Belgian style IPA - first try at one of these, advice welcomed!

I wasn't exactly sure what to do, but I am thinking belgian malt bill, WLP500 and west coast hops. Please tell me what you think.


13.00 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 83.87 %
0.50 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 3.23 %
0.50 lb Caramunich Malt (56.0 SRM) Grain 3.23 %
1.50 lb Cane (Beet) Sugar (0.0 SRM) Sugar 9.68 %
1.00 oz Magnum [10.00 %] (90 min) Hops 29.6 IBU
1.00 oz Chinook [11.50 %] (45 min) Hops 29.2 IBU
0.50 oz Chinook [11.50 %] (10 min) Hops 5.8 IBU
0.50 oz Amarillo Gold [6.90 %] (10 min) Hops 3.5 IBU
0.50 oz Williamette [4.80 %] (10 min) Hops 2.4 IBU
0.50 oz Williamette [4.80 %] (1 min) Hops 0.3 IBU
0.50 oz Chinook [11.50 %] (1 min) Hops 0.7 IBU
0.50 oz Amarillo Gold [6.90 %] (1 min) Hops 0.4 IBU
1.00 oz Chinook [11.50 %] (Dry Hop 14 days) Hops -
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [6.90 %] (Dry Hop 14 days) Hops -




Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.072 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.072 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.018 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.99 %
Bitterness: 71.9 IBU Calories: 322 cal/pint
Est Color: 6.8 SRM


I think I will ferment like I would a tripel, and hope for 1.010 FG.

Looks pretty tasty to me, should be fine to brew as is. I haven’t used Chinook with 500 before, my instinct would be to go with something fruitier Amarillo/Simcoe or Amarillo/Centennial etc… I just did a hoppy hefeweizen with Amarillo/Cascade that turned out really well. Good luck, hope it turns out well.

Oldsock said:

Looks pretty tasty to me, should be fine to brew as is. I haven’t used Chinook with 500 before, my instinct would be to go with something fruitier Amarillo/Simcoe or Amarillo/Centennial etc… I just did a hoppy hefeweizen with Amarillo/Cascade that turned out really well. Good luck, hope it turns out well.

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I am just wondering if I might need more caramel/specialty grains to balance out the huge hopload. I get an almost tropical fruit aroma/taste from late chinook, so I am hoping this works out very well. I wish I had some centennial left, but I burn through those hops way to quick...same for ammarillo!

permo said:

I am just wondering if I might need more caramel/specialty grains to balance out the huge hopload. I get an almost tropical fruit aroma/taste from late chinook, so I am hoping this works out very well. I wish I had some centennial left, but I burn through those hops way to quick...same for ammarillo!

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If anything I was going to suggest less crystal. I think the best IPAs and the best Belgians are pretty dry, espeically when you start heading towards the higher gravities. My last DIPA had 5% carapils and .5% C-40 and went from 1.071 to 1.010. WIth a pound of amarillo/simcoe/columbus blend it was certainly hop forward, but I still found it very drinkable.

Maybe a strainght pilsen and sugar tripel recipe, with the IPA hops?

I made a Belgian IPA and I went to town with the hops. The hops overshadowed anything belgian about the beer. I did use the chinook hops in the beer and they were to strong, for lack of a better word, for this beer. I did a straight pilsner with the standard issue sugar as adjunct.

marc06 said:

I made a Belgian IPA and I went to town with the hops. The hops overshadowed anything belgian about the beer. I did use the chinook hops in the beer and they were to strong, for lack of a better word, for this beer. I did a straight pilsner with the standard issue sugar as adjunct.

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Maybe a standard two row based IPA recipe, where the only thing changed is the yeast...?