First recipe design / IPA

Would love to get any feedback on this recipe design – my first stab at creating my own thing from scratch. i've never used honey malt before, and am interested in subbing it in for crystal malts. i'd like a nice solid malt backbone – something going on in the back, but needs to pair well with the hops.

I will adjust the water to the "ideal pale ale" profile.


American IPA
90 minute boil
Mash: 155
OG: 1.068
IBU (Tinseth): 58.9
Vol into fermentor 5.5 gal




11 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US / 74.6 %
1.5 lbs Victory Malt / 10.2 %
1.5 lbs Honey Malt / 10.2 %
.75 lbs Wheat - White Malt / 5.1 %



1.0 pkg American Ale II / Yeast - 2–3L starter



0.50 oz Centennial - First Wort 90.0 min

0.50 oz Citra - Boil 60.0 min

1.00 oz Amarillo - Boil 10.0 min
1.00 oz Citra - Boil 10.0 min

2.00 oz Amarillo - Boil 1.0 min
2.00 oz Citra - Boil 1.0 min
2.00 oz Centennial - Boil 1.0 min

1.00 oz Centennial - Dry Hop 7.0 Days
1.00 oz Amarillo - Dry Hop 7.0 Days
1.00 oz Citra - Dry Hop 7.0 Days

if it were me id cut the honey malt to .50 and increase wheat to 1 lb. honey malt can be sweet. also if you have the hops add a 15 min addtion and move the 90 to 60 fwh and use the 60 in your 15 min

That looks pretty sweet, especially if you mash at 155!

I'd cut the honey malt way down, and cut the victory malt way down as well. I like victory malt, but .5 pound is plenty. I'd mash at 152.

thanks for the feedback. what i'm gathering from this is that the honey addition might be a little high, and that i could benefit from a 15 m hop add?

i was just about to come in and add a second option for the grain bill

.75 lbs Munich I (Weyermann)
.25 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L

and instead of 11 lbs US 2 row, do this

5 lbs US 2 row
5 lbs Maris Otter

Yooper said:

That looks pretty sweet, especially if you mash at 155!

I'd cut the honey malt way down, and cut the victory malt way down as well. I like victory malt, but .5 pound is plenty. I'd mash at 152.

Click to expand...

there's also a lot of hops! but i will take your advice

here's an updated malt bill, and thinking of mashing at 153. I don't want a super dry IPA that's only about the hops. I do really like that style of beer (thinking Green Flash West Coast IPA), but I would really like the hops to be balanced by the malt backbone (that should be in the background), but still very forward and prevalent. I suppose the trick is to find the right ingredients / proportions to balance everything.

of course, this is only batch #15 or so, so i humbly respect your feedback

OG: 1.071
IBU: 61.8

6 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US / 40 %
6 lb Maris Otter (2 Row) UK / 40 %
1 lb Honey Malt / 6.7 %
1 lb Wheat - White Malt / 6.7 %
.5 lb Victory Malt / 3.3 %
.25 lb Munich I Malt / 1.7 %
.25 lb C60 / 1.7 %



does honeymalt contribute as many unfermentables as a crystal malt? that was the original reason i had for mashing at 155 – because i had no crystal malts ...

laserghost said:

OG: 1.071
IBU: 61.8

6 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US / 40 %
6 lb Maris Otter (2 Row) UK / 40 %
1 lb Honey Malt / 6.7 %
1 lb Wheat - White Malt / 6.7 %
.5 lb Victory Malt / 3.3 %
.25 lb Munich I Malt / 1.7 %
.25 lb C60 / 1.7 %



does honeymalt contribute as many unfermentables as a crystal malt? that was the original reason i had for mashing at 155 – because i had no crystal malts ...

Click to expand...

Yes, I think honey malt is about as fermentable as crystal malt.

I like the MO in there, and I"d keep that. Also, you could increase the Munich malt as it gives a strong malt note. I'd still reduce the honey malt, but if you really like it to finish sweet it'd be fine.

Sometimes for an IPA where I want a strong, almost exaggerated malt flavor and aroma, I'll use .5 pound of aromatic malt and no crystal or honey malt.

I like the victory, with the "toasted" malt flavor!

I would seriously recommend cutting back that honey malt. I've used it several times in much smaller amounts and am always disappointed because it is so strong. I've taken it out of all my recipes and would need to be convinced to use it again.

alright, thinking i'll give this a go, ferment around 65 (american ale II)


go: 1.068
ibu: 59.5


5.5 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US / 37.9 %
5.5 lb Maris Otter (2 Row) UK / 37.9 %
1 lb Wheat - White Malt / 6.9 %
.75 lb Victory Malt / 5.2 %
.75 lb Honey Malt / 5.2 %
.5 lb Munich I Malt / 3.4 %
.5 lb C60 / 3.4 %


0.50 oz Centennial - First Wort 90.0 min

0.125 oz Amarillo - Boil 60.0 min

.25 oz Amarillo - Boil 15.0 min
.25 oz Citra - Boil 15.0 min
.25 oz Centennial - Boil 15.0 min

1.00 oz Amarillo - Boil 10.0 min
1.00 oz Citra - Boil 10.0 min

2.00 oz Amarillo - Boil 1.0 min
2.00 oz Citra - Boil 1.0 min
2.00 oz Centennial - Boil 1.0 min

1.00 oz Centennial - Dry Hop 7.0 Days
1.00 oz Amarillo - Dry Hop 7.0 Days
1.00 oz Citra - Dry Hop 7.0 Days