Please critique my DIPA

So here is the following recipe for AG batch #7. However, this is my first ever DIPA (extract and AG). Any feedback on the malt bill, hop flavor, and schedule would be AWESOME!

15 lbs. 2-Row
3/4 lbs. Caramel 60
3/4 lbs. Caramel 40
1/2 lbs Vienna
1/2 lbs CaraAmber
1/2 lbs CaraRed
1/3 lbs Roasted Barley
1/4 lbs Chocolated

Yeast
White Labs Super High Gravity Yeast
Half Gallon Starter

Mash at 150-151 F for 75 minutes

Hops
1 oz. Magnum (12.1%) @ FWH
1 oz. Williamette (4.4%) @ FWH

1 oz. Amarillo (7.7%) @ 20 minutes
1 oz. Cascade (5.5%) @ 15 minutes
1 oz Chinook (11.5%) @ 15 minutes

1 oz. Centennial (8.7%) @ 5 minutes
1 oz Williamette (4.4%) @ 5 minutes

Dry Hop - (1st Run) - 1.5 oz Centennial, 0.5 oz Chinook (7 days)
(2nd Run) 2 oz. Cascade (Leaf) (7-10 days)

Any feedback would be great. I am concerned with the Chinook hops because I have never used them before. Also, I would like to shoot for 80-90 IBU's.

Thanks for reading and happy brewing!

send me a couple bottles and I will tell you what I think.

A couple things I see is that is a lot of crystal and other non-fermentables (caras) in there unless you are going for a sweeter IIPA like DFH 90.

What OG are you shooting for? I think the WLP099 might be a little overkill if your in the 1.090 range.

Drop all the malt except the 2-row, vienna, and possibly a hint of crystal. Don't start throwing the kitchen sink in there. Roasted Barley and chocolate don't go in an IPA.

You probably don't need the 099 yeast, and even if you do, it's best to pitch something else first, then have a starter of 099 to get the rest. 099 doesn't produce great flavors as a primary yeast.

I like the hop bill, a lot.

with regard to malt, there are a lot of unfermentables in the recipe. it might be cloyingly sweet, but interestingly, the roasted and chocolate malts might balance that out somewhat. You might be left with some kind of Double Indian Brown Ale. Sounds pretty good to me.

on the vienna - there is no way you are going to notice any flavor contribution from the vienna when you have that many other powerhouse specialty malts in the mix. Just do a SMaSH with vienna and you'll see how subdued it really is.

Maybe he meant dark IPA.

Some kind of OG of around 1.090 to 1.100 would be ideal. My previous efficiency has ranged from 78 to 83% with an average of 82%.

Maybe I should drop the CaraRed and CaraAmber and Chocolate?

And the Vienna is going to stay because I have some left over from some previous batches.

If I start with another yeast and then add the 099, when should it be added. 4 days into the fermentation?

what do you expect to get from 1/3 roasted? I know of stout recipes that use that much roasted...its a powerful malt.

Some red color will be derived from small amounts of roasted (around 1 oz), and thats the only reason ive seen them in IPAs (red IPAs).

I like the bitterness and flavor that the roasted barley imparts. I made the mistake of using 1 lb of it in my PM Imperial Stout. I figure that a small amount would impart the desired effects.

Even with an OG of 1.090 - 1.100 there should be no need for using 099. Mash low, oxygenate well, and pitch lots of healthy yeast.

But if you do want to use it, pitch at high krausen when the initial fermentation begins to slow down.

It's OK to use some dark crystal in a IIPA (see my Imperial Bastard recipe). It might give you the roastiness you crave. S-05 will work for this gravity. My last one came in at 1.096 and had no problems.

It's unfortunate that I do not have any US 05 or Notty. I do have about 3 dry Muntons yeast and about 2 packs of coopers Yeast and the white labs 099.

Could I pitch about 3 packs of these yeasts to get the gravity down to around 1.016-1.014??

Thanks for all of the input so far.

It all depends on what you like in an IIPA. I like hops, hops, and more hops. I don't want to taste sweet, malt, or alcohol. Your recipe, IMO, is walking the line between IIPA and barleywine with all of the the specialty malts in there. Don't get me wrong, it will be very nice, but when I see a "how's my IIPA recipe look" thread I expect to get my balls cradled by hops and nothing else. You've got the hops covered but I feel way to many other grains giving this recipe the reach-around.

As for yeast I'd make the trip to the LHBS for a couple packs of 05 or Notty. Rehydrate and pitch both packs and get ready for a ride! IMO Muntons and Coopers are not up to the task and the 099 would look at this wort, raise a leg, and pee in it. You could use three packs and make beer but at this OG things get a little different and you really want the best quality yeast. Bottom line get the right tool for the job. You'll be glad you did.

Yeah I just ran out of nottingham for the graduation ale I brewed up. The recipe is kind of like -- hey lets throw everything in but the sink. Complexity equates to better-- I would say that I love DFH 90 minute. By far my favorite IIPA. I love hops but I love balance better. For example, all of Stone beers kick my balls. I love what they do, (Self-Righteous, Anniversary series and arrogant bastard are balanced to me) but their IPA's and IIPA are over the top. I feel this way about all west coast beers though.

But don't get me wrong, I love the hop. But I love malt as well.

I thought that the crystal was maybe overkill so I have decided to cut out the CaraAmber and CaraRed and Chocolate malt.

beerjunky828 said:

I would say that I love DFH 90 minute. By far my favorite IIPA. I love hops but I love balance better.

Click to expand...

DFH 90' is almost 100% Pale 2-row malt. I think they add something like 3-4% amber malt. But they use no crystal.

To showcase their maltiness in that recipe, they use a lower attenuating yeast that leaves some residual sugars, IIRC.

So i believe that I will use the following for the DIPA

This is for a 5.25 gallon batch. (I don't know if that was ever mentioned)
Malt Bill
15 lbs 2-Row
3/4 C-40
1/4 C-60
1/3 CaraRed

The hop schedule will stay the same

Mash at 149-151

The yeast will be Notty or US-05

I have always used US-05 but have had a hard time getting the FG to reach below 1.020 (the 1.020 blues!!!!). I have recently just used Notty in the last 3 batches because BMW was out of US-05. The FG have been 1.011 and 1.012 for the last 2 batches. I mashed at 149 for both batches whereas I mashed at 151-153 for the 3 AG batches with US-05. So that could be the reason for the FG being low.
I love the flavor of US-05 and have found it to be clean even only after 10 days.
I cannot comment on the flavor of the Notty because I have yet to taste the finished product. I did notice that the Notty produced a sulfur-like aroma after 10 days.

So I am brewing today. I am mashing right now at 152F. Will start sparging in about an hour or 65 mins. The original Hop schedule will be used. But thanks to everyone on here. This is the recipe I have

15 lbs 2-Row
1 lb Caramel 60
1/3 lb CaraRed
3/4 lb Vienna

(The CaraRed and Vienna are grains that I need to use)

Normally I double batch sparge but I am thinking that I should just sparge once with 5 gallons. I just read today that sparging should take some time. Roughly 30 minutes. Does this matter??

Normally I will dump in 2 gallons of 175F water. Stir. Wait 5 mins and then drain. Then I will dump in another 2 gallons of 175F water. Stir. Wait 5 mins and then drain.

Would it be bad to drain out the liquid I can, dump in 5 gallons at 168F, stir and wait 15 minutes??

Get rid of the roasted barley completely, think about getting rid of (of making it 1/8th a lb) of the CaraAmber and CaraRed, take the 60 down to 1/4th a lb or so.

Maybe mash at 152ish, probably make the magnum a 60 or 70 minute addition instead of a FWH, and maybe consider moving/replacing/take out the chinook as a 15 minute addition, but that's just me.

beerjunky828 said:

So I am brewing today. I am mashing right now at 152F. Will start sparging in about an hour or 65 mins. The original Hop schedule will be used. But thanks to everyone on here. This is the recipe I have

15 lbs 2-Row
1 lb Caramel 60
1/3 lb CaraRed
3/4 lb Vienna

(The CaraRed and Vienna are grains that I need to use)

Normally I double batch sparge but I am thinking that I should just sparge once with 5 gallons. I just read today that sparging should take some time. Roughly 30 minutes. Does this matter??

Normally I will dump in 2 gallons of 175F water. Stir. Wait 5 mins and then drain. Then I will dump in another 2 gallons of 175F water. Stir. Wait 5 mins and then drain.

Would it be bad to drain out the liquid I can, dump in 5 gallons at 168F, stir and wait 15 minutes??

Click to expand...

This is the recipe I used. The original was too much stuff