Torpedo Extra IPA Clone Recipe (All-Grain & Extract)


Seirra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA CloneIf you’re a fan of Indian Pale Ales, you’ve probably had Torpedo Extra IPA from Sierra Nevada. At 7.2% ABV and 65 IBUs, it’s a fairly aggressive IPA that showcases American ingredients.
When searching for a Torpedo Extra IPA clone recipe, I stumbled upon this thread on HomeBrewTalk.com. The original poster contacted Sierra Nevada and got some details on the beer recipe. (If there’s ever a beer you’d like to clone, many commercial brewers are willing to help you out!)

Grain Bill
The grain bill is straightforward with about 90% American two-row malt as the base. Caramel 60L malt provides some malty sweetness to support the hops and some color. A small amount of Carapils malt will contribute some body. The grains should be mashed around 155-156˚F, which will help make for a full-bodied brew. Err on the lower side for good fermentability.

Hopping
Sierra Nevada’s Torpedo features three types of American hops: Magnum, Citra, and Crystal. Magnum provides most of the bitterness, while Citra and Crystal join in for flavor and aroma additions.
The key to producing a Torpedo Extra IPA clone recipe is the dry hops. Torpedo is named for a dry-hopping technique developed by Sierra Nevada in which beer is circulated through a “Hop Torpedo,” sometimes called a hopback or Randall. There are many ways to build your own hop torpedo, but for best results you should have a pump to force the beer through the torpedo. If you want to forgo the hop torpedo, traditional dry hopping procedures will work fine.

YeastShop Steam Freak Kits
As for yeast, a standard American ale yeast will do the trick. In fact, Wyeast 1056 and Safale US-05 are often referred to as the “Chico” strain. They’re reportedly the same yeast used by Sierra Nevada in their American ales. If using liquid yeast, I recommend preparing a two-liter yeast starter from two packets of yeast to have enough yeast cells to do the job.
Ready to give it a try? Here’s an all-grain recipe, with an extract option below! Good luck!

Torpedo Extra IPA Clone Recipe (All-Grain)
(5.5-gallon batch)
**recipe assumes a mash efficiency of ~70%
Specs
OG: 1.073
FG: 1.018
ABV: 7.2%
IBUs: 65
SRM: 10
Ingredients
14 lbs. American two-row malt
1 lb. Caramel 60L malt
.5 lb. Carapils malt
.75 oz. Magnum hops at :75 (11 AAUs)
.5 oz. Magnum hops at :30 (7.3 AAUs)
.5 oz. Magnum hops at :5 (7.3 AAUs)
1 oz. Crystal hops at :5 (4.3 AAUs)
.5 oz. Crystal hops dry hopped for 7-10 days
.25 oz. Citra hops dry hopped for 7-10 days
.25 oz. Magnum hops dry hopped for 7-10 days
2 packets Wyeast 1056: American Ale Yeast or 1 packet Safale US-05

Directions:Shop Home Brew Starter Kit
Mash the crushed grains in about five gallons of clean water at 156˚F for 60 minutes. Sparge to collect 7.5 gallons of wort. Boil for 90 minutes, adding hops according to schedule above. Whirlpool, chill wort, and transfer to a clean, sanitized fermenter. Pitch yeast at 70˚F or below. Ferment at 65-70˚F. Add dry hops to the secondary fermenter and allow to sit for 7-10 days. Bottle or keg for ~2.3 vols CO2.

Extract Option: Replace the 14 lbs. of two-row malt with 8.4 lbs. light DME. Steep the specialty grains for 30 minutes in clean water at 156˚F. Add half the DME and enough water to make a three-gallon boil. Proceed with the recipe above, adding enough clean, chlorine-free water to the fermenter to make five gallons.
Do you have a Torpedo Extra IPA clone recipe you’d like to share? We’d love to see it. Just post it in the comments below.
—–
David Ackley is a beer writer, brewer, and self-described “craft beer crusader.” He holds a General Certificate in Brewing from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling and is founder and editor of the Local Beer Blog.

0 thoughts on “Torpedo Extra IPA Clone Recipe (All-Grain & Extract)

  1. I tried boiling about a dozen marbles. Placed them in a hops bag when doing the dry hops. The bag will suspend in the middle of the beer creating the same technique as a hop topedo.

  2. I have tried this recipe several times and although I do not exactly follow the method, I believe I have achieved a “fair” replication of one of my favourite beers of all time. I lieu of Dry Hop torpedo I used the same method dry hopping as John (above) and achieved a reasonable result. I did not achieve the mash efficiency as the recipe and had to supplement the wort with some dried malt. Each brew is getting closer to the results of the above recipe and in my next brew I will Keg the beer rather than bottling (1/2 litre) as I have done in the past. This is an excellent duplication of the original SN beer and well worth a try.
    Dave

  3. I’m going to make the extract version of this. Do I add the other half of the LDME to the fermenter with the water? Thanks.

    • Kieran, yes, that is exactly correct. You will add the remainder of the LDME when you top up to 5-gallons.

      • Thanks mate. One more question do I wait till the fermentation is complete before I dry hop?

  4. Hi ! I want to try this recipe, i just have a question is the quantity in imperial or us gallon ? Thank you !