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The Hop Addition · July 27 · 2 hr 18 min

Episode 140 - West Coast, Old School vs New School

The West Coast IPA is back—but it isn't the same beer that dominated the craft beer boom of the 2000s. In this episode of The Hop Addition, we explore how one of the world's most influential beer styles has evolved from crystal-heavy, piney bitterness bombs into today's ultra-pale, dry, hop-saturated modern classics. We compare old school and new school recipes, discuss the evolution of malt bills, water chemistry, yeast selection, whirlpool hopping, dry hopping, Cryo and hop extracts, and debate whether Magnum really is the perfect bittering hop. Along the way we review some classic commercial examples and share practical brewing tips to help you brew a competition-worthy West Coast IPA at home. Whether you're a fan of Racer 5, Sierra Nevada Torpedo, Two Hearted, or the latest generation of crystal-clear tropical IPAs, this episode is packed with technical brewing discussion, recipe advice, and plenty of hop geekery. Cheers! 🍻

0:00-2:18:23
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The West Coast IPA is back—but it isn't the same beer that dominated the craft beer boom of the 2000s. In this episode of The Hop Addition, we explore how one of the world's most influential beer styles has evolved from crystal-heavy, piney bitterness bombs into today's ultra-pale, dry, hop-saturated modern classics.

We compare old school and new school recipes, discuss the evolution of malt bills, water chemistry, yeast selection, whirlpool hopping, dry hopping, Cryo and hop extracts, and debate whether Magnum really is the perfect bittering hop. Along the way we review some classic commercial examples and share practical brewing tips to help you brew a competition-worthy West Coast IPA at home.

Whether you're a fan of Racer 5, Sierra Nevada Torpedo, Two Hearted, or the latest generation of crystal-clear tropical IPAs, this episode is packed with technical brewing discussion, recipe advice, and plenty of hop geekery. Cheers! 🍻


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