Julius clone recipe
Julius is the beer that defined the modern Northeast hazy IPA. Tree House, founded 2011 in Massachusetts, built its cult following on Julius — a juicy, opaque, citrus-saturated IPA that drinks like fresh fruit juice. The recipe is closely guarded but homebrewers have reverse-engineered close approximations from sensory analysis and side-by-side comparisons.
About this beer
Julius is what Tree House calls 'the orange juice beer.' Pulpy orange-juice appearance, mango and tangerine on the nose, soft creamy mouthfeel, almost no perceived bitterness despite 60+ IBU on paper. It's the beer that taught a generation of homebrewers and pro brewers to chase haze, oats, and Citra. Drink within 21 days of canning for the full experience.
Grain bill (5-gallon batch)
| Grain | Weight | % | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-row pale malt | 9 lb | 65% | Less than other IPAs because the supporting grains are dialed up for body and haze. |
| Flaked oats | 2.5 lb | 18% | Heavy oat addition — central to the silky NEIPA mouthfeel. |
| Wheat malt | 1.75 lb | 12% | Protein and haze. |
| Flaked wheat | 0.75 lb | 5% | More haze, plus a creamier mouthfeel. |
Hop schedule
| Hop | Amount | When | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus | 0.5 oz | 60 min boil | Bittering — minimal |
| Citra | 2.0 oz | Whirlpool 30 min @ 170°F | Heavy aroma — Julius's signature hop |
| Mosaic | 1.0 oz | Whirlpool 30 min @ 170°F | Aroma — tropical/berry |
| Galaxy | 1.0 oz | Whirlpool 30 min @ 170°F | Aroma — passionfruit |
| Citra | 2.5 oz | Dry hop · day 3 (active fermentation) | Biotransformation, juice character |
| Mosaic | 1.5 oz | Dry hop · day 3 | Biotransformation |
| Galaxy | 1.0 oz | Dry hop · day 3 | Biotransformation |
| Citra | 2.0 oz | Dry hop · day 7 (post-fermentation) | Pure aroma — the final 'finish' hop |
Yeast
London Ale III / Wyeast 1318 / Omega DIPA Ale
Tree House's house yeast is similar in profile — soft, fruity, low attenuator (75-78%) which leaves body. Ferment at 64-66°F, then ramp to 68°F at terminal.
Water profile
Chloride-forward NEIPA water. Target ~75 ppm sulfate, ~150 ppm chloride. The 2:1 chloride:sulfate ratio is what gives NEIPAs their soft, juicy mouthfeel.
Process notes
- Mash at 154–156°F — higher than West Coast IPAs to leave body and avoid drying the beer out
- Whirlpool at 170°F (not boiling) — preserves volatile aromatics that would flash off at higher temps
- First dry hop during ACTIVE fermentation (day 3, ~50% attenuated) — this is when biotransformation creates the 'juice' character
- Second dry hop after terminal — pure aroma layer on top
- Cold crash to 32°F for 24 hours but DO NOT filter — haze is intentional
- Package with extreme oxygen avoidance (CO2 purge, fill from below). NEIPAs killed by O2.
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:
- Heavy oats (18%) are the key to the silky mouthfeel — proteins and beta-glucans give the beer its creamy, almost smoothie-like texture.
- Citra-dominant hop bill delivers the orange/passionfruit/mango profile. Citra has very high concentrations of free thiols (especially 3SH) that read as tropical fruit.
- Biotransformation (dry hop during active fermentation) is what differentiates the 'juice character' of NEIPAs from regular dry-hopped beers. Yeast enzymes cleave thiol precursors in the hops to release new tropical aromatic compounds.
- Chloride-heavy water rounds out the mouthfeel — sulfate would make the beer feel sharper and drier.
- London Ale III yeast under-attenuates slightly, leaving residual body that supports the haze and mouthfeel.
Sources & references
- Tree House Brewing — Julius treehousebrew.com
- BYO Magazine: New England IPA clone guide byo.com