Blind Corner, High Draw Xpa Recipe

Heat Strike Water

Heat 3.5 gallons (13.25 L) of brewing water to ~166°F (74°C) to reach a target mash temp of 152°F (67°C) when grain is added. If using the ingredient water quantity above, convert to appropriate volume; this recipe is scaled to a 5 gallon (19 L) batch — adjust volumes as needed.

Mash In

Add the crushed grains (Pale Malt, Vienna, Carapils, Wheat, and optional acidulated) to the mash tun. Stir thoroughly to eliminate dry pockets and stabilize temperature. Target mash temperature: 152°F (67°C). Hold for 60 minutes.

Mash Out

Raise temperature to 168°F (76°C) for 10 minutes to mash out and lower viscosity for lautering.

Sparge / Collect Wort

Sparge with enough ~170°F (77°C) water to collect about 6.5–7.0 gallons (24.6–26.5 L) of pre-boil wort (for a 5 gallon final batch accounting for boil-off). Aim for approximately 6.5 gallons pre-boil if you boil 60 minutes and want ~5.25 gallons post-boil and ferment loss.

Bring to Boil

Bring collected wort to a vigorous boil. Watch for hot break and boil overs; reduce heat as necessary.

Bittering Hop Addition

At the start of the 60-minute boil, add Mosaic 1.5 oz for bittering. Boil for 60 minutes total.

Late Hop / Clarifier

With 10 minutes left in the boil, add Irish moss/Whirlfloc (0.5 tsp) and 1.0 oz Simcoe. This gives late hop aroma and improved clarity from the clarifier.

End of Boil / Whirlpool

At flameout (0 minutes), turn off heat and perform a hop stand/whirlpool. Add 1.0 oz Citra + 1.0 oz 'burst' blend (Mosaic/Citra) directly into the whirlpool. Optional: whirlpool at ~170–180°F (77–82°C) for 15–30 minutes to extract hop flavor/aroma while minimizing vegetal grassy compounds. Whirlpooling cooler (closer to 170°F/77°C) preserves volatiles better.

Chill Wort

Chill the wort quickly to yeast-pitching temperature: aim for 66–68°F (19–20°C). Use an immersion, counterflow, or plate chiller. Transfer chilled wort to sanitized fermenter, leaving hop/trub behind as much as practical.

Oxygenation & Pitching

Aerate or oxygenate the cooled wort adequately for an ale (e.g., shake, splashing, or pure O2 for 30–60 seconds). Rehydrate or prepare yeast per manufacturer instructions and pitch the yeast (one packet). Add yeast nutrient if using (0.5 tsp).

Primary Fermentation

Ferment at 66–68°F (19–20°C) for about 5–7 days until vigorous fermentation slows. This ale strain prefers a clean fermentation to highlight hops.

Dry Hop

At ~day 4–6 (near end of active fermentation) add dry hops: 1.0 oz Galaxy + 1.0 oz Citra. If you prefer a brighter hop aroma, add them after fermentation slows (3–4 days) and leave in contact for 3–5 days. Avoid leaving hops too long (>7 days) to prevent grassy/off flavors.

Finish Fermentation

Allow fermentation to finish (total ~10–14 days). Check final gravity; target FG is around 1.010–1.014 depending on mash efficiency. Keep temperatures steady to avoid off-flavors.

Cold Crash & Transfer

Optional: cold crash to ~36–40°F (2–4°C) for 24–48 hours to drop haze and hop particulates. Rack to bottling bucket or keg leaving behind trub and hop debris. If bottling, sanitize bottles and caps thoroughly.

Priming & Bottle Conditioning

If bottling, dissolve 3 oz (by weight) corn sugar in ~8 oz boiling water, cool, add to bottling bucket, then gently transfer beer to the bucket to mix evenly with priming solution. Bottle and cap. Condition at room temperature for 2 weeks to carbonate.

Kegging

If kegging, transfer to keg and carbonate to ~2.4–2.6 volumes CO2. Allow to settle for 24–48 hours before serving for best clarity and hop integration.

Serve

Serve cold (45–50°F / 7–10°C) in a tulip or snifter to concentrate the intense tropical/citrus hop aroma. Expect a bright, juicy XPA with moderate bitterness and pronounced Mosaic/Citra/Galaxy hop character.