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Founders All Day IPA is the beer that popularized the American session IPA category, a 4.7% ABV IPA with genuine hop character that doesn’t require sacrificing alcohol for drinkability. Cloning it is an excellent exercise in balancing hop intensity and malt restraint in a low-gravity format. I’ve brewed this clone multiple times and find it one of the most drinkable results in my rotation.
Founders All Day IPA clone recipe (5 gallon / 19L batch)
Target stats: OG 1.045, FG 1.009, ABV ~4.7%, IBU 42, SRM 5–7, clear pale gold. Grain bill: 7 lbs (3.18 kg) American two-row pale malt, straightforward clean base. 0.5 lb (227g) Crystal 20L, very light caramel sweetness without body-building that would make the low-gravity beer heavy. 0.25 lb (113g) Crystal 40L, slight additional caramel depth. 0.25 lb (113g) Victory malt or Munich, mild biscuity malt background that gives All Day IPA a slightly more developed malt character than a purely neutral base. 0.25 lb (113g) Carapils, head retention, important in a session beer where the lower gravity means less protein contribution to foam. Hops, the session IPA challenge is maximizing hop character at low gravity: Bittering: 0.5 oz Cascade (60 min), 16 IBU. 0.25 oz Centennial (60 min), 10 IBU. Flavor/aroma: 0.5 oz Centennial (15 min). 0.5 oz Simcoe (10 min). 0.5 oz Cascade (5 min). Whirlpool at 79°C (174°F), 20 min: 0.5 oz Centennial. 0.25 oz Simcoe. Dry hop (7 days): 0.75 oz Centennial. 0.5 oz Simcoe. 0.5 oz Cascade. Total dry hop: 1.75 oz. The hop bill creates citrus and pine aroma (Cascade/Centennial) with tropical depth (Simcoe), the signature All Day IPA aromatic profile. Yeast: Fermentis US-05 or White Labs WLP001 California Ale, clean American ale fermentation at 18°C (64°F). The low OG means minimal fermentation esters regardless of yeast choice; cleanliness still matters for hop expression. Water: Moderate sulfate, calcium 100 ppm, sulfate 150 ppm, chloride 80 ppm. Sulfate enhances hop crispness and dryness, which matters significantly in a session beer where the lower malt presence could make the finish feel watery without mineral support. Process: Single infusion mash at 65°C (149°F) for 60 minutes, slightly higher than a full-strength IPA mash to build enough body to support the hop character without the crutch of high residual gravity. 60-minute boil. Ferment 10 days. Dry hop at terminal gravity for 7 days at fermentation temperature. Cold crash 48 hours. Package at 2.4 volumes CO2. Session IPAs benefit from being served slightly warmer than refrigerator temperature (10–12°C / 50–54°F) to allow the hop aromatics to express fully, at 4°C (39°F) the aroma is suppressed.
Common Questions
How do session IPAs maintain hop character at lower ABV?
Session IPAs maintain hop character at lower ABV through three mechanisms that don’t depend on alcohol level. First, late and dry hop additions dominate the aroma profile regardless of gravity, aromatic compounds from dry hopping volatilize directly into the headspace and are perceived on the nose independently of alcohol content. A 4.7% ABV beer with 1.75 oz of dry hops can smell nearly identical to a 7% ABV beer with the same dry hop rate. Second, the malt bill is kept minimal, low crystal malt content and a lower mash temperature maximize fermentability, producing a very dry finish that doesn’t compete with hop character the way a sweeter, malt-forward beer would. Third, water chemistry plays a larger role in session beers, higher sulfate (150 ppm) makes the finish feel drier and the hop bitterness feel crisper, compensating for the lower alcohol’s reduced ability to carry bitterness. The challenge in session IPAs that many homebrewers don’t manage well: keeping the malt bill lean enough that the beer doesn’t finish watery (too little malt) or sweet (too much crystal malt). All Day IPA’s balance sits at the ideal point, dry enough to feel crisp, full enough to feel substantial for its strength. The 0.5 lb Crystal 20L and 0.25 lb Victory malt provide just enough malt presence without compromising the dry, hop-forward character.
