My first IPA recipe... with help from some friends. Thoughts?

This will be dropped on an Irish Ale yeast cake.

Brew Type: Extract
Style: Imperial IPA
Batch Size: 5.00 gal

7 pounds Light Dry Extract
1 pound Wheat Dry Extract
.5 pound 80L Caramel/Crystal Malt
Summit 1 ounce (60 mins)
Chinook 1 ounce (30 mins)
Northern Brewer 1 ounce (15 mins)
Cascade 1 ounce (2 mins)
Cascade 1 ounce (dry hopped for 7 days)

Estimated Original Gravity: 1.070 SG
Estimated Final Gravity: 1.018 SG
Estimated Color: 12.0 (8.0-15.0 SRM)
Bitterness: 84.8 (60.0-110.0 IBU)
Estimated Alcohol by Volume: 6.8%

You might want to put some munich malt in there. I used 2lbs in my IIPA. Also, I'm curious about the wheat DME. Any particular reason you're using it? I'm not knocking it at all; it could be very interesting, just wondering.

And if I were doing it, I might switch the Chinook and Summit, just because I think the flavor of Summit could be better than Chinook, and that would lower your IBUs just a bit. But, I've never actually used Chinook, so I'm just guessing. Other than that, it looks pretty great.

I like Munich in IPAs, too. Gives a little bit more backbone to support the hops. But, that means you'll have to do a mini-mash (unless you can get your hands on some Munich extract).

Are you doing a full boil?

Well, I guess I was looking for a way to tweak the usual IIPAs.

After all, this is a brew I'm going to put on top of a yeast cake from a porter

I might still tweak it a bit.

Full boil... no, more than likely not. This will be our third batch, so we're still learning.

ill.literate said:

Well, I guess I was looking for a way to tweak the usual IIPAs.

After all, this is a brew I'm going to put on top of a yeast cake from a porter

I might still tweak it a bit.

Click to expand...

Wow, on a porter yeast cake, eh? Along with the wheat, that should be VERY interesting. Definitely report the results.

I'd be really leery about using the porter cake. Personally, I'd just get a packet of US-56 and call it a day; I'd hate for any of the roasty porter residue to get into the IPA. The yeast isn't the key to this beer, anyway, it's all about the hops.

Rules?

I don't need no stinking rules!

I will... it's some time out yet, but I'll let you all know

ill.literate said:

Rules?

I don't need no stinking rules!

I will... it's some time out yet, but I'll let you all know

Click to expand...

Did you ever brew it? How'd this come out?

Well, like all things brewing, the recipe seems to change the day before, or the day of brewing, no?

The final recipe was this :

2 pounds extra light DME
6.6 pounds pale LME
2 pounds Crystal 20L
1 pound munich malt
2 ounces Summit @ 60 mins
1.5 ounces Simcoe @ 45 mins
1.5 ounces Centennial @ 30 mins
1.5 ounces Cascade @ 2 mins
1 ounces cascade dry hop for 14 days
1 ounces centennial dry hop for 10 days

I didn't end up dropping it on the porter yeast cake. I think we racked the porter before we got around to brewing this, or I decided against it, I don't remember. I ended up using an ale yeast, and of course, I didn't write it down. I might have used the pacman on this.

Anyway, I have to say I love this beer. I tasted one the other night, about a week and a half after bottling, and I'd say it still needs a few more weeks. It had decent carbonation, but no staying power. It's also VERY hoppy.

I'm assuming the hop bite will mellow a bit in the coming weeks, and if that's the case, I'll be VERY pleased with it. I need to compare it to DFH 60 minutes, because that's sort of what I was aiming for, but I didn't bother with trying to continuously hop it.

Tried two of these this week and they've mellowed.

I'm really, really happy with this recipe.

Trace doesn't really like it all that much (probably too hoppy) but I'm happy with it. I think it's pretty nicely balanced.

Glad to hear it's coming along so well. I noticed you didn't use wheat after all. I was just thinking about trying another IPA with wheat myself. Wonder if anyone has done that before. Could be good for the summer.

Cool idea.... I might try something off beat with my next IPA too.

Up next, however, is an Oberon clone

How would you describe the flavors of this one, now that it's mellowed down? Specifically, the hop flavors and aromas?

Final hop bill :

2 ounces Summit @ 60 mins
1.5 ounces Simcoe @ 45 mins
1.5 ounces Centennial @ 30 mins
1.5 ounces Cascade @ 2 mins
1 ounces cascade dry hop for 14 days
1 ounces centennial dry hop for 10 days

I'd say it's pretty citrusy. The hop aroma is definitely there, and dominates any malty aroma that's there.

The taste is also citrusy, but the malt comes through. It's more balanced than I thought it would be after early tastings. It's a very full hop flavor, but it's not ridiculously bitter.

I've still not compared it to, say, DFH 60 minute, but I believe it's in the neighborhood. I'd use this hop bill again in a heart beat.

Nice! Any idea of your IBUs for the brew, or your AA% of the specific hops you used? All pellet or all whole hops or mix? Thanks!
Oh, and was it citrusy like lemony or like lime or more of a tangerine thing, or a bitter grapefruit? Any piney notes or grassy floral tastes or flavors?

Unfortunately no, not at the moment.

My laptop is in the shop, and that's where the recipe is in Beersmith.

I used all pellet hops, for both the boil and dryhopping. I just tossed the pellets into the secondary when I dryhopped, so I lost a little volume when I went to bottle it. but it wasn't a big deal.

I'd say grapefruity with some grassy floral notes. Pine, if any, isn't noticeable.

ill.literate said:

Final hop bill :

2 ounces Summit @ 60 mins
1.5 ounces Simcoe @ 45 mins
1.5 ounces Centennial @ 30 mins
1.5 ounces Cascade @ 2 mins
1 ounces cascade dry hop for 14 days
1 ounces centennial dry hop for 10 days

I'd say it's pretty citrusy. The hop aroma is definitely there, and dominates any malty aroma that's there.

The taste is also citrusy, but the malt comes through. It's more balanced than I thought it would be after early tastings. It's a very full hop flavor, but it's not ridiculously bitter.

I've still not compared it to, say, DFH 60 minute, but I believe it's in the neighborhood. I'd use this hop bill again in a heart beat.

Click to expand...

That is an INSANE hop bill. The Summit alone got you somewhere around 80-90 IBUs. Altogether, you're looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of 150-200 IBUs. Yikes. It's no wonder it needed time to mellow. You could cut all the hops in half and have a manageable IPA, I think. Still, I salute your boldness.

Hello everyone,
I planning my first IPA all grain. Has anyone used an entire base malt of Maris Otter instead of the usual 2 row pale ale? Any suggestions on this or possible experiences?

Torchiest said:

That is an INSANE hop bill. The Summit alone got you somewhere around 80-90 IBUs. Altogether, you're looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of 150-200 IBUs. Yikes. It's no wonder it needed time to mellow. You could cut all the hops in half and have a manageable IPA, I think. Still, I salute your boldness.

Click to expand...

One thing to consider though, this wasn't a full boil.

Not sure I'd mentioned that before. This was prior to going all grain and not having a big enough brewpot to do a full boil, so my hop utilization wasn't as great as for a full boil.

When I do this recipe again, as an AG version, I'll have to tweak the hop bill a bit so it's not too much.

but DAYUM they're tasty now

I Love my IIPA and it clocks in at around 125 IBU. As long as you can match your malts to balance, you are fine. Just keep in mind it needs time to calm down a bit (I know, I know no one ever wants to wait) 1st IIPA recipe was just a way to use up a BUNCH of old hops I had laying around the house. Turned out great!!!

ill.literate said:

Unfortunately no, not at the moment.

My laptop is in the shop, and that's where the recipe is in Beersmith.

I used all pellet hops, for both the boil and dryhopping. I just tossed the pellets into the secondary when I dryhopped, so I lost a little volume when I went to bottle it. but it wasn't a big deal.

I'd say grapefruity with some grassy floral notes. Pine, if any, isn't noticeable.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the details, sounds like the flavor was great if it wasn't too strong, suspect the aroma was also very nice. Enjoy!:rockin: