All-Grain - First crack at an I.P.A

Medevac_Chief · 08-04-2011, 05:49 AM

Hey everyone, I'm looking for a bit of direction on this recipe. Let me know if you guys think I'm headed even close to being headed in the right direction or area of this...The goal is do an Orange I.P.A.

Grain:
11lb Pale 2-row
1lb Crystal 120L
1lb Crystal 40L
1lb Light Munich 1

Hops:
3oz Amarillo (10.70)
3oz Cascade (5.50)
3oz Centennial (11.00)

Single mash 60 min @ 154 *(see note)

Hop Schedule: @45min
.5oz Amarillo
.5oz Cascade
.5oz Centennial

@30min
.5oz Amarillo
.5oz Cascade

@25min
.5oz Centennial

@20min
.5oz Cascade

@15min
.5oz Amarillo
.25oz Centennial
1Tsp Irish Moss(re-hydrated)

@10min
.25oz Centennial

@5min
.5oz Amarillo
.5oz Centennial
.5oz Cascade
2.0oz Orange Zest

After transferring from Primary Fermentation to Secondary, Dry Hop remaining ounce of all 3 hops for 7 days and add an additional ounce of orange zest.

I have NOT brewed this yet, however all ingredients are on their way to my house as we speak.

*Note: One question I have is, after watching Sam on Brewmasters and seeing some of the pictures of DFH's Mash, I see more than just grains in the Mash Tun. Can I, or even should I add more orange zest to the Mash to begin to extract that citrusy flavor at the very beginning?

Thanks guys, I look forward to any and all input you may have.

**Double_D** · 08-04-2011, 08:11 AM

I would expect if you mash with orange peels in there it might have a change to pull some of the bitterness out of the pith of the orange so I'd be careful about that.

**Yooper** · 08-04-2011, 01:26 PM

I'd go down to one pound of crystal total. Crystal 120L is very dark and raisiny, and while it's good in an Arrogant Bastard clone, you may find it not so great in this recipe.

I'd change the hopping, and either go ALL late (20 minutes or less) or go traditional, 60-15-5-0 but I'd definitely skip the 45 minute and 30 minute additions. At 45 minutes, you'll get bittering but not flavor and you won't get all of the bittering that the hops are capable of providing, so I think of that as a "waste". Same with 30 minute hops. But at 20 minutes, you'll get flavor and at 5 minutes you'll get lots of aroma. I love, love, love flame out hops additions in IPAs, along with dryhopping, for great flavor and hops aroma.

I have no idea about orange zest additions, though. Sorry!

**unionrdr** · 08-04-2011, 01:50 PM

I've gotten the orange aroma/flavor from the combination of Columbus,Nugget,& Cascade. Others have mentioned different combos that give the orange as well. This combination is from my experience. It was under the lemon/grapefruit flavors from the "C" hops used. I think they brought that flavor out of the nugget.

kjjohns5 · 08-04-2011, 01:59 PM

Throw some of those hops at first wort, man. Something like this:

0.5 Amarillo FWH
0.5 Cascade FWH
0.5 Centennial FWH

0.5 Amarillo 20
1.0 Cascade 20
0.5 Centennial 20

0.5 Amarillo 15

0.5 Centennial 10

0.5 Amarillo 5
0.5 Cascade 5
0.5 Centennial 5

With your AA you'll get about 77 IBUs from this schedule.

**scottland** · 08-04-2011, 02:52 PM

I don't think First wort hopping is needed. It wouldn't hurt, but I truthfully don't believe in the voodoo magic of it.

Only change I see is drop the Crystal 120 all together. It just doesn't belong in this beer. All those orange, and citrusy hop flavors you're working so hard to bring out in this beer will be covered up by the caramely, rasiony flavors of C120. Stick to just 1lb of C40

**brewhappy** · 08-04-2011, 03:31 PM

I'd bump the Crystal malt down. I personally don't like a ton of crystal malt in my IPA, it leaves too much residual sweetness. I only use about 4 oz of crystal in my IPA. I use about 2lb munich. I like mine to finish dry and hoppy. I just like a nice golden color. I'd move more hops to the end of the boil. I usually do about 4 oz at 0 min, 1 oz at 30min, and 1 oz or warrior at 60min.

**unionrdr** · 08-04-2011, 03:58 PM

When I was doing the hop additions on my IPA,I did late additions starting @ 25mins with 1.5oz Columbus. Counted down 8 mins,30sec,then added 1.5oz Nugget. Count down 8.30 again,added 1.5oz whole leaf Cascade till flame out. Took the BK off the heat,& steeped for 5 minutes. Then proceeded with my late malt additions.
Dry hopped 1 week with the remaining .5oz of each hop,for 6oz total.

Medevac_Chief · 08-04-2011, 04:07 PM

Thanks everyone for the input, I'm new to Home Brewing all together so that's why I thought a darker Crystal Malt would bring the copperish red that we all love with I.P.As. Ill take out the 120, but since its comming, any ideas on what I could use it in...say a pumpkin ale?? Or am I just SOL on the 120?

**scottland** · 08-04-2011, 04:30 PM

You can toss a couple ounces in your IPA for a little copper hue. 2-3oz maybe? Just cut back the Crystal 40 the same amount.

And yes, 120L is great in a pumpkin ale.