3rd Brew - advice needed - Double IPA

My friend and I are about to brew our 3rd brew - on Sunday 5/27. It's a Dbl IPA (Extract). The Recipe is as follows:

grains:
1# Munich Malt
1/4# 20L Crystal
sugars:
10# Extra Pale LME
1# Corn Sugar
hops:
60 min: 1.5oz Columbus & 2oz Chinook
15 min: .5oz Columbus
05 min: 1oz Newport
Estimated OG: 1.088

I've been lurking since my first brew here on the site, and been looking for info on HG beers. So far what I see is that for HG beer wort aeration is more important than ever. (Even re-aerating up to 3 hours after pitching the yeast.) One reason that I'm especially concerned about aeration is that our first brew had a pronounced acetaldehyde flavor, which I'm learning may come from poorly aerated wort.

Also - I've been reading that HG beers ferment very vigorously, and that a clogged airlock might be a problem we encounter. Should we prepared to rig some kind of blow off tube? We'll be fermenting in a 6 gallon carboy.

In anycase, I wanted to see if anyone had any advice for us on our first HG beer.

Thanks,

Chef Stress

I am relatively green, but can offer some advice, and others can correct me if needed...

1.) You are going to want to dry hop. IIPAs are known not only for high ABV and high bitterness but also an abundance of hop aroma and flavor. Dry Hopping will get you this. I would say at least 2 oz. for a week in the secondary. Use any nice aromatic ho you like.

I would suggest listening to Jamil's podcast on Imperial IPAs : http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/jamil.php . you can download the mp3 there, it was on 9/11/2006. He will give a recipe and recommend hops and describe what the style is like, what the point of it is, how it works, etc.

I would not worry about aeration, that should not produce as much an acetaldehyde flavor as much as it would a cardboard flavor. That is more likely due to your fermentation and fermentation temp. Too high of a temperature can create these flavors. Acetaldehyde is a chemical created by the yeast in the process of converting sugars to alcohol, but if the yeast is healthy it cleans up after itself as well and this should go away. So if it was too hot and excess was created, or too much of the yeast died too quickly, these can lead to the off flavor. I am positive Jamil mentions this in his podcast (I have not listened to his IIPA one yet) but pitch your yeast low, maybe 63 or 64 degrees or so, and for the first few days of fermentation I would stay at like 66 or 67, and then after most of the activity has died down you can let her get to about 70 and make sure you get everything fermented out nicely. A blow-off tube would not hurt for any high gravity brew, even when fermenting at a low temp. Sometimes the 1 gallon of headspace is just not quite enough. They are certainly easy enough to rig up, and after the first few days it should not be a problem.

Really let it sit in the primary for a while, probably 10 days, and check your FG to make sure it is really done fermenting. Then transfer to secondary and dry hop for a week or so. Then bottle and relatively soon there after, enjoy, vigorously. Hop flavor and aroma do fade with time, so something like this, so dependent on hop flavor, cannot hang out in the basement for too long.

Hope this was helpful!

just wanted to comment on aeration, just pour the wort from your primary to your kettle back and forth a few times, there was some study that this was very good aeration

its been a while since I have brewed with extract but here is my assessment. you would be fine exactly how you have it these are just things that have helped my 2xIPA.

1) I know it's a little more expensive, but I would replace the corn sugar with XLDME (extra light dry malt extract ) or DME. It will give you a fuller body and more alcohol both appropriate for a 2xIPA. Plus too much sugar can add harsh alcohol tones, and combined with uncontrolled ferment temps you could end up with a unpleasant spiciness.

2) Areation is important but only once the wort is cooled!! and if it can be done as sterile as possible. But if you cant I wouldnt be too worried, it wont be your primary concern for off flavors at this point.

3) One of the most important in HG brews is a large yeast starter, if you have the equipment consider making one, If you dont have the equipment consider getting some equipment. Some ideas for things you can use are in this thread..

4)DEFINITELY use a blow off if you have over 5 gallons in the fermentor.. All of my 2xIPA batches have had massive fermentation.

5)

oberon567 1.) You are going to want to dry hop. IIPAs are known not only for high ABV and high bitterness but also an abundance of hop aroma and flavor. Dry Hopping will get you this. I would say at least 2 oz. for a week in the secondary. Use any nice aromatic ho you like.

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+1 totally agree, determine the style you are going for and dry hop with the appropriate style hop.

6) if you can miniMash consider using Some PillsDextrine or something to give you great head retention and some extra mouth feel / body. Dont use too much or else you will get a cloying sweetness.. try about .25 - .50 of an pound at most.

other than that it looks great!!