rmedved

Recipes 

So my first batch of beer has been in the primary for two days now and I can't stop thinking about what I want to brew next.
A couple weeks ago I had an English style IPA from Howe Sound. I didn't even know there was such a thing but I really liked it and want to give it a shot. I don't know much about the flavor profiles and appropriate uses for different malts and hops (other than what is provided on beersmith). I put this little diddy together though. Thoughts?
Beersmith says you can't use victory malt for steeping but I read on the information super highway that you can. So is it ok or not? if not, what could I use as a replacement.

3.00 lb Light Dry Extract (8.0 SRM)[late addition] Dry Extract 32.43 %
1.00 lb Light Dry Extract (8.0 SRM) Dry Extract 10.81 %
4.00 lb Pale Liquid Extract [late addition] Extract 43.24 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 5.41 %
0.50 lb Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 5.41 %
0.25 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 2.70 %
1.00 oz Sterling [7.50 %] (60 min) Hops 16.5 IBU
1.00 oz Sterling [7.50 %] (30 min) Hops 12.7 IBU
0.50 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] (5 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops -
0.50 oz Challenger [7.50 %] (5 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops -
0.50 oz Challenger [7.50 %] (0 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops -
0.50 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] (0 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops -
1 Pkgs London Ale III (Wyeast Labs #1318) Yeast-Ale


Cheers

rmedved

Recipes 

Oh and by the way, that would be a 5 gallon batch with partial boil.

headfullahops

Recipes 

A few thoughts for ya...

1. Is there a reason why you are using a combination of DME and LME, other than that you have both hanging around on the shelf? I would suggest that, if you are buying your extract for each batch rather than using some you may have hanging around, you could use 6Lb DME or 7Lb LME just to simplify things.

2. The reason Victory and some other malts must be mashed is because the starches in the grain are too complex to be fermented, so they must be broken down by enzymes into fermentable sugars (mashed). If you are planning on steeping your grains in a bag in your kettle, you could keep the Victory malt in, drop a pound of extract, and mini-mash your grains with 1.5Lb of 2-row base malt (or something English like Maris Otter) at 152˚-154˚ for 45 minutes or so. Although, I don't know that the character of Victory malts something that is make-or-break for an English (or American) IPA. It might be more "true to style" without it.

3. London Ale III yeast is a lower attenuating strain meaning that it ferments a relatively lesser percentage of sugars in the wort. This will make your brew end up relatively sweeter and fuller bodied. If that's what you're after, go for it. If not (and most English-style IPA's I've tasted are not), try a yeast with a higher attenuation percentage like 1098 British Ale or 1335 British Ale II.

PS - IPA is style of English origin. What makes an IPA English-style is English ingredients and an emphasis toward early hop additions (60+ minutes). American IPA's typically use American ingredients and, although well bittered early on, have more emphasis on hop flavor and aroma from later additions.

CHEERS!

rmedved

Recipes 

Thanks for the input.
1. I would use all DME but I have left over LME from my first batch
2. That is helpful. According to BJCP the malt character should be somewhat bisquity, which is why I added the Victory malt.
3. Also very helpful


I know the history of IPA and I now feel like an idiot for not realizing that of course there would be an English style IPA (I suppose that would actually be a redundant term than?) I guess being in Seattle I am so inundated with American style IPA that I began to think that was what truly defined the style.

Would you say I am using to much aroma hops then?

headfullahops

Recipes 

I think your hop additions are fine. Using English hops is probably more important than when you throw 'em in.