Blind Pig IPA clone recipe

Vinnie Cilurzo first brewed Blind Pig at the now-closed Blind Pig Brewing in Temecula, California in 1994 — predating Pliny by 6 years. Many consider Blind Pig the original West Coast IPA. When Vinnie moved to Russian River, the recipe came with him. It's the lower-ABV, more drinkable counterpart to Pliny.

Brewery

Russian River

Style

American IPA

ABV

6.1%

IBU

OG / FG

1.062 / 1.01

SRM

First brewed

1994

About this beer

If Pliny is the showstopper, Blind Pig is the workhorse. Same Cilurzo DNA — pale malt base, sugar to thin the body, layered hop schedule — but at 6.1% ABV and 70 IBU it's a session for serious craft drinkers. Bone dry, sharply bitter, with bright grapefruit and pine that finishes clean.

Grain bill (5-gallon batch)

Grain	Weight	%	Role
2-row pale malt	11 lb	86%	Same approach as Pliny — clean base.
Crystal 45L	0.5 lb	4%	Light caramel, color.
Carapils	0.5 lb	4%	Head, mouthfeel.
Corn sugar (dextrose)	0.75 lb	6%	Less than Pliny, but same role — thinning the body.

Hop schedule

Hop	Amount	When	Purpose
Columbus	1.5 oz	First wort / 90 min	Bittering
Centennial	0.5 oz	30 min boil	Flavor
Simcoe	0.5 oz	30 min boil	Flavor
Centennial	1.0 oz	Flameout / whirlpool	Aroma
Simcoe	1.0 oz	Flameout / whirlpool	Aroma
Centennial	1.5 oz	Dry hop · 7 days	Aroma
Simcoe	1.5 oz	Dry hop · 7 days	Aroma

Yeast

Wyeast 1056 / White Labs WLP001 / Safale US-05

Same Chico strain. Ferment at 66–68°F.

Water profile

Calcium sulfate forward — target ~170 ppm sulfate, ~50 ppm chloride. West Coast water profile.

Process notes

Mash at 150°F for 60 min — drier than SNPA, supports the bitter finish
Single dry-hop charge (Pliny has two; Blind Pig has one) for ~7 days
Carbonate to 2.5 volumes
Drink fresh — Blind Pig fades on a similar curve to Pliny

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:

Same Columbus / Centennial / Simcoe triumvirate as Pliny — Vinnie's signature combination.
6% corn sugar thins the body without going as far as Pliny's 13%. The beer feels drinkable, not heavy.
No second dry hop charge vs Pliny — simpler, cleaner, less of a hop bomb.
Lower IBU calculation (70 vs Pliny's 100) but the dry-hop dose is proportionally similar — Blind Pig feels more balanced.
150°F mash (vs Pliny's 151–152°F) yields a slightly drier finish, fitting the lower ABV.