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Tree House Brewing’s Julius NEIPA became a reference point for what I was trying to achieve with hazy IPA, the combination of tropical fruit intensity, soft mouthfeel, and minimal bitterness perception despite substantial IBU was unlike anything I had tasted. After four iterations, my clone approximates the character closely enough that guests who have had the original recognise what I was aiming for, though I’ll admit that replicating Tree House’s specific water chemistry and yeast practices from a home setup in India is more art than science. This is version 2.0, incorporating what I learned from the first three batches.
Tree House Julius NEIPA clone recipe: grain bill, hop schedule, and soft water technique
About Tree House Julius: Julius is Tree House Brewing Company’s (Charlton, Massachusetts) flagship NEIPA, a 6.8% ABV New England IPA characterised by opaque tropical fruit haze, juicy flavour with minimal perceived bitterness despite significant IBU, and an exceptionally smooth, full-bodied mouthfeel. It uses Citra, Galaxy, and Mosaic hops (the approximate hop bill has been discussed by Tree House and reported extensively in homebrewing communities). The grain bill includes a significant portion of raw wheat (not wheat malt), Tree House is known for using raw wheat for haze and body in a way that distinguishes their mouthfeel from malt-only NEIPAs. Clone recipe, 19 litre batch (version 2.0): Target OG: 1.068. Target FG: 1.013–1.016. ABV: approximately 7.0%. SRM: 5–7 (deep golden-orange from haze, not roast). IBU: 60–70 (perceived bitterness moderate due to chloride-forward water and dry hop biotransformation). Grain bill: 2-row pale malt (or Maris Otter for slightly more malt backbone): 5.4kg (73%). Flaked oats: 1.2kg (16%). Raw wheat (not wheat malt): 500g (7%). Acidulated malt: 300g (4%). Note on raw wheat: raw wheat is the detail that most Julius clones miss. It requires a cereal mash or extended protein rest to gelatinise the starch, but raw wheat produces a different haze character and mouthfeel than malted wheat. If raw wheat is unavailable, substitute with malted white wheat malt at the same ratio, the beer will be excellent but slightly less viscous. Hops, biotransformation dry hop (added at peak active fermentation, day 2): Citra: 28g. Galaxy: 21g. Hops, late boil/whirlpool (at 80°C, 15 minutes): Galaxy: 28g. Mosaic: 21g. Citra: 14g. Hops, dry hop 2 (after fermentation complete, 3 days): Citra: 42g. Galaxy: 35g. Mosaic: 28g. Total dry hop: approximately 189g. Water, chloride-forward NEIPA profile: the most important variable for Julius character. Target: Ca 100mg/L, chloride 200–250mg/L, sulfate 50mg/L, bicarbonate 50–75mg/L. The high chloride suppresses bitterness perception and enhances fullness/roundness. Use RO water with: calcium chloride (CaCl2): 3.5g per 10L → adds approximately Ca 100mg/L, Cl 200mg/L. Gypsum: 0.5g per 10L → minor sulfate. Yeast: London Ale III (Wyeast 1318) or its dry equivalent, Verdant IPA (Lallemand) is the closest available dry yeast to the London Ale III biotransformation character. The biotransformation effect (conversion of hop thiol precursors to aromatic thiols by yeast’s IRC7 gene expression) is significantly higher with London Ale III / Verdant IPA than with US-05. This is critical for Julius character. Fermentation temperature: 19–21°C. Process, the critical steps: Biotransformation dry hop timing: add the first dry hop at day 2 of active fermentation, when the krausen is at peak height. At this point, yeast activity and co-presence with hops drives biotransformation of hop thiol precursors. This is the step most responsible for the distinctive tropical fruit character in Julius-style NEIPAs. Oxygen management: NEIPA is paradoxically both oxygen-required (for yeast health at pitching) and oxygen-sensitive (after pitching, oxygen causes rapid aroma degradation). Use pure O2 injection into the wort for 60 seconds before pitching, then protect from oxygen from that point forward: no splashing, closed transfers, CO2 purging of receiving kegs. Gelatin fining: NOT used for NEIPA, the haze is intentional and desirable. Cold crashing gently to 10°C (not 0°C) before packaging is sufficient. Package with 2.4–2.6 volumes CO2. Hop debris management: after dry hopping with 189g of hops, there is significant hop material in suspension. When transferring to a keg, leave the hop material in the fermenter, use a liquid-level racking cane or floating dip tube to avoid carrying hop particulate into the keg. India-specific adaptation: Verdant IPA yeast (Lallemand): available from ArtisanBrew and BrewingMalt, this is the most important Indian-sourcing priority for this recipe. US-05 produces a genuinely good NEIPA but lacks the specific biotransformation gene expression of London Ale III/Verdant, resulting in less tropical fruit character. Raw wheat: available from whole grain shops and flour mills in India (ask for “raw wheat berries” or “gehu” at a atta chakki). Dehusk and use as-is for the cereal mash, or use malted wheat from homebrew importers as a substitute. Calcium chloride (CaCl2): available from Indian chemistry suppliers and homebrew importers. This is the single most important water chemistry addition for this style, do not skip it. Hops: Citra, Galaxy, and Mosaic are imported but available through ArtisanBrew and BrewingMalt. Expect ₹4,000–₹7,000 in hop cost for the total 189g dry hop load.
Common Questions
Why is my NEIPA not as hazy as commercial examples, and how do I get more haze?
Insufficient haze in a NEIPA is almost always a combination of protein concentration, yeast selection, and hop bio-interaction, the haze in a Julius-style NEIPA is not just hop particles but a colloidal system of proteins, polyphenols, yeast cells, and hop-derived compounds that require specific conditions to form. The major causes of under-hazing and their fixes: Insufficient flaked oats or wheat: the most common cause of a clearer-than-intended NEIPA. Flaked oats (16%+ of grain bill) and wheat (malted or raw, 10%+) contribute haze-active proteins that are essential to NEIPA turbidity. If your grain bill has less than 25% combined oats/wheat, increase these fractions. Too much cold temperature: cold crashing below 5°C causes protein-polyphenol complexes to aggregate and settle, exactly what you want for a clear beer, but the opposite of NEIPA goals. For NEIPA, chill to 10°C maximum before packaging. The beer should retain its haze at serving temperature (4–8°C). Gelatin or other fining: any protein-fining agent will reduce NEIPA haze. Never fine a NEIPA with gelatin, isinglass, or bentonite. Low biotransformation yeast: US-05 produces some biotransformation but much less than London Ale III or Verdant IPA. The biotransformation creates hop-protein complexes that contribute both aroma and haze. Switching to Verdant IPA dry yeast increases both tropical aroma and haze simultaneously. Insufficient dry hop load: below 8–10g/L of dry hops (i.e., less than 160–190g for a 19L batch), NEIPA hop particle contribution to haze is reduced. The above recipe at approximately 10g/L is in the right range. Packaging too late: NEIPA haze is temporary, the colloidal particles that create turbidity gradually settle over time even without cold crashing. A Julius clone at 2 weeks post-packaging will have noticeably less haze than at 5 days post-packaging. Consume within 4–6 weeks and note that fresh-from-the-keg NEIPA is significantly hazier than the same beer after 3 weeks in the keg.
