Union Jack IPA clone recipe
Firestone Walker Union Jack is Matt Brynildson's modern West Coast IPA — released in 2007 and remaining one of the most-respected production IPAs in American craft. Brynildson is a hop geek with deep relationships at Yakima Chief; Union Jack is built on his understanding of how to extract maximum aromatics from American hops via whirlpool.
About this beer
Union Jack is the modern West Coast: cleaner than Stone IPA, more aromatic than 2010s IPAs, but still firmly dry-finishing and crisp. Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe in the aroma layers bring tropical fruit and pine; the bitterness is clean and lingering. This is the West Coast IPA that proves the style isn't stuck in 2005.
Grain bill (5-gallon batch)
| Grain | Weight | % | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-row pale malt | 12 lb | 89% | Standard base. |
| Caramel/Crystal 15L | 0.8 lb | 6% | Very light crystal — color, not sweetness. |
| Vienna malt | 0.7 lb | 5% | Adds a slight toasted complexity — Brynildson's signature touch. |
Hop schedule
| Hop | Amount | When | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnum | 0.8 oz | 60 min boil | Clean bittering |
| Citra | 0.5 oz | 15 min boil | Mid-boil flavor |
| Cascade | 0.5 oz | 5 min boil | Late flavor |
| Mosaic | 1.0 oz | Whirlpool 25 min @ 185°F | Aroma — tropical/berry |
| Citra | 1.5 oz | Whirlpool 25 min @ 185°F | Aroma — citrus/tropical |
| Simcoe | 1.0 oz | Whirlpool 25 min @ 185°F | Aroma — pine |
| Citra | 1.5 oz | Dry hop · 5 days | Aroma — primary |
| Mosaic | 1.0 oz | Dry hop · 5 days | Aroma |
| Simcoe | 0.5 oz | Dry hop · 5 days | Aroma — pine accent |
Yeast
Firestone Walker English Ale Yeast (Wyeast 1968 / White Labs WLP002 close approx)
Firestone uses a Burton-style English yeast that throws slight orange/fruit esters that complement the modern hop bill. Ferment at 65–68°F.
Water profile
Sulfate-forward but moderated. ~150 ppm sulfate, ~60 ppm chloride. Less aggressive than Stone IPA, more West Coast than NEIPA.
Process notes
- Mash at 152°F — balanced body
- Whirlpool at 185°F (hot) for 25 min — Firestone's signature hot whirlpool extracts maximum oil
- Single dry-hop charge for 5 days — Firestone keeps it shorter than 7 days to avoid grassy
- Carbonate to 2.4 volumes
- Drink within 6-8 weeks of canning
Why it tastes like that
The interesting part of a clone recipe is understanding why each ingredient choice matters. Here's what each element of the recipe contributes:
- Tropical-fruit-forward hop bill (Citra + Mosaic + Simcoe) brings the modern aromatic spectrum onto a classic West Coast frame.
- English yeast (not American Chico) is what differentiates Firestone Walker — it adds subtle fruit esters that complement Citra and Mosaic.
- Vienna malt at 5% adds toasted complexity that pale-malt-only beers lack — gives the malt backbone more presence without crystal sweetness.
- Hot whirlpool (185°F) extracts more isomerized alpha acids and more soluble aromatic compounds — Firestone gets more from the whirlpool than most West Coast IPAs.
- Five-day dry hop is shorter than the 7-day standard — Brynildson's belief is that beyond 5 days you start extracting unwanted grassy compounds.
Sources & references
- Firestone Walker — Union Jack firestonebeer.com
- Matt Brynildson interview (Beervana) beervanablog.com