How to Brew a Hazy NEIPA at Home: Best Practices & Recipe
If you’re a fan of juicy, cloudy beers bursting with hop aroma, you’re probably already familiar with the New England IPA—or Hazy NEIPA. The good news is, you don’t need fancy equipment or a chemistry degree to brew a tasty one at home. Learning to Homebrew can be a fun, low-pressure way to experiment with flavors and pick up new skills along the way.Hazy NEIPAs are known for their soft mouthfeel, fruity hop character, and signature haze. To get started, you’ll want to focus on a few basics: the right grains, hops, yeast, and fermentation practices.
Start with a grain bill that includes a good amount of flaked oats and wheat malt. These grains help give the beer that smooth texture and foggy appearance. A base of pale malt or pilsner malt works well too.
Next, the hops. NEIPAs are known for their juicy, tropical flavors, so go for hops like Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy, or Simcoe. Instead of adding hops early in the boil (which boosts bitterness), you'll add most of them during the whirlpool (after the boil, while the wort is still hot) and during dry hopping in the fermenter. This helps bring out more aroma and fruity taste without making the beer too bitter.
Here’s a simple recipe for a 5-gallon batch:
**Grains:**
- 7 lbs pale malt
- 1.5 lbs flaked oats
- 1.5 lbs wheat malt
**Hops:**
- 1 oz Citra (whirlpool at 180°F, 20 minutes)
- 1 oz Mosaic (whirlpool at 180°F, 20 minutes)
- 2 oz Citra (dry hop day 3 of fermentation)
- 2 oz Mosaic (dry hop day 3 of fermentation)
**Yeast:**
- Use a fruity and low-attenuation strain like London Ale III or a specialized NEIPA yeast
**Water:**
- Aim for a chloride-to-sulfate ratio favoring chloride (around 2:1) to give the beer a softer mouthfeel
**Fermentation:**
- Keep the temperature steady around 68°F
- Ferment for about two weeks, adding dry hops after fermentation kicks off
Bottle or keg it, wait for carbonation, and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Hazy NEIPAs are best enjoyed fresh, so don’t wait too long! Brewing at home can take a bit of practice, but it’s a fun and tasty hobby with great results.