69 IPAs single hop series - thoughts?

I'm starting a long-running series of single-hop IPAs. I will be making them in 2.5 gal batches by splitting a 6 gal mash into two boils then ferment side by side. Making two at a time should help me pick out differences in process vs differences in the hops (i.e. batch A and B had X flavor, but C and D are so and so...)

This will be the called "69 IPAs" series and I'm shooting for 1.069 OG, 69IBU and 6.9 SRM. Whether or not I make it to 69 batches over the years will depend on the doctor's orders

For hops, the current candidates are:
- Hallertau Mittelfruh
- Nugget
- Northern Brewer
- Saaz
- Amarillo
- Simcoe
- Citra
- Colombus
- Cascade
* Willamette
* Summit
* Chinook
- some NZ varieties - any thoughts?
* Galaxy
* Nelson Sauvin
* Riwaka
- some British varieties - any thoughts???
* East Kent Goldings
* Styrian Goldings
- any others??????
* Centennial
* Calypso
* El Dorado
* Sterling
* Glacier
* Athanum

Will aim for this water profile found in another thread: Ca-110ppm, Mg-118ppm, Na-17ppm, SO4-350ppm, Cl-50ppm.

Here is the base recipe, adjusted for 5 gal batch size (sorry about the funky qties, I'm working in metric and just set it to imperial to post here)

Amt Name Type # %/IBU
12 lbs 5.5 oz - Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 90.0 %
1 lbs 5.9 oz - Carared (20.0 SRM) Grain 2 10.0 %
0.62 oz Nugget [11.10 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 3 23.5 IBUs
0.62 oz Nugget [11.10 %] - Boil 40.0 min Hop 4 18.7 IBUs
0.71 oz Nugget [11.10 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 5 12.1 IBUs
0.71 oz Nugget [13.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 6 10.4 IBUs
0.71 oz Nugget [11.10 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 7 4.9 IBUs
0.71 oz Nugget [11.10 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 8 0.0 IBUs
0.71 oz Nugget [11.10 %] - Dry Hop 0.0 Days Hop 9 0.0 IBUs

One of the tougher issues is how to brew this with the lower alpha varieties. I will most likely do most of the adjustment in the FW and 40m additions, while only slightly increasing the 15, 10, 5, 0, and DH hops, since scaling those proportionally would require a massive amount of hops and make it hard to compare aromatics of the different varieties.

Using Carared for the first two batches but may go to C20 for future ones. Any opinions on Marris Otter in an IPA? (Would probably use it by itself at that point to avoid overpowering the hops, with maybe a pinch of black for color).

Yeast will be US-05 to start. Once I identify some favorite hops and experiment a bit with blending (a vertical tasting would be cool, but not practical given the time it'll take to make all these), I'll ferment a combined recipe with 3-4 different yeasts to find the "mother of all 69 IPAs"

Any thoughts on malt bill, hop varieties and schedule, or anything at all really, are welcome!

Cheers
-D

Really cool idea. I would lower the carared to like 7-8% and double the dry hop addition. That would be about 2.8oz of dry hop in a 5gallon batch.

Other hops:
East Kent Goldings for sure
Styrian Goldings as well
I've heard great things about Galaxy and Nelson Sauvin
Also Willamette is really nice.

I'm doing a similar experiment as well. Looks awesome!

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/genius-exercise-futility-277563/

Centennial, calypso, el dorado, sterling, glacier, athanum would be some more american varities to consider. And personally I would lower the IBUs to 50 so that the bitterness doesn't distract from the flavor of the hops.

scottland said:

Really cool idea. I would lower the carared to like 7-8% and double the dry hop addition. That would be about 2.8oz of dry hop in a 5gallon batch.

Other hops:
East Kent Goldings for sure
Styrian Goldings as well
I've heard great things about Galaxy and Nelson Sauvin
Also Willamette is really nice.

Click to expand...

Thanks, doubling the dry hops sounds good!! Adding those hops to the list too (may not make it in the pot before summer though at this point, long list!)

JonM said:

I'm doing a similar experiment as well. Looks awesome!

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/genius-exercise-futility-277563/

Click to expand...

Your experiment looks great! Looking forward to hearing about the results and how the blended beers turn out. My thought is, you gotta decompose in your mind the bittering, flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel (resiny, etc) of each single-hop beer and think about which parts you would want to combine into a single ale (flavor from this, aroma from that, etc)...

If nothing else, a great excuse to drink more beer!!! :rockin:

pm5k00 said:

Centennial, calypso, el dorado, sterling, glacier, athanum would be some more american varities to consider. And personally I would lower the IBUs to 50 so that the bitterness doesn't distract from the flavor of the hops.

Click to expand...

Thanks, added! That's a good point for bitterness. I am hoping that getting over 1/3 of the IBUs from FWH should make is smoother and more palatable, but I may adjust it after the first few brews. Also then it wouldn't be the 69 IPAs series, now would it??

Spaced out before, forgot two of my fav american varities, summit and chinook. I have made an all riwaka pale ale that was very good, riwaka is australian or NZ .... can't remember.

Thanks guys, that's a real long list! I'll keep posting to this thread as I go through them

CnnmnSchnpps said:

Using Carared for the first two batches but may go to C20 for future ones. Any opinions on Marris Otter in an IPA? (Would probably use it by itself at that point to avoid overpowering the hops, with maybe a pinch of black for color).
-D

Click to expand...

Marris Otter is awesome for English Style IPA's. For example, I did this recipe with MO, https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/anyone-brewed-ipa-ekg-140192/, and it is very, very nice. However, I guess it depends on what you are trying to accomplish! If you are on a journey to see how different hops change the resulting taste, then using MO vs. 2ROW adds another variable. So does yeast, mash temperature, adding things like crystal 20, etc.

What is the 40 minute addition for, apart from bittering?

I do like the FWH in there because I think you'll get a better idea of the flavor from that.

CnnmnSchnpps said:

Also then it wouldn't be the 69 IPAs series, now would it??

Click to expand...

6 x 9 = 54 IBUs :rockin:

That might be a useful middle ground, although as a hop-head I have no problem with 69IBUs

Seems like this has already been done with The Twelve Hopostles. Just saying.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/twelve-hopostles-154488/

I have brewed all of them and they are all on my rebrew list.

509inc said:

Seems like this has already been done with The Twelve Hopostles. Just saying.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/twelve-hopostles-154488/

I have brewed all of them and they are all on my rebrew list.

Click to expand...

Cool thanks for the link! Do you think the ~70 IBU was too high to properly taste each hop or was it manageable? Good selection of hops too

Interesting that they used additions at 60, 50, 40, 30.. I am trying to focus on late additions so will use smaller FWH and 40m additions and pile on the flavor and aroma hops

Cheers
-D

CnnmnSchnpps said:

Do you think the ~70 IBU was too high to properly taste each hop or was it manageable?
-D

Click to expand...

I thought ~70 IBU was just enough to get the full flavor of the hops but not be overpowered by it.

CnnmnSchnpps said:

Cool thanks for the link! Do you think the ~70 IBU was too high to properly taste each hop or was it manageable?

Click to expand...

It depends on the variables, your personal taste preference.....what temp are you planning on mashing at, and what is your expected FG? With 1 pound of carared your probally ok... I have an IIPA with 77 IBUS, 1.010 FG and 100% maris otter, and I find that it is a little too bitter for my taste, but had I added some crystal or other speciality malt it would probably be more balanced.