This IPA Argenta all-grain recipe is designed as a complete 23 L formulation at 75% brewhouse efficiency. Confirm every measured value on your own system and package only after fermentation is complete and gravity is stable.
IPA Argenta all-grain recipe: Quick Facts
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Style | BJCP 2021 Appendix B, X2 IPA Argenta |
| Strength | 6.3% ABV; OG 1.060; FG 1.012 |
| Colour | 15.8 EBC / 8.0 SRM |
| Bitterness | 48 IBU |
| Batch | 23 L finished beer / 6.08 US gal / 5.06 Imp gal; formulated at 75% brewhouse efficiency |
Historical and Technical Context
IPA Argenta was defined through Argentine brewing discussions in the early 2010s as a local interpretation of IPA. Its identity rests on Argentine-grown hops, especially citrus, grapefruit, mandarin-peel and floral impressions, together with a modest wheat addition. The BJCP recognises it as an Appendix B local style rather than a generic American IPA.
Pale malt forms a clean base, wheat remains below fifteen percent, and a small caramel-wheat fraction supplies colour and continuity. Argentine-grown bittering and aroma hops create a forceful but smooth profile, while a neutral ale culture ferments to a medium-dry endpoint. Water may be softly to moderately sulphate-accented, but harsh mineral bitterness is a fault.
The style expresses Argentina through ingredient provenance and a deliberate citrus-wheat relationship, not through a private brand or clone target. Freshness, oxygen control and stable gravity after dry hopping are especially important because hop creep can renew fermentation. This is an original home-scale formulation built from the official ranges.
Technical Parameters
| Parameter | Target | Acceptable Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colour | 15.8 EBC / 8.0 SRM | 11.8-29.6 EBC / 6-15 SRM | Medium gold to reddish copper; this recipe targets bright orange-gold with good head retention. |
| Bitterness | 48 IBU | 35-60 IBU | Assertive, lingering bitterness must remain smooth and supported by malt and wheat. |
| Body | Medium-light | Medium-light to medium | Wheat gives a soft middle while high attenuation keeps the finish drier than many American IPAs. |
| Alcohol Strength | 6.3% ABV | 5.0-6.5% ABV | Calculated from OG 1.060 and FG 1.012 using (OG-FG) x 131.25. |
| Carbonation | 2.5 volumes CO2 | 2.3-2.7 volumes CO2 | Moderate-high carbonation increases refreshment and helps the wheat-supported head. |
| Original Gravity | 1.060 SG | 1.055-1.065 SG | The middle of the range supports hop intensity without creating obvious alcohol. |
| Final Gravity | 1.012 SG | 1.008-1.015 SG | Package only after this reading is unchanged for at least 72 hours and the flavour is free from fermentation faults. |
| Apparent Attenuation | 80% | 73-87% | The target is calculated directly from the stated original and final gravities. |
| Final pH | 4.25 | 4.10-4.40 | A bright clean endpoint sharpens citrus hops without lactic or mineral sourness. |
| Serving Temperature | 8°C / 46°F | 6-10°C / 43-50°F | Cool service preserves hop freshness while allowing citrus and floral detail. |
Sensory Profile
Visual
Clear orange-gold with a persistent white-to-cream head; a slight dry-hop haze is acceptable. Deep brown colour or dense permanent turbidity would obscure the intended refreshing presentation.
Aroma
High pink-grapefruit, mandarin peel, orange blossom and light herbal-resin hop character rises over low clean malt and wheat. Fermentation is neutral to faintly fruity, with no butter, solvent or sulphur.
Taste
Citrus and floral hop flavour enters first, followed by clean pale malt, a gentle wheat spice and firm smooth bitterness. The finish is medium-dry, refreshing and persistent without rough tannin, excessive caramel or hot alcohol.
Food Pairings
| Category | Suggested Dishes | Pairing Principle |
|---|---|---|
| Grilled beef | Grilled steak, beef skewers, roast-beef sandwich | Citrus bitterness cuts fat while malt supports browned meat. |
| Spiced food | Pepper chicken, chilli empanadas, spiced vegetable grill | Bright citrus lifts spice and the dry finish limits heat buildup. |
| Fried food | Fried provolone, vegetable fritters, breaded chicken | Carbonation and bitterness clean oil while wheat softens the edge. |
| Cheese | Aged provolone, sharp cheddar, firm goat’s cheese | Hop intensity matches mature cheese and citrus contrasts salt. |
| Citrus dishes | Grapefruit salad, orange-glazed pork, lemon herb potatoes | The hop’s grapefruit and mandarin notes create a direct aromatic bridge. |
Malts and Fermentables
| Malt or Fermentable | Quantity | Percentage | Function | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pale ale malt | 5.20 kg / 11.46 lb | 85.2% | Clean base fermentables | Provides sufficient malt support without English biscuit intensity. |
| Wheat malt | 650 g / 22.93 oz | 10.7% | Local-style wheat signature | Adds soft grain, head retention and a subtle spicy edge. |
| Light caramel wheat malt | 250 g / 8.82 oz | 4.1% | Colour and restrained caramel | Keep low so citrus hops remain clear and the finish stays dry. |
Malt notes: Total grist: 6.10 kg / 13.45 lb; percentages total approximately 100%. Wheat remains 10.7% of the grist, below the official 15% ceiling. Do not add dark caramel malt or large dextrin additions; the finished beer should be strongly hopped yet readily drinkable.
Hopping Schedule
| Hop | Quantity | Time | Alpha Acids | Function | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentine-grown Nugget | 30 g / 1.06 oz | 60 minutes | 12.5% alpha acids | Firm clean bittering | 35 IBU |
| Argentine-grown Cascade | 35 g / 1.23 oz | 15 minutes | 6.0% alpha acids | Grapefruit and mandarin flavour | 8 IBU |
| Argentine-grown Cascade | 50 g / 1.76 oz | 5 minutes | 6.0% alpha acids | Citrus-floral aroma | 5 IBU |
| Argentine-grown Cascade | 70 g / 2.47 oz | Dry hop for 3 days | 6.0% alpha acids | Fresh peel and flower aroma | 0 IBU |
Yeast, Microbiology and Adjuncts
| Component | Quantity | Function | Technical Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary yeast: clean, highly attenuative American ale culture | Approximately 220 billion viable cells, or one to two fresh dried cultures according to supplier pitch rate | Neutral dry fermentation | A healthy pitch and controlled temperature prevent alcohol and ester interference. |
| Alternative yeast: lightly fruity neutral ale culture | A fresh starter sized to approximately 0.75 million cells per mL per °Plato | Low fruit complexity | Keep the ester contribution below the Argentine hop aroma. |
| Yeast nutrient and kettle fining | Complete nutrient at the labelled rate plus 2 g / 0.07 oz kettle fining | Attenuation and clarity | Add with 10 minutes left; dry-hop haze may remain despite kettle fining. |
Detailed Procedure
01 Preparation and Milling
Preparation and Milling — Prepare 37 L / 9.77 US gal / 8.14 Imp gal of chlorine-free liquor. Heat 18 L / 4.76 US gal / 3.96 Imp gal for mashing and reserve 19 L / 5.02 US gal / 4.18 Imp gal. Mill the malt evenly and protect the pale grist from oxygen and moisture. From a measured water report, a modest sulphate emphasis may be used without exceeding a smooth mineral profile.
02 Mashing
Mashing — Mash at 65°C / 149°F for 60 minutes and target room-temperature-equivalent pH 5.2-5.4. Stir at dough-in, confirm full conversion, then raise to 76°C / 169°F for 10 minutes. The rest supports approximately 80% attenuation while wheat retains a soft middle.
03 Lautering and Sparging
Lautering and Sparging — Recirculate slowly and sparge at 76°C / 169°F to collect 30 L / 7.93 US gal / 6.60 Imp gal. Stop at SG 1.010 or pH 5.8 and avoid squeezing the grain bed. Excess husk extraction will make the already firm hop bitterness coarse.
04 Boil and Hopping
Boil and Hopping — Boil for 60 minutes. Add 30 g / 1.06 oz Argentine-grown Nugget at 60 minutes, 35 g / 1.23 oz Argentine-grown Cascade at 15 minutes and 50 g / 1.76 oz Cascade at 5 minutes; add nutrient and fining with 10 minutes left. Finish near 25.5 L / 6.74 US gal / 5.61 Imp gal at OG 1.060 and chill promptly.
05 Cooling and Fermentation
Cooling and Fermentation — Chill to 17°C / 63°F, oxygenate once and pitch the full culture. Hold 17-18°C / 63-64°F for four days, then allow 20°C / 68°F. At SG 1.016 add 70 g / 2.47 oz Cascade in a sanitised closed addition for exactly three days. Remove or settle the hops, and package only when SG 1.012 is unchanged for at least 72 hours after dry hopping, preventing hop-creep overpressure.
06 Packaging
Packaging — Cold-crash to 3°C / 37°F for 48 hours, transfer with rigorous oxygen exclusion and carbonate to 2.5 volumes CO2. For 23 L / 6.08 US gal / 5.06 Imp gal whose highest fermentation temperature was 20°C / 68°F, about 145 g / 5.11 oz dextrose is an estimate; recalculate. Use pressure-rated bottles or a purged keg and never package while dry-hop-driven gravity is still falling.
Variations
- Replace one-third of the late Argentine-grown Cascade with another Argentine citrus-floral hop cultivar, keeping total IBU and dry-hop mass unchanged.
- Use 10% unmalted wheat instead of wheat malt, adding a 15-minute rest at 52°C / 126°F and rice hulls if runoff slows.
- Omit caramel wheat and replace it with pale malt for a paler, drier-looking interpretation near 6 SRM.
- Increase sulphate only after water analysis to sharpen the finish, keeping chloride sufficient to avoid a thin or abrasive palate.
- For a no-dry-hop version, move 40 g / 1.41 oz of the dry-hop mass to an 80°C / 176°F whirlpool for 20 minutes and discard the remainder.
IPA Argenta all-grain recipe: Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the bitterness rough instead of refreshing?
Check actual alpha acids, wort pH, sulphate, trub carry-over and sparge endpoint. Argentine hop identity does not excuse harshness. Recalculate additions for the current crop, limit high-pH runoff and keep the water profile moderate before reducing total IBU.
How do I prevent hop creep in bottles?
Dry hops can release enzymes that restart attenuation. Add them before the fermentation endpoint, remove or settle them after three days, then require gravity to remain unchanged for at least 72 hours after contact. Do not rely on the earlier pre-dry-hop gravity reading.
Can non-Argentine hops be substituted?
A substitute may make good IPA but weakens the defined local identity, which expects Argentine hop character. If genuine Argentine-grown hops are unavailable, choose citrus-floral varieties with grapefruit and mandarin traits and disclose the substitution rather than presenting it as ingredient-authentic.
Why does the wheat seem invisible?
At roughly eleven percent, wheat should contribute soft texture, head and a faint grain spice, not dominate aroma. Confirm the correct malt was used and carbonation is adequate. Increasing above the official fifteen-percent ceiling would shift the style rather than simply improve it.
Sources
- BJCP 2021 official style viewer — X2 IPA Argenta
- BJCP official Appendix B — Local Styles
- BJCP 2021 official consolidated Beer Style Guidelines
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