Brewing the Perfect Summer West Coast IPA: Childhood Trauma

When the weather warms up, nothing hits quite like a crisp, hop-forward West Coast IPA. Dry, bitter, and bursting with citrus and pine — it’s the go-to style for SoCal summers. Today we’re diving into the recipe and story behind one of our award-winning flagship beers, Childhood Trauma, a classic West Coast IPA with a clean fermentation profile, lean malt body, and a massive hop presence.

This beer isn’t just a customer favorite — it’s a personal one too. I first brewed it for my wife Celeste. The original name was inspired by a nickname a childhood bully gave her in sixth grade. After the beer started picking up steam and winning awards, the name didn’t sit quite right anymore. We renamed it Childhood Trauma — not to dwell on the past, but to own it with humor, perspective, and a great beer in hand.

Ingredient List

Grain Bill:

• 11 lbs (176 oz) Rahr Pilsner Malt

• 1 lb (16 oz) Briess Carapils

• 3 oz Weyermann Acidulated Malt

Sugar:

• 8 oz Powdered Dextrose (Corn Sugar) at flameout

Hops (Total: 9 oz):

• 4 oz Citra (T-90 pellets)

• 3 oz Mosaic (T-90 pellets)

• 2 oz Simcoe (T-90 pellets)

Hop Schedule:

• 0.75 oz Simcoe @ 60 minutes

• 0.25 oz Simcoe + 0.25 oz Citra @ 10 minutes

• 0.25 oz Citra @ 5 minutes

• 1.5 oz Citra + 1 oz Mosaic @ Whirlpool (170°F)

• Dry Hop: 2 oz Citra, 2 oz Mosaic, 1 oz Simcoe

Yeast:

• White Labs WLP001 California Ale Yeast
  (Starter preferred, or use two vials for a direct pitch)

Water Additions (for 8 gal RO Water):

• 7.94 g Gypsum

• 0.83 g Table Salt (NaCl)

• 1.55 g Epsom Salt

• 2.41 g Calcium Chloride

Target Water Profile (ppm):

• Calcium: 74

• Magnesium: 4.6

• Sodium: 9.8

• Sulfate: 150

• Chloride: 50

• Bicarbonate: 0.1

Brewing Instructions

Step 1: Mash

• Heat 4.25–4.5 gallons of water to 158–160°F.

• Add grains, stirring to avoid dough balls. Target mash temperature: 148°F.

• Hold mash for 60–75 minutes to favor beta-amylase activity for a dry finish.

• Optional: check pH and adjust to 5.2–5.4 if needed.

Step 2: Sparge

• Sparge with enough water to collect 6.5–7 gallons of wort pre-boil, depending on your setup.

Step 3: Boil – 90 Minutes

This extended boil drives off DMS precursors from the Pilsner malt.

• 60 min: Add 0.75 oz Simcoe

• 10 min: Add 0.25 oz Simcoe + 0.25 oz Citra

• 5 min: Add 0.25 oz Citra

• At flameout, add 8 oz Dextrose and stir to dissolve completely.

Step 4: Whirlpool

• Cool wort to 170°F using a counterflow or immersion chiller, or let it rest in an ice bath.

• Add 1.5 oz Citra and 1 oz Mosaic, then whirlpool/stir gently for 15–20 minutes.

Step 5: Chill and Ferment

• Chill to pitching temp (68°F), transfer to fermenter.

• Aerate wort well.

• Pitch WLP001 starter or two vials of yeast.

Step 6: Dry Hop

• Around Day 4–5, once fermentation slows, add:

  • 2 oz Citra

  • 2 oz Mosaic

  • 1 oz Simcoe

• Let sit for 4–5 days, then cold crash to clear.

Step 7: Package and Carbonate

• Target FG of 1.008.

• Keg and carbonate to 2.65 volumes of CO₂ (~12 PSI @ 38°F).

• Let it condition cold for 1–2 weeks for best results.

Final Stats:

• OG: 1.059

• FG: 1.008

• ABV: 6.8%

• IBU: 67

• SRM: 4.1

• BU:GU Ratio: 1.131

Why It Works

This recipe nails the core of what a West Coast IPA should be:

• A dry, clean base lets the hops take center stage.

• Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe are a classic combo — punchy citrus, stone fruit, dank resin.

• The dextrose addition dries the beer further and bumps the ABV without added body.

• A clean yeast profile from WLP001 keeps things bright and hop-focused.

Brew It Yourself

Ready to brew Childhood Trauma?
You can grab the full ingredient kit here:
Order the Childhood Trauma West Coast IPA Kit

This one’s a crowd-pleaser and a competition-winner — whether you’re brewing for a backyard BBQ or just something crisp and bitter for summer, you can’t go wrong here.

Let us know how your batch turns out. And if you’ve ever named a beer with a story behind it, we’d love to hear it.

Cheers,
—The Team at SoCal Brewing Supply