Single-Hop IPA Recipe

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FatDragon

FatDragon

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Over the next few months, I'd like to try a base IPA recipe single-hopped with several of the varieties that I've got readily available. The first time around, I'm planning on going with Citra, but I also want to try Simcoe, Chinook, and maybe Nugget and Mosaic. If I'm using Caramel, I'd prefer it to be 60L, and if Munich I'd prefer 20L - long story short, they're a lot cheaper than other Caramel/Crystal and Munich malts for me. The Carapils is expensive for me, but unless someone has a better idea for head and body, it's not going to break the bank in half-pound increments. I suspect flaked oats or barley would make the beer way too cloudy for most peoples' tastes. I forgot to add a Whirlfloc tablet into the recipe, and I'm planning on using US-05.

Code: 
Here goes:

Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal	Brewer: Fat Dragon
Boil Size: 6.72 gal	
Boil Time: 60 min	Equipment: My BIAB
End of Boil Volume 5.72 gal	Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 5.50 gal	Est Mash Efficiency 75.0 %
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage

Ingredients
Amt	 Name	 Type	 #	 %/IBU
10 lbs	 Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)	 Grain	 1	 87.0 %
1 lbs	 Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM)	 Grain	 2	 8.7 %
8.0 oz	 Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM)	 Grain	 3	 4.3 %
0.75 oz	 Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min	 Hop	 4	 32.1 IBUs
0.75 oz	 Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 30.0 min	 Hop	 5	 24.6 IBUs
1.00 oz	 Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min	 Hop	 6	 8.5 IBUs
1.00 oz	 Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min	 Hop	 7	 0.0 IBUs
1.50 oz	 Citra [12.00 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days	 Hop	 8	 0.0 IBUs
Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.056 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.8 %
Bitterness: 65.2 IBUs
Est Color: 9.4 SRM

Thoughts on the grain bill and hop schedule?

Edit: After reading a hop profile on Mosaic - I think I'm gonna start with that instead of Citra. Sounds tasty!
 
The hops will help with head retention and certainly with the full lb of C-60 I would ditch the carapils. That's even a little more than I would typically use but being a low gravity IPA you're probably okay at 8.7%. I think you could move that 30 min hop addition a little later for more flavor (and up the 60 min accordingly to hit your IBU's).

I've been meaning to do a single hop series for a while but never get around to it. Good luck with it!
:mug:
 
Thanks. I'll consider leaving out the Carapils and holding it for something that needs it more.

Anyone else have ideas? Any grains that would be a nice addition to the mash? What about a couple ounces of chocolate or black patent for color? Would either of those significantly affect the flavor as well?
 
Much of what I read about citra when I made a pale ale SMaSH was that using citra for bittering additions brought our some pretty bad flavors. I got all my bittering from late hop additions. I used 14.5 AA citra at the rate of 1.5 oz at 15 min, 1.5 oz at 10 min, 1 oz at 5 min, 1 oz at knockout/whilpool, and 3 oz dry hopped after krausen dropped. Nice pineapple-mango aroma, tropical flavor, no cat piss. For an IPA I'd probably up the 15 and 10 min additions.
 
I like my IPAs and Pale Ales to use less crystal and lighter crystal, but that's my personal preference. If you can get malted wheat you could add a small percentage for head/body, though the hops do help there. I'm not sure how much wheat you add, 5-10%?
 
i would add some more base malt. i'm on a vienna binge right now so i'm recommending that. if i recall correctly, some stuff was expensive for you to get so if it's easier to not add more grain drop your 60 min addition and you should be in good shape.

for a 1.056 brew 60 IBU(30 from your 60 minute addition) is going to be harsh. if you just skip that addition you're just over 30 IBU which is balanced bitterness and lots of hop flavor. you also avoid the whole citra/cat pee thing that everyone talks about. i've never witnessed it nor have I ever bittered with citra.

if you want to stick with 60 IBU's try to get your OG up around 1.070.

you could keep the dextrine it will add mouthfeel/body as well as some foam. if you keep it cut your C60 to 8oz as well.
 
RonPopeil said:
i would add some more base malt. i'm on a vienna binge right now so i'm recommending that. if i recall correctly, some stuff was expensive for you to get so if it's easier to not add more grain drop your 60 min addition and you should be in good shape.

for a 1.056 brew 60 IBU(30 from your 60 minute addition) is going to be harsh. if you just skip that addition you're just over 30 IBU which is balanced bitterness and lots of hop flavor. you also avoid the whole citra/cat pee thing that everyone talks about. i've never witnessed it nor have I ever bittered with citra.

if you want to stick with 60 IBU's try to get your OG up around 1.070.

you could keep the dextrine it will add mouthfeel/body as well as some foam. if you keep it cut your C60 to 8oz as well.
Click to expand...

Yeah, for base malts, Australian-grown, China-malted 2-row is my primary option. I've seen some of the online homebrew shops selling Canadian 2-row (probably the same as I've been told about the Aussie stuff - sold to China unmalted as feed-grade then malted in China), as well as Chinese 2-row, but it's all 2-row. My locally-available specialty malts are all roasted by the shops (run by Chinese homebrewers) from that same Aussie 2-row.

Vienna, 6-row, and most other base malts other than Maris Otter are available from the Shanghai shop, but they're really pricey - about $7.50/lb. Same for the Cara-pils, but I see a ton of recipes using it so I'm buying a couple pounds to have it ready just in case.

How about this:

Replace all Citra with Mosaic.
Combine the 60 and 30 minute hop additions at 30 minutes.
Add 1 lb 2-row for OG.
Cut C60 down to 8 oz.
Add 2 oz Chocolate Malt (350L) for color.
Add 8 oz. table sugar in the boil for OG and dryness (but is this may overkill with the reduced crystal?).

I won't be around my copy of Beersmith for several hours, so I can't plug it in, but this should increase the OG at least, and the Mosaic replacement was already planned, but I was too lazy to add Mosaic into my copy of beersmith so I just left Citra listed.

I'm thinking for future single-hop* brews, I will get some Magnum to use for bittering since it shouldn't distract from the marquee hop that I'll be using for flavor and aroma. I'll also probably tweak the grain bill and use some of the various specialty grains that are locally available (C120, Munich 20, Biscuit, maybe even a bit of Coffee) so I can start tasting the differences between those as well. Magnum's not an option for this time around, though - we're too close to brewday to get a shipment in on time.
 
I don't think you should drop that 60 minute addition--cutting 10 IBUs would be fine, leaving you under 1.0 BU:GU ratio. I'm not a huge hop-head so I like my IPAs a bit lighter in color, around 1060 with about 55 IBUs and good but not over-whelming hop aroma/flavor (usually some 60 minute addition).
 
FatDragon said:
Yeah, for base malts, Australian-grown, China-malted 2-row is my primary option. I've seen some of the online homebrew shops selling Canadian 2-row (probably the same as I've been told about the Aussie stuff - sold to China unmalted as feed-grade then malted in China), as well as Chinese 2-row, but it's all 2-row. My locally-available specialty malts are all roasted by the shops (run by Chinese homebrewers) from that same Aussie 2-row.

Vienna, 6-row, and most other base malts other than Maris Otter are available from the Shanghai shop, but they're really pricey - about $7.50/lb. Same for the Cara-pils, but I see a ton of recipes using it so I'm buying a couple pounds to have it ready just in case.

How about this:

Replace all Citra with Mosaic.
Combine the 60 and 30 minute hop additions at 30 minutes.
Add 1 lb 2-row for OG.
Cut C60 down to 8 oz.
Add 2 oz Chocolate Malt (350L) for color.
Add 8 oz. table sugar in the boil for OG and dryness (but is this may overkill with the reduced crystal?).

I won't be around my copy of Beersmith for several hours, so I can't plug it in, but this should increase the OG at least, and the Mosaic replacement was already planned, but I was too lazy to add Mosaic into my copy of beersmith so I just left Citra listed.

I'm thinking for future single-hop* brews, I will get some Magnum to use for bittering since it shouldn't distract from the marquee hop that I'll be using for flavor and aroma. I'll also probably tweak the grain bill and use some of the various specialty grains that are locally available (C120, Munich 20, Biscuit, maybe even a bit of Coffee) so I can start tasting the differences between those as well. Magnum's not an option for this time around, though - we're too close to brewday to get a shipment in on time.
Click to expand...
Mosaic is very similar to Citra. Either way will work. Not sure how your IBU's change but i'd imagine your percentages at each addition would be similar so I doubt it's an issue.

as for your grain bill ideas, i'd stay away from chocolate and coffee malts for a pale beer. with your grain prices i'd worry a little less about perfect color. You could always use a darker crystal and/or do longer boils to get your color up. Personally, I disregard color and go for flavor. Whatever color tastes good is what I have.

C120 is going to stand out in a pale beer. I wouldn't want to go higher than C60. Munich could be good for maltiness. Biscuit is another one to bring your maltiness up but don't feel like you have to use a lot. Consider it a specialty grain.

Carapils is a way of boosting mouthfeel/texture. It adds to your foam but in IPA's it's mostly about putting some body back without adding much sweetness (if any).
 
RonPopeil said:
Mosaic is very similar to Citra. Either way will work. Not sure how your IBU's change but i'd imagine your percentages at each addition would be similar so I doubt it's an issue.

as for your grain bill ideas, i'd stay away from chocolate and coffee malts for a pale beer. with your grain prices i'd worry a little less about perfect color. You could always use a darker crystal and/or do longer boils to get your color up. Personally, I disregard color and go for flavor. Whatever color tastes good is what I have.

C120 is going to stand out in a pale beer. I wouldn't want to go higher than C60. Munich could be good for maltiness. Biscuit is another one to bring your maltiness up but don't feel like you have to use a lot. Consider it a specialty grain.

Carapils is a way of boosting mouthfeel/texture. It adds to your foam but in IPA's it's mostly about putting some body back without adding much sweetness (if any).
Click to expand...

While I could get C120 from another local seller, I'm not planning on any more orders before this brew, so that's why I was thinking a bit of Chocolate or Black Patent malt for color, since I already have them and I think adding a bit of color would be nice - I like my IPAs to have a bit of color to them (err, the ones I drink, since I have yet to make one...).

I've got some Munich 20L on hand as well, adding a bit of maltiness would be nice, so that might be going in.

Maybe something like this:

10-11 lb. 2-Row
8 oz. Munich 20L
8 oz. C60
8 oz. Cara-Pils
2 oz. Chocolate 350L
8 oz. Table Sugar
 
The final recipe:

11 lb 2-row
8 oz Crystal 60L
8 oz Carapils
2 oz Chocolate

1.5 oz. Mosaic @30
1 oz Mosaic @5
1 oz Mosaic @whirlpool
1.5 oz Mosaic @7-day dry hop

Fermented with rehydrated US-05.

I brewed five days ago with an OG ~1.056 (still trying to work out the kinks with hydrometer calibration to temperature and water), pitched four and a half days ago, and took a sample today ~1.025. Tastes good, and extremely fruity - some of the more mellow tropical fruits like guava or papaya. I'll probably rack to secondary and dry-hop Saturday when I bottle the stout that's in my carboy, in order to clear space for my next brew in my little wine fridge fermentation chamber.
 
FatDragon said:
The final recipe:

11 lb 2-row
8 oz Crystal 60L
8 oz Carapils
2 oz Chocolate

1.5 oz. Mosaic @30
1 oz Mosaic @5
1 oz Mosaic @whirlpool
1.5 oz Mosaic @7-day dry hop

Fermented with rehydrated US-05.

I brewed five days ago with an OG ~1.056 (still trying to work out the kinks with hydrometer calibration to temperature and water), pitched four and a half days ago, and took a sample today ~1.025. Tastes good, and extremely fruity - some of the more mellow tropical fruits like guava or papaya. I'll probably rack to secondary and dry-hop Saturday when I bottle the stout that's in my carboy, in order to clear space for my next brew in my little wine fridge fermentation chamber.
Click to expand...

Looks like a nice copper-colored IPA. Based on my experience from my single-hop citra pale ale I posted above, you might want to up the dry hops if you can - I found that after it finally carbonated, a lot of the aroma had dropped off - still there, just not as distinctly tropical. I used 3 oz dry hopped after vigorous fermentation had subsided. Next time I'll try 4.5.
 

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