Advice for an IIPA recipe please?

1# 25 Crystal malt
7# light LME
3# light DME
US-05 ale yeast

1.5oz Chinook @ 60min
1.25oz Chinook @ 15min
1oz Chinook @Flame out

Vey basic recipe, which is good for me since I only have 6 batches under my belt I have brewed this 2 times, and am doing it again tonight.

This recipe produces 52.4 IBU on beersmith. The alc content and everything classifies as an IIPA, but the IBU is really on the low side for the style.

I'm looking for suggestions from the beer wizards that occupy HBT. The bitter taste seems legit to me, but I feel it needs something more for the nose. I am not a fan of floral IPA's, but a fruity sweet would be ok. Prefer not to dryhop since I ferment in the primary for the duration. Can anyone here help out an admitted rookie?

you get more flavor from the late additions. the later you put it in the less bitter it will be and the more aroma you will get from it. i like to use citra late in my boils. its almost tropical fruity. good stuff.

Citra, huh? Thanks for the reply

Never brewed with it at all. Seems like it will work, as it's not a floral smelling hop. What amount do you recommend? And what time frame?

its a high alpha so around 5 mins should be good for you, go with around an 1oz. you can also look up hop types online and get the full description of what they do and how they taste, best way to use them etc.

If you want more perceptible bitterness and less of a sweet finish, I'd change up the malt a bit. I'd cut the crystal in half and take out a pound of DME and sub in one pound of corn sugar. That would give the same OG, but with a less sweet finish and a bit of a crisper finish also.

An IIPA needs more hops. I'd change up the hopping something like this:

1.5oz Chinook @ 60min (Actually, I'd prefer magnum or warrior here, since it's so neutral and not harsh but chinook will do)
1 oz simcoe @ 15 minutes (or chinook if you can't get simcoe)
1 oz amarillo or citra 10 minutes
1 oz cascade 5 minutes
1 oz amarillo or citra 1 minute

Dryhopping is pretty much required with IIPAs. I'd recommend an ounce of citra, simcoe, and cascade one week before bottling. Dryhopping in the primary is fine- that's what I do.

You guys are great!

I like the sweetness in this beer, so I will leave that alone. I like the chinook hops and their piney spiced flavor.
How about this...
1.5oz chinook 60min
1oz chinook 15min
1oz citra 10 min
1oz cascade 5 min
1oz citra flameout
Yoopers recipe for the dry hop


So dry hop in the primary. Just throw the pellets into the carboy and let her go? Too easy. Any worry of infection?

I made an all-Nugget hopped IIPA that was fantastic. Based loosely on Yooper's Stone Ruination clone (Gravity and hop schedule) but with slightly less IBU's. I come out around 75 IBU, not super dry, nice malt sweetness and the nugget hops are just great. Dry hopped for sure. Loose recipe is as follows:

American 2-row 48.3%
British Pale Ale 48.3%
American Crystal 40 3.4%

Mash 153/60m

Nugget FWH 50.3 IBU
Nugget 30 15 IBU
Nugget 10 7 IBU
Nugget 1 0.8 IBU
Nugget Dry 0 IBU

Used Kolsch Yeast first (WLP029) time and raised temp from mid 60's to 70 after 4 days, swirled, then racked to secondary at 7 days, dry hopped for 3-4 days, then cold-crash
48hrs, then keg.

Last time I made it I used US-05, healthy starters, and was low on grain, so I mashed closer to 155-156 and used 4lbs. of invert sugar.

namyarb3 said:

You guys are great!

I like the sweetness in this beer, so I will leave that alone. I like the chinook hops and their piney spiced flavor.
How about this...
1.5oz chinook 60min
1oz chinook 15min
1oz citra 10 min
1oz cascade 5 min
1oz citra flameout
Yoopers recipe for the dry hop

So dry hop in the primary. Just throw the pellets into the carboy and let her go? Too easy. Any worry of infection?

Click to expand...

No worry for infection. The hops were originally added to preserve beer. I like to boil a hop bag/panty hose with some marbles and add my hops to the carboy. They are said to be best from the middle or bottom. But I havnt had any problems just tossing them in either. Try to wait until the last 7-10 days to dry hop. Cheers

For the dry hop try to wait until fermentation is done, then cold crash it if you can, then add the Dry Hops.

I have fermented this beer for 18 days both times ive made it. Cold crash for a full day, then keg and force carbonate.
So you say to follow that direction, but dryhop it cold for a week before kegging?

namyarb3 said:

I have fermented this beer for 18 days both times ive made it. Cold crash for a full day, then keg and force carbonate.
So you say to follow that direction, but dryhop it cold for a week before kegging?

Click to expand...

No, don't dryhop it cold. Dryhop it 5-7 days before kegging, at fermentation temperature. Then you can cold crash for a day and keg it. That will give you the best and freshest hop aroma.

I actually prefer to dry hop in the Keg, That's where I've gotten the best results. I also prefer to use Whole Hops, and put them in a Paint Strainer. I know lots of folks on here use Pellets and put them in some sort of Stainless Steel ball doo-hickey. You'll just have to try both and then pick your poison.

Yooper said:

No, don't dryhop it cold. Dryhop it 5-7 days before kegging, at fermentation temperature. Then you can cold crash for a day and keg it. That will give you the best and freshest hop aroma.

Click to expand...

OK. So going by MY schedule, let's see...
Do I need to wait the 18 days and then dryhop for 5-7 days then crash and keg? Or ferment till complete, dryhop for 5-7 days, and let the yeast clean up while dry hopping for a TOTAL fermentation of 18 days from boil to crash?
Sorry for the stupid questions, Yooper. I'm really trying to fine tune my beer skills.

I appreciate all of the advice with this brew. Remind me tomorrow to buy a membership tag. Everyone here deserves it!!