IPA- critique me,

I want to brew an American IPA, here is what i came up with.

Amount Item Type % or IBU
9 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 78.26 %
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 8.70 %
1 lbs White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 8.70 %
8.0 oz Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 4.35 %
1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (60 min) Hops 33.0 IBU
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (45 min) Hops 16.7 IBU
0.50 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (30 min) Hops 10.8 IBU
2.00 oz Liberty [4.30 %] (15 min) Hops 14.1 IBU


about 75 ibu's-
what do all you think?

Cheers-

East Enders Home Brew

I like the grain bill. I'd probably cut the crystal a bit to 5-7%, but otherwise I'd leave it.

I'd totally change the hopping. Any hops added before 30 minutes from the end of the boil are bittering additions, so you've got three bittering additions, but nothing (except liberty) for flavor hops and none at all for aroma additions. Liberty hops are great- nice and "clean" and pefect for lagers and other super clean beers. But it doesn't fit at all with an American IPA.

I'd totally redo the hopping to this:

1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (60 min) (or to get you to 40 IBUs)
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] 15 min
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] 5 min
1.00 oz cascade or amarillo (or 1/2 each) at flame out

1 ounce BOTH cascade and amarillo dryhopping

American IPAs are all about hops. A nice solid grainbill for the malt backbone, and then hopping at 15, 10, 5, 0 and dryhopping, all with American hops will give a great flavor.

I'm going to say more late additions! For what I've seen around here and the IPA that I just brewed I've stuck with just a bittering addition and everything else 20mins and under. I'm also a firm believer of flameout additions for hop flavor and aroma. Additionally you might want to look at dry hopping for even more sexy American hop aroma.

ahh beat by yooper

Grains look good to me. I would move the 45 and 30 min additions to 5 and flameout. At 45 and 30 you will get bitterness but very little flavor/aroma. If you want more bitterness get a cheap high AA hop like magnum/columbus/warrior to add at 60. I would also dryhop with a couple oz of cascade/centennial/amarillo or a combination of them.

Yooper beat me also

As a newb brewer I am finding the IPA's and PA's are all about the LATE addition hops.

And follow any advice yooper has to give I have brewed a few of her IPA's and you can't go wrong any of them. The Lakefront clone being my personal fav.

I have found that I am not a huge fan of cyrstal in my IPA's so I would +1 on cutting the crystal a tad. But that's just my personal prefrence!!

Cheers!!!

hmm, the hop changes are on the money im going with all yuor advice, all.

cheers.

I might spilt the c-40 in half and raise the victory or toss in a bit of Maris otter just to avoid too much residual sweetness.

What yeast? I like to use WLP 001 with a 2L starter. I can usually get mine to finish at 1.010 or under.

Do you plan on dry hopping?

yes i plan on dry hopping, and using wlp 001, thanks for the input....

S-05 is way cheaper and the same strain as 001. You could probably get by without a starter for that grain bill also.

skeezer,
Great point and i already have a couple packs of Safale 05 at home, prolly go with that, and make a starter anyway to try out my soon to be finished stirplate. just need to find a local place to buy my stirbar.

Cheers,.

here is the final decision:


HOP BITER
American IPA


Type: All Grain
Date: 9/13/2011
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Brewer: Doug Ashe
Boil Size: 6.30 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: My Equipment
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
8 lbs 12.8 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 71.63 %
1 lbs 1.7 oz Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 9.03 %
1 lbs 1.6 oz White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 8.96 %
11.5 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 5.87 %
8.9 oz Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 4.51 %
1.35 oz Centennial [8.80 %] (60 min) Hops 36.1 IBU
2.20 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (Dry Hop 5 days) Hops -
1.10 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (45 min) Hops 39.9 IBU
1.10 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (5 min) Hops 5.7 IBU
1.10 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (1 min) Hops 0.8 IBU
1 Pkgs safAle 04 (DCL Yeast #S-05) Yeast-Ale



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.061 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.060 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.016 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.016 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.90 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 5.74 %
Bitterness: 82.5 IBU Calories: 270 cal/pint
Est Color: 8.8 SRM Color: Color


Mash Profile

Mash Name: My Mash Total Grain Weight: 12.29 lb
Sparge Water: 3.93 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F TunTemperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE Mash PH: 5.4 PH

My Mash Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Step Add 15.36 qt of water at 165.9 F 154.0 F

went with S-05fermented out quick all the way down to 1012,

put it in the secondary yesterday with one oz of cascade whole leaf and one cz centennial pellets. probably will keg this next week.,

I'll keep you posted.
Cheers,

racked into the keg today and the hydrometer sample tasted really good,, also bottle 1 gallon of this to have some in bottles. can't wait till its carbed,.

Brewed a pale ale today shot the gravity a little low but thats ok. also cant wait to see how that turns out..

Cheers!