IPA feedback needed

I'm planning to brew an IPA in a few weeks or so to use up some various hops that I have partial bags of. The malt is just Jamil's malt bill for his Hoppiness is an IPA, but I've changed up the hops (IBU's are about the same, more late hop character). I've never used a FWH addition so I figured it was high time to try it.

Please let me know what you think and if you'd change anything:

Recipe Specifications
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Boil Size: 7.60 gal
Post Boil Volume: 6.50 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.25 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.065 SG
Estimated Color: 6.5 SRM
Estimated IBU: 66.9 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 68.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 81.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
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Amt Name Type # %/IBU
11 lbs 15.7 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 86.4 %
15.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 15L (15.0 SRM) Grain 2 6.8 %
11.3 oz Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 3 5.1 %
3.8 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 4 1.7 %
14.00 g Amarillo Gold [9.20 %] - First Wort 60.0 Hop 5 19.4 IBUs
26.00 g Amarillo Gold [9.20 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 32.7 IBUs
15.00 g Centennial [12.80 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 7 5.2 IBUs
14.00 g Cascade [6.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 8 2.3 IBUs
35.00 g Amarillo Gold [9.20 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 9 7.3 IBUs
25.00 g Amarillo Gold [9.20 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 10 0.0 IBUs
23.00 g Cascade [6.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 11 0.0 IBUs
1.0 pkg California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [35. Yeast 12 -

Mash at 149 for 90 minutes - Ferment at 67F raising the temp as fermentation slows down (ensure full attenuation and D rest). Shooting for FG around 1.012.

Thanks

I'd add some dry hops in there as well; maybe move some of the Amarillo from the 60 and 5 minute additions out for DH instead. I'm not sure how I feel about combining FWH with standard bittering additions; I haven't tried it, and haven't really seen it done either.

smagee said:

I'd add some dry hops in there as well; maybe move some of the Amarillo from the 60 and 5 minute additions out for DH instead. I'm not sure how I feel about combining FWH with standard bittering additions; I haven't tried it, and haven't really seen it done either.

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FWH are not a substitute for bittering hops from my understanding, they are more like an aroma/flavor hop - some say equal to a 20 minute addition. Supposed to even out the hop flavor a bit and take out some harshness. I think I need to recalculate them though - in Beersmith it seems to calculate them as though they're bittering hops? Maybe I'll take out the 10 minute addition and use those for dry hopping - thanks for the suggestions.

AnchorBock said:

FWH are not a substitute for bittering hops from my understanding, they are more like an aroma/flavor hop - some say equal to a 20 minute addition.

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I've read that too. But my experience is different- they are not like a 20 minute addition at all, except that perhaps there is some hops flavor. You do get all of the IBUs of a 60 minute addition with FWH. In other words, you may get some flavor out of them, maybe like a 20 minute addition. But you will get their full bittering potential as well, and they should be calculated like a 60 minute (or even 75 minute) addition since they are in the wort during that time.

I'd still use the 10 minute addition, as the idea of an IPA is lots of late additions. If anything, I'd cut some of the 60 minute hops and add them later in the boil.

Yooper said:

I've read that too. But my experience is different- they are not like a 20 minute addition at all, except that perhaps there is some hops flavor. You do get all of the IBUs of a 60 minute addition with FWH. In other words, you may get some flavor out of them, maybe like a 20 minute addition. But you will get their full bittering potential as well, and they should be calculated like a 60 minute (or even 75 minute) addition since they are in the wort during that time.

I'd still use the 10 minute addition, as the idea of an IPA is lots of late additions. If anything, I'd cut some of the 60 minute hops and add them later in the boil.

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Yea I kept reading after I responded and am finding a lot of differing opinions, going to rewrite this one - might just skip the FWH. I almost prefer to wait until I can brew 2 batches side by side as an experiment.

Thanks

AnchorBock said:

Yea I kept reading after I responded and am finding a lot of differing opinions, going to rewrite this one - might just skip the FWH. I almost prefer to wait until I can brew 2 batches side by side as an experiment.

Thanks

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Hahaha! You know what's funny? I totally went the other way. I use FWH for almost all of my IPAs/APAs/American ambers, and skip the traditional 60 minute addition!

Either way will work. I like FWH for several reasons, though. One is that it may give a "smoother" bitterness, although I usually use smooth bittering hops (magnum, galena) anyway. But it also means I never forget to add the hops, since they are already in the kettle, so it works for me so well. Once I get a hot break, I start the timer and just go with it.

I honestly don't think it matters that much.