Recipe critique/question

KayaBrew · 01-19-2010, 11:09 PM

Here's my upcoming English IPA recipe. I already have all the ingredients, and I will be pitching it onto a WLP002 cake. My question is, is using 3 oz of EKG for a bittering addition a waste? I do have an ounce of Magnum I could use. Could I use more EKG as flavoring and aroma hops? I have little experience with EKG, and I don't want it to be earthy and gross tasting. I'm shooting for a true to form EIPA. Thanks.

English IPA
14-A English IPA
Author: Marc L.

Size: 5.25 gal
Efficiency: 75.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 182.95 kcal per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.055 (1.050 - 1.075)
Terminal Gravity: 1.014 (1.010 - 1.018)
Color: 12.48 (8.0 - 14.0)
Alcohol: 5.41% (5.0% - 7.5%)
Bitterness: 59.1 (40.0 - 60.0)

Ingredients:
10 lb 2-Row Brewers Malt
1.0 lb Crystal Malt 60°L
1 tsp Ferm-Cap S - added during boil, boiled 60 min
3 oz East Kent Goldings (4.5%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
1 oz East Kent Goldings (4.5%) - added during boil, boiled 15 min
1 ea Whirlfloc Tablets (Irish moss) - added during boil, boiled 10 min
1 oz East Kent Goldings (4.5%) - added during boil, boiled 5 min
0.0 ea White Labs WLP002 English Ale

Schedule:
Ambient Air: 70.0 °F
Source Water: 60.0 °F
Elevation: 0.0 m

00:05:00 Mash In - Liquor: 5.5 gal; Strike: 163.34 °F; Target: 150 °F
01:20:00 Rest - Rest: 75 min; Final: 147.8 °F
01:20:00 Sparge - First runnings: 0.0 gal sparge @ 168.0 °F, 0.0 min; Sparge #1: 2.36 gal sparge @ 200.0 °F, 0.0 min; Total Runoff: 6.38 gal

Results generated by BeerTools Pro 1.5.3

**Pappers_** · 01-20-2010, 01:17 AM

Yes, I think substituting the higher alpha magnum, which is a clean bittering hop, for the 60 minute EKG seems like a good idea.

KayaBrew · 01-20-2010, 03:08 PM

Okay, I replaced the 3oz EKG 60 minute with 1/2 oz Magnum (13.5%AA). I will do a 2oz 15 minute EKG followed by 2oz EKG at 10 minutes and 1 oz at flameout. Like I said, I have little experience with EKG, so my question is will the flavor be too over the top with the late additions of the EKG hops?

jacksonbrown · 01-20-2010, 04:08 PM

I think 5 oz of hops in the last 15 min is a bit over top for my tastes. I'm curious to see what others say, but I would cut out either the 10 or15 min addition, or scale them back to 1 oz each and keep the flameout as is.

jdc2 · 01-20-2010, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KayaBrew

Okay, I replaced the 3oz EKG 60 minute with 1/2 oz Magnum (13.5%AA). I will do a 2oz 15 minute EKG followed by 2oz EKG at 10 minutes and 1 oz at flameout. Like I said, I have little experience with EKG, so my question is will the flavor be too over the top with the late additions of the EKG hops?

Everybody's taste is different. I think that might work for me, but not
others. If I were experimenting, I would start on the low end and go higher
in later batches if it weren't enough. But what is the basis for the recipe?
There's got to be a reason for that much late hopping, is it supposed to
clone some particular beer?
Jim

Bob · 01-20-2010, 05:42 PM

EKG is not as obvious a flavor/aroma as American varieties like Cascades. So using a bit more for flavor/aroma is perfectly acceptable. It's hard to overwhelm a beer, even an IPA, with Fuggles or EKG.

I'd omit the 15 and 10 minute additions and reserve those hops for dry-hopping. If it were my beer, I'd add an ounce or so of the EKG as FWH. Then I'd add the Magnum as a full boiling addition - I don't want any flavor from that variety to cloud the EKG flavors/aromas. Then I'd add your proposed flameout addition. At racking time - and I usually if not always rack a beer like this in order to fine it - I'd taste the gravity sample (you are going to do that, aren't you? :P ) and determine if it's flavorful enough. If not, and I suspect it won't be, I'd add at least two ounces of EKG as dry hops and fine the beer. After a week on the dry hops, it should be perfectly flavored, and if you fine it properly it should be perfectly bright and ready for packaging.

That's my tuppence, anyhow.

Bob

KayaBrew · 01-20-2010, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdc2

Everybody's taste is different. I think that might work for me, but not
others. If I were experimenting, I would start on the low end and go higher
in later batches if it weren't enough. But what is the basis for the recipe?
There's got to be a reason for that much late hopping, is it supposed to
clone some particular beer?
Jim

Not a clone of any kind. I am a big fan of late hop additions. It seems to work well in American IPAs with American hops (like Amarillo). I will probably tweak the additions a little more. Thanks to all for the input.

jdc2 · 01-20-2010, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob

EKG is not as obvious a flavor/aroma as American varieties like Cascades. So using a bit more for flavor/aroma is perfectly acceptable. It's hard to overwhelm a beer, even an IPA, with Fuggles or EKG.

I think you are right. Now that I look at that recipe again,
it seems just about right. I remember once dry hopping in
a cask a 2.5 gal batch with one oz of EKG dry hops, and they
sat in the cask the entire time as well, it was great. So
that's 2oz for a 5 gal batch.
Jim