First AG Recipe... Critique Please

% Weight Weight (lbs) Grain Gravity Points Color
80.0 % 10.00 American Two-row Pale 43.7 3.3
16.0 % 2.00 American Crystal 20L 8.3 7.3
4.0 % 0.50 American Vienna 2.1 0.4
12.50 54.1

% Wt Weight (oz) Hop Form AA% AAU Boil Time Utilization IBU
66.7 % 1.00 Centennial Whole/Plug 10.5 10.5 60 0.247 35.3
33.3 % 0.50 Centennial Whole/Plug 10.5 5.3 10 0.090 6.4
1.50 41.7

7 gallon boil, 5.5 gallon batch

Mash at 155*F for 60 minutes
Batch sparge

It comes out to be an APA, with a slightly higher IBU...

What you guys think?

I think that's a lot of crystal malt. Maybe do a pound of the crystal and a pound of the vienna? The hops look good though....

I think that's way too much crystal. Otherwise, ok.

Edit- darn, too slow!

And I'd do probably two more hops additions- I'd probably do something like 15, 5, 0. But I like hops!

3rd time is a charm - too much crystal...

Cut it to 1lb. and use 1lb. of another grain for some complexity (vienna, munich, whatever...) in the grain bill

Also, the mash temp looks a little high (at least to me) for a PA and for having 1lb. of crystal. The crystal will leave some residual sweetness, so you don't really need to use a high mash temp also. I'd mash this at 153F probably...

I agree with the above posts, 1# crystal and lower the mash to 152-153. I would hop
.50 FWH
.50 60min
.25 10
.25 Flameout

Same amount of hops but get a little more out of them.

I thought that 2 lb might be a little much as well. It just happens that i have 2#'s kickin around right now...

I'll go 1# each of vienna and crystal...

As far as the hop additions go, the suggestions kinda leave the APA behind and approach an IPA on the IBU scale... I don't have anything against that, but I reviewed the BJCP on this recipe to get in the IBU range (even though I went a lil bit over already)

Another question, that I'm sure has been answered already, is whats the deal with First wort hopping? I haven't seen it in any of the books I've read...

Thanks again guys!

Well, actually, if you change your hopping, you won't have an IPA. You could just split them up differently to actually get some flavor and a little aroma from them.

Some people say that FWH gives you more flavor and a smoother bitterness. I do it sometimes, but I honestly can't tell the difference. Maybe I can in my Arrogant Bastard clone, but I don't really think I've ever compared them side by side.

NoClueBrewMaster said:

I thought that 2 lb might be a little much as well. It just happens that i have 2#'s kickin around right now...

I'll go 1# each of vienna and crystal...

As far as the hop additions go, the suggestions kinda leave the APA behind and approach an IPA on the IBU scale... I don't have anything against that, but I reviewed the BJCP on this recipe to get in the IBU range (even though I went a lil bit over already)

Another question, that I'm sure has been answered already, is whats the deal with First wort hopping? I haven't seen it in any of the books I've read...

Thanks again guys!

Click to expand...

Splitting the hops the way suggested won't get you into "IPA-land" so to speak... FWH compared to a normal 60 minute addition might get you an additional 3-5IBU, who knows. This would be partially (if not completely) offset by moving some of your 10 minute addition to flame-out. And you would get more aroma as noted...

I think the revised hop bill is fine and still constitutes an APA... the BJCP Style Guidelines are just that, "guidelines". Being over by 3-5IBU isn't going to throw a crook into much. I doubt even trained judges can taste a 5IBU difference. In fact, thought I read somewhere that 10IBU increments can be distinguished from either other, but much less would be difficult. E.g. 7 and 10 IBU beers will taste nearly identical, you'll only begin to tell the difference when comparing a 7 and 17IBU beer...