American IPA Recipe Advice for a non Hophead

I've been researching a decent "All-American" IPA and wanted to get some feedback on my recipe so far. My father-in-law is crazy about Hop Devil and Raging ***** are his favorites. I'm not trying to clone either, but rather create a similar batch of beer that he'll enjoy with a nice cigar. I should also add that I really am NOT a fan of hoppy beer - would much rather enjoy a nice stout or a cider, so I'm having a hard time with this one.

Here's what I've come up with so far:

92% 11lb 0 American Two-row Pale
4% 0 8oz Crystal 120L
4% 0 8oz Victory Malt

boil 60 mins 2.0 Amarillo pellet 7.0
boil 15 mins 0.5 Amarillo pellet 7.0
boil 15 mins 0.5 East Kent Goldings pellet 5.0
boil 5 mins 0.5 Amarillo pellet 7.0
dry hop 5 days 0.5 Willamette leaf 4.7

White Labs American Ale Blend (WLP060)

Irish moss and yeast nutrient

Thanks!

Here's a link to the full recipe on Hopville.com -
http://hopville.com/recipe/1126869/american-ipa-recipes/jeremiahs-devil-american-ipa

To be honest, the mix of Amarillo, Goldings, and Willy just doesn't seem like it'd be great. Maybe keep the Amarillo and switch out the others for more American hops like Simcoe, or a "C" hop...or both.

I would think if you were going for a Hop Devil type beer, you'd want a little bit of a more harsh bittering beer. Amarillo is a great aroma hop, but if you want something with a little bit more of a punch, i'd go with a higher alpha acid. Maybe a Centennial, Warrior or Chinook? That's purely a personal preference, but hop devil is like a kick in the mouth bitter, which I dont think you'd get from Amarillo

I have a hard time with my hops selections. I'm very partial to Williamette - goes so well with my stouts and porters. I've heard very good things about Simcoe though.

What's the general theory with hop progression as far bitter, flavor and aroma - is there a "best practice" that says to stick with a limited number of types? I'm totally ignorant when it comes to combining hops, so any thoughts and advice is appreciated.

cadillacandy said:

I have a hard time with my hops selections. I'm very partial to Williamette - goes so well with my stouts and porters. I've heard very good things about Simcoe though.

What's the general theory with hop progression as far bitter, flavor and aroma - is there a "best practice" that says to stick with a limited number of types? I'm totally ignorant when it comes to combining hops, so any thoughts and advice is appreciated.

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I've read in a few sources that say you shouldnt really try to use more than 4 different varieties in a single batch. Too many different flavors can tend to overcompete with one another and the beer loses its nice complexity.
Certain hops do a better job with certain jobs than others, but there is no strict categories for what a bittering hop is vs strict aroma hops. Some hops have a great aroma and flavor, but dont offer the acids that promote strong bittering characteristics.
A great source is brew365.com. It will list out nearly all varieties of hops and give you a nice little graph of the taste they promote along with their most common uses (bittering, flavor, aroma). Also, it give you an idea for what beer styles it goes best with.
Remember... this is a fun hobby! Don't be afraid to stray from the books and try something unconventional! If everyone stuck with what has worked, we'd all be stuck drinking bud light all day

I'll do some research on Centennial, Warrior and Chinook. I've never used any of those in anything I've made. Thanks for the advice.

@Copperpots - In your experience are any of those better for bittering, flavoring or aroma(ing?)? If you had to rewrite the hopping recipe, what would you do?

Looks like we're just a mouse click or two behind each other with our replies :rockin:

I'm not the kind that likes to follow the rules! But they are a great place to start. I guess you have to know what works best in order to deviate.

I'll check out brew365.com and get a lesson on hop characteristics, acids and flavors.

Thanks!

I'm not a huge fan of the crystal 120 in an IPA.

Thanks Frank! I was mainly using the crystal for color. Would you replace it with something or just remove it?

Also - thanks again to everyone else for the advice. I appreciate it!