Harper Skye Red IPA

Hey guys,

My buddy had his third daughter born today and I'd like to brew up a semi-commemorative beer for him. She was born at 12:34pm, 21.5" long, and 10 pounds 3oz.

Based in those numbers I decided to write up a recipe. From the pictures I saw (I haven't met her yet...) she seems to have a little bit of red hair, so I decide to go for a Red IPA. Here's the recipe I quickly scribbled down, what do you think?

OG: 1.068
FG: 1.015 (expecting 1.011 based on experience)
ABV: 6.9%
IBU: 89 (perhaps way high, Tinseth calc)
SRM: 17.9

Base Malt:
10# 2-Row
3# Maris Otter
(for the ten pound three ounce birth weight)

Specialty Grain:
10oz Caramunich
8oz C80
3.5oz Black Malt
(21.5oz total, for the length)

10.3oz Dextrose to bump up OG.

Hop Schedule:
1oz Warrior (continual addition from 45-30)
1oz Citra 15min
1oz Citra 10 min
1oz Galaxy 10min
1oz Galaxy 5min
1oz Galaxy 0min
2oz Cascade dry hop 1
2oz Cascade dry hop 2
(For the 12:34 birth time, 1oz bittering, 2oz flavor, 3oz flavor/aroma, 4oz dryhop)

Yeast: Nottingham w/starter

Primary: 7 days
Secondary: rack, dryhop, 7 days
Secondary 2: replace dryhops, 7 more days
Bottle: 14ish days

I'm thinking I might just mix the Citra and Galaxy together and just continually hop that portion.

Thoughts?

Looks pretty good to me man... Love the hop schedule... Never used Black Malt in an IPA so don't know what kind of roastiness that amount might impart... Good luck though

Holy cow that's a big baby. I'd go with a big gravity, and with a name like Harper Skye (I like it!) you've got to get 10% + rye in the grist. I'd do a big rye IIPA and replace your 3# of MO (not going to taste it, IMO) with 3# of rye. Hops look great! You'll want to drink this around her 4 week birthday, though. For aging, you may want to go the old ale/barley wine route.

Okay, thanks. How about this grain bill?

Base:
13 pounds 2-row 72%

Specialty:
3# Rye 17%
10oz Caramunich 3.5%
9oz C80 3.1%
2.15oz Chocolate .74%

Assuming a 6 gallon batch at 1.068 OG, this will be more brown in color than red. I would go with some Melanoidin and Chocolate Malt instead of C80 and Black Malt. Mash around 152-153 F.

The hop schedule is a little quirky, but it will work for the given gravity. Looks like you're adding 0.25 oz. Warrior every 5 minutes from 45-30? That alone should give you approx. 40 IBUs. Move the 15 min Citra addition to 0 min for better aroma and smoother bitterness and try to consider a cleaner, high attenuating San Diego Super yeast starter to allow these hops to shine a bit better.

Another play on the numbers would be to use 21.5 lbs. of grain for something like 10.3% abv. for a 6.5 gal batch. 1.089 / 1.014 - Fitting for such a big baby. Try to incorporate the 1/28/13 birth date as well. Good luck!

Man...you crazy! Woo! I like it! Made some changes based on recommendations:

OG 1.100
FG 1.015
ABV 11%
IBU 105 (for the 10.5# weight)
SRM 15
Efficiency: 75%

Base Grain:
17.5# Rahr 2-Row
4# Briess Rye
(21.5# total)

Specialty Grain:
10oz Caramunich
9oz C60
2.5oz Chocolate
(21.5oz total)

Hops:
2oz Warrior (continuous from 50-30)
2oz Citra, 2oz Simcoe, 3oz Galaxy, all mixed and continuous from 15-0.
Cascade dryhops, two doses of 2oz each

This is going to be RIDICULOUS! I can't wait to brew it!