Recipe: Project Alpha 81 (2026 World Beer Cup Gold) | Cannonball Creek Brewing Co.
Brewer’s Notes
At the 2026 World Beer Cup, Cannonball Creek’s IPA, Project Alpha 81, won gold in the West Coast IPA category, the competition’s largest category with 293 entries. Cofounder and head brewer, Brian Hutchinson, provided the recipe for Project Alpha 81 so that you can follow along during his interview on Berkeley Yeast’s podcast: How I Won This Medal. Tune into the pod to hear how Cannonball Creek brews the best West Coast IPA in the world!
Recipe Specs
- OG: 14.2°P
- FG: 1.4°P
- IBUs: 60
- ABV: 6.9%
Malt/Grain Bill
- 12% Pure Idaho Pilsner
- 79% Gambrinus Pilsner
- 09% Acidulated Malt
Hops & Additions Schedule
- 0.08 oz (2.4 g)/bbl Calcium Sulfate (CaSO4) to the mash
- 0.26 oz (7.4 g)/bbl Calcium Sulfate (CaSO4) to the boil at start of boil
- 6.9 oz (195 g)/bbl Mosaic T90 at 20 minutes from the end of boil
- 21 GMA/bbl Simcoe CO2 extract at 10 minutes from the end of boil
- 2.7 oz (77 g)/bbl WhirlFloc-G at 10 minutes from the end of boil
- 9.1 oz (258 g)/bbl Mosaic T90 at whirlpool
- 4.6 oz (130 g)/bbl Simcoe T90 at whirlpool
- Lactic acid as needed at whirlpool
- 0.004 oz (0.1 g)/bbl zinc heptahydrate into the chilled wort Day 0
- 12.6 oz (357 g)/bbl Mosaic Cryo at dry hop
- 25.1 oz (712 g)/bbl Mosaic T90 at dry hop
- 12.6 oz (357 g)/bbl Nelson T90 at dry hop
- 12.6 oz (357 g)/bbl Nectaron T90 at dry hop
- 6.3 oz (179 g)/bbl Columbus Cryo at dry hop
- 4.7 oz (0.14 L)/bbl Biofine to fermentor 48 hours after crash
- 0.13 oz (3.6 g)/bbl Mosaic Hyperboost to the brite tank
Yeast
- Berkeley Yeast FRESH™ Chico at 750k cells/mL/°P
Directions
- Mill the grains and mash at 148°F (64.5°C).
- Add the calcium sulfate to the mash.
- Vorlauf for 15 to 20 minutes or until the wort runs clear.
- Begin your lauter.
- Boil for 90 minutes, adding calcium sulfate, hops, CO2 extract, and WhirlFloc according to the schedule.
- Lower your whirlpool temperature to 198°F (93.3°C). Add the whirlpool hops and lactic acid for a target wort pH of 4.95.
- Begin wort transfer. Chill to 66°F (19.0°C) and aerate the wort.
- Pitch the yeast into the fermentor.
- Add the zinc to the fermentor.
- Ferment at 66°F (19.0°C).
- After 70% attenuation raise the temperature to 68°F (20.0°C).
- At terminal gravity raise the temperature to 70°F (21°C).
- Drop yeast and trub for two days.
- Add the dry hops, close the valve on the blow off arm and crack it open to slowly relieve pressure from any refermentation.
- After 7 days, cap the tank. Add 10 psi top pressure and crash to 32°F (0°C).
- Drop hops each day until transfer.
- 2 days after crash, add the biofine. Bubble CO2 through the racking arm until the head pressure is at 10 psi.
- 48 hours later transfer to the brite tank. Add the Mosaic Hyperboost to the brite tank.
- Carbonate the beer slowly over night. The following day, touch up the carbonation.
