Last updated:
BrewDog Punk IPA is a genuinely interesting clone target because BrewDog has published multiple versions of the recipe over the years, the commercial beer has evolved, and tracking which era you’re cloning matters. The current Punk IPA (post-2010 reformulation) is a tropical-leaning modern British IPA, and this recipe targets that version. I’ve brewed it several times working from BrewDog’s own released recipe data and my own sensory calibration against the commercial product.
BrewDog Punk IPA clone recipe (5 gallon / 19L batch)
Target stats: OG 1.056, FG 1.011, ABV ~5.6%, IBU 35–40, SRM 7–9, clear gold. Grain bill: 8.5 lbs (3.86 kg) Extra Pale Ale malt (Maris Otter Extra Pale or equivalent low-color pale malt), BrewDog uses a pale, low-color base malt that produces the light gold color. Standard Maris Otter works but produces a slightly darker, more amber result. 0.5 lb (227g) Caramalt (20L), light caramel malt for subtle sweetness and body. 0.25 lb (113g) Munich malt, slight bready malt character. Hops, the core of Punk IPA’s identity: Bittering: 0.5 oz Magnum or Chinook (60 min), clean bittering to 35–38 IBU. Flavor/whirlpool: 0.5 oz Simcoe (20 min). 0.5 oz Amarillo (10 min). 0.5 oz Motueka (5 min). Flameout/whirlpool additions (steep 20 min at 80°C / 176°F): 0.5 oz Simcoe. 0.5 oz Ahtanum. 0.5 oz Chinook. Dry hop (7 days): 0.75 oz Simcoe. 0.75 oz Amarillo. 0.5 oz Motueka. 0.5 oz Nelson Sauvin, BrewDog’s published recipe includes Nelson Sauvin as a dry hop component that contributes the distinctive white wine/gooseberry undertone in Punk IPA’s aroma. Total dry hop: approximately 2.5 oz. Yeast: Wyeast 1056 American Ale or Fermentis US-05, a clean, highly attenuative American ale yeast that allows the hop character to dominate. BrewDog’s house yeast is proprietary but clean-fermenting American strains approximate it well. Ferment at 19°C (66°F). Water: Moderate mineral profile, calcium 100 ppm, sulfate 150 ppm, chloride 70 ppm. Higher sulfate enhances hop crispness and dryness appropriate for this style. Process: Single infusion mash at 65°C (149°F) for 75 minutes, lower temperature for high attenuation and dry finish. 60-minute boil. Whirlpool additions at 80°C (176°F) for 20 minutes. Cool to 19°C (66°F), pitch. Ferment 10–12 days. Dry hop at end of active fermentation (FG reached) for 7 days at fermentation temperature. Cold crash 48 hours. Package at 2.4–2.5 volumes CO2.
Common Questions
Has the Punk IPA recipe changed over the years?
Yes, Punk IPA has been reformulated several times since its 2007 introduction. The original 2007 Punk IPA was 6.0% ABV and significantly more bitter and resinous, with a different hop bill emphasizing US Pacific Northwest varieties. The 2010 reformulation reduced ABV to 5.6% and shifted the hop character toward the tropical and New World direction (Motueka, Nelson Sauvin, Amarillo additions) that defines the current version. BrewDog released the “open source” version of the Punk IPA recipe on their website, which provides the hop types but homebrewers have noted that the hop quantities and mash parameters in the published recipe produce a result somewhat different from the commercial product, this is common in commercial brewery clone releases where the recipe is authentic but calibrated to commercial system efficiencies that don’t translate directly to homebrewing scale. This recipe incorporates adjustments for homebrewing efficiency, specifically more aggressive dry hopping and slightly different hop timing, that bring the homebrewed result closer to the commercial product. If you want to try BrewDog’s exact published recipe: search for “BrewDog Punk IPA open source recipe” on their website for the official version; use this recipe if you want a homebrewing-optimized interpretation.
