaho 7 hops (Whirlpool – 20min ; 90°C)
• 30g Idaho 7 hops (Primary Dry Hop – 24h after pitching)
• 20g Spectrum Cascade* (Post fermentation Dry Hops)

*Liquid Spectrum hop is equivalent to more than 100g of pellets – between 100 and 160 to be precise (with reduced oxidation risk).

Yeast and water :

• 2 sachets of Lax – WHC
• Total water volume: 34.5L
• Ideal Sulfate/Chloride ratio: 3/1
• Mash pH: 5.2
• Ideal sparge water pH: 6

Brew our West Coast IPA recipe step by step :

Step 1 :

Pour 19.5 liters of water into your kettle and set the heat to 70°C.

Add your grains and stir well to avoid lumps. Continue until the temperature drops to 66°C.

Hold it there for 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 15 liters of water to 77°C; this will be used for the sparging step.

Once the saccharification rest is complete, raise the temperature to 75°C for a 10‑minute Mash‑Out.

Step 2:

When the Mash-Out is complete, proceed with lautering and sparging.

Step 3 :

Heat your kettle for a 60‑minute boil.

At the start of the timer, add the first 30 grams of Centennial for a clean, resinous bitterness.

With 5 minutes remaining, add the final 20 grams of the same hop to reinforce citrus notes.

Step 4 :

Once the boil is finished, turn off the heat and steep 50g of Simcoe and 20g of Idaho 7 for 20 minutes.

Simcoe, Idaho 7, and Centennial are among the best candidates for biotransformation. Their addition at the end of the boil, in the whirlpool, and/or during primary dry hopping helps release aromas typical of West Coast IPAs: pine needles, grapefruit, resin, tropical fruits.

• Simcoe: resin, stone fruits, citrus
• Idaho 7: passion fruit, papaya, citrus
• Centennial: grapefruit, lemon, floral notes

Their synergy creates a sharp, clean aromatic bouquet, true to the style.

Step 5 :

Cool the wort to 18°C. Take the gravity reading, which should be around 1.063, and transfer it into the fermenter.

Add the 2 sachets of LAX yeast. This strain, known as “Chico,” is typical of West Coast IPAs and other American pale ales. Its neutral aromatic profile allows the hops to fully express themselves, while its strong attenuation also helps emphasize the beer’s pleasant bitterness.

24 hours after pitching, add 30g of Idaho 7.

Maintain a temperature of 18°C for about 2 weeks. This is the time the yeast will need to reach the final gravity of 1.012.

*After this period, you may optionally raise the temperature to 21°C for an additional week. This ensures the yeast finishes its work cleanly.

Step 6 :

When the final gravity is reached, add 20g of Spectrum Cascade.

To do this, boil 10 to 15cl of water, cool it down to 18°C, and mix with the Spectrum. Once blended, add it to the beer while minimizing agitation.

Since this extract contains no vegetal matter, it is less prone to oxidation than standard pellets. That said, it is still important to limit oxygen exposure as much as possible.

Another advantage of the liquid extract: you won’t lose beer (no solid matter to absorb it) and there is no risk of hop creep.

The Cascade variety provides a clean, lemony finish with a resinous touch that firmly anchors Pacific Frost in the West Coast identity.

Step 7 :

After 3 days of Dry Hop, you can proceed with bottling. A Cold Crash is of course possible, and even recommended before bottling.

Sterilize 6g/L of sugar and carry out the bottling.

For the “iso team,” carbonate to 2.4 volumes of CO₂.

Conclusion :

Pacific Frost is a clear, dry, and crisp West Coast IPA. It combines the aromatic freshness of the “early hops” (pine, citrus, resin) with a Cascade Spectrum finish that is lemony and resinous. An IPA that evokes the Pacific coast in winter: bright, energetic, and uncompromising.