Feedback on my first all grain IPA.

Lando · 06-19-2009, 08:18 PM

I put this togather after looking around on here and speaking with the local HBS. My main concern is the yeast. I have a london ale yeast that I washed from my last IPA, but wanted to give this one a try before I knew it needed a diacetyle rest per mfg instructions.
Whatcha think? Suggestions? Most of the hops just happen to be what I have left over in the freezer at the moment.

Size: 5.0 gal
Efficiency: 85%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 219.6 kcal per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.066 (1.056 - 1.075)
Terminal Gravity: 1.016 (1.010 - 1.018)
Color: 7.6 (6.0 - 15.0)
Alcohol: 6.49% (5.5% - 7.5%)
Bitterness: 60.7 (40.0 - 70.0)

Ingredients:
.5 oz Chinook (13.0%) - added during boil, boiled 70.0 min
.5 oz Simcoe (13.0%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
.5 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 45 min
.5 oz Amarillo (8.5%) - added during boil, boiled 5 min
10.0 lb 2-Row Brewers Malt
.5 lb Amber
.5 lb Crystal Malt 10°L
1.0 tsp Irish Moss - added during boil, boiled 20.0 min
2.0 oz Fuggle (4.8%) - added dry to secondary fermenter
0.0 ea WYeast 1187 Ringwood Ale

**petep1980** · 06-19-2009, 08:22 PM

I'm not sure you have enough malt to get that high of a gravity. You'll need like a 90% brewhouse efficiency.

I put your recipe into beersmith with 75% efficiency and you're around 6% abv with 55.6 IBU. Your color is slightly too light, but I find that never to really be the case.

It's still a pretty good IPA recipe, just not as mind blowing as you may expect.

**petep1980** · 06-19-2009, 08:28 PM

Make it a 5.5 gallon recipe, double your secondary grist, and make it a full ounce of chinook and a 60 minute boil and you're within all the limits.

Even if you blow the 75% efficiency out of the water (85%) you're still a good IPA.

Lando · 06-19-2009, 09:46 PM

OK, made a few revisions and hoping for 80% efficiency. Not sure if that wil happen or not. Did not make a few changes suggested as I am trying to do this with the hops I have on hand. No time to go to the brew store tomorrow.
Now whatcha think? I have an additional 3lbs of 2 row if needed

And I have never used Simcoe before.... too much?

Size: 5.5 gal
Efficiency: 80%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 204.16 kcal per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.061 (1.056 - 1.075)
Terminal Gravity: 1.015 (1.010 - 1.018)
Color: 10.81 (6.0 - 15.0)
Alcohol: 6.03% (5.5% - 7.5%)
Bitterness: 60.8 (40.0 - 70.0)

Ingredients:
.5 oz Simcoe (13.0%) - added during boil, boiled 60.0 min
.5 oz Chinook (13.0%) - added during boil, boiled 50 min
.25 oz Simcoe (13.0%) - added during boil, boiled 40 min
.5 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 30 min
.5 oz Amarillo (8.5%) - added during boil, boiled 5.0 min
.25 oz Simcoe (13.0%) - added during boil, boiled 0.0 min
10.0 lb 2-Row Brewers Malt
1 lb Amber
1 lb Crystal Malt 10°L
1.0 tsp Irish Moss - added during boil, boiled 20.0 min
2.0 oz Fuggle (4.8%) - added dry to secondary fermenter
0.0 ea WYeast 1187 Ringwood Ale

Pangea · 06-19-2009, 09:53 PM

I think it's recommended that chinook be boiled for at least 60 minutes. It's a bad mutha.

Other than that, looks good. Post how it turns how.

Lando · 06-20-2009, 01:15 AM

Cool. Anyone have a preference on the yeast?

notwoohoo · 06-21-2009, 11:54 AM

I wouldn't worry about boiling the Chinook for 60 minutes, 50 will be fine imho. I'd use a neutral american yeast strain like wlp001/1056 for this as it will really accentuate the hops. Depending on your water hardness, you might want to add a bit of gypsum.

magnj · 06-21-2009, 02:27 PM

I can't tell by your post if this is your first AG or just your first time doing an IPA AG. Either way I wouldn't short yourself, if you don't think you can get 80% don't formulate your recipe that way. I've done a few and I'm stuck at 70%, YMMV.

The recipe looks good, going to be a hoppy mother, all those variety are powerful and will be really aromatic and tasty added late in the boil. The only other suggestion I have is maybe a different crystal malt, your not going to get much color or flavor from a 10L Crystal.

EDIT: I'd go 1056 or Notty, I've been loving Notty lately.

Matt Up North · 06-21-2009, 06:55 PM

I don't know if you made this yet or not, but I have found that adding the hops often over 30 minutes does little for me in terms of flavor. I would make you life easier and add it at 60, 20,10, 5 and keeping about 20% of your IBU's coming from the 20 minute and under addition.

So if you are trying for 60IBU then get about 45IBU out of the 60 minute addition and the rest from the 20 minute and under additions. The first will be the bitter pop and the last will be the flavor and aroma pop. Lastly, using fuggles to dry hop might get lost by all of that potent hops you used during the boil.

For IPA I like to use a high attenuating yeast, though just used Fullers strain for my last one. Tastes great, less filling.