Imperial IIPA recipe, suggestions?

Here is a recipe I have been working on in Brew Target and am just wondering if anyone has any advice, comments, etc. This is my first attempt at a extract IIPA so I am a little leary. I like a very hop forward, aromatically fruity, and sweet beer so that is what i was going for. Thanks for any and all input. I fashioned this recipe by combining a number of different beer recipes that I have tried and am hoping to come up with a perfect storm of flavor/aroma!

Imperial IPA (14C)
Brewer Nobody
Date 06/01/2012
Batch Size 5.000 gal Boil Size 5.500 gal
Boil Time 60.000 min Efficiency 70%
OG 1.080 FG 1.020
ABV 7.8% Bitterness 74.4 IBU (Tinseth)
Color 11.6 srm (Morey) Calories (per 12 oz.) 267
Fermentables

Total grain: 10.500 lb
Name Type Amount Mashed Late Yield Color
Liquid Extract (LME) - Wheat Extract 2.000 lb No No 78% 8.0 srm
Corn Sugar (Dextrose) Sugar 16.000 oz No No 100% 0.0 srm
Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L Grain 1.500 lb No No 74% 40.0 srm
Muntons DME - Light Dry Extract 6.000 lb No No 95% 4.0 srm
Hops

Name Alpha Amount Use Time Form IBU
Simcoe 13% 2.000 oz Dry Hop 7.000 day Pellet 0.0
Warrior 15.5% 0.500 oz Boil 60.000 min Pellet 20.5
Amarillo 9.5% 0.500 oz Boil 30.000 min Pellet 9.7
Amarillo 9.5% 0.250 oz Boil 60.000 min Pellet 6.3
Cascade 6% 1.000 oz Boil 30.000 min Pellet 12.2
Cascade 6% 1.000 oz Boil 10.000 min Pellet 5.8
Citra 12% 0.500 oz Boil 60.000 min Pellet 15.9
Cascade 6% 0.250 oz Boil 60.000 min Pellet 4.0
Amarillo 9.5% 2.000 oz Dry Hop 7.000 day Pellet 0.0
Citra 12% 0.500 oz Boil 0.000 s Pellet 0.0
Warrior 15.5% 0.500 oz Boil 0.000 s Pellet 0.0
Misc

Name Type Use Amount Time
Irish Moss Fining Boil 1.000 tsp 15.000 min
Yeast

Name Type Form Amount Stage
WLP001 - California Ale Yeast Ale Liquid 2.367 tbsp Primary

You want an IIPA to be sweet? You're likely going to have that with most Extract IIPA's since they do not attenuate as much as their all-grain comparisions. For that reason, I believe the 1.5 lbs. of crystal will make it cloyingly sweet. I suggest reducing the crystal to 1/2 lb. or 3/4 lb.

Revamped hop schedule:

Warrior 0.50 oz Boil 60 min
Warrior 0.50 oz Boil 30 min
Cascade 1.00 oz Boil 15 min
Cascade 1.00 oz Boil 10 min
Simcoe 1.00 oz Boil 5 min
Simcoe 1.00 oz Whirlpool
Amarillo 1.00 oz Whirlpool
Citra 2.00 oz Dry Hop
Amarillo 1.00 oz Dry Hop

Irish moss is not needed for extract beers. And if you're using 1 pk WLP001, I hope you intend on making a starter.

Thanks for your input, I will be using a starter for sure!

IMO, this is the beer where you go all out on the hops. I would double at least some of the late additions.

Also, you say you want a sweet beer, but like bob says, your recipe probably goes too far there. The Dextrose will help (btw you might as well use table sugar. It's cheaper.) and you could push it even higher. Also cut the Crystal 40L to .75 lb at the very most.

People have different ideas of what an IIPA is, but in my book if it starts to resemble a barley wine then you might as well brew one of those.

Thanks for your input, I will be using a starter for sure! I input this into BrewTarget and it shows the bitterness at only 53, and not inline with the style. What is the best way to bump up the bitterness some. Just out of curiousity, what lead you to change the hop schedule, what kind of logic? Based on my comment about wanting a sweet beer? Or did I just overkill the hop additions? Thanks again for your input, I really do appreciate it!

PVH, thanks for your input. I am a relatively new brewer and am still trying to find my way around the block. Am I correct in understanding that the earlier in the boil the hops are added, the more bitterness you will pull from them and that later in the boil you are pulling less of the bitterness and more flavor/aroma? I know that dry hopping is only adding aroma, but am more curious about the 5 and 10 minute additions.

I agree with toning down the crystal.

I would wouldn't use the partial simcoe and Amarillo in the 60 min. I would use more warrior to get you to your desired bitterness and save the simcoe and Amarillo for flavor/aroma additions.

FWIW- I try to make my hop additions equal to round ounces as that is how I buy them. If you have leftovers I understand your additions otherwise you have 2.25 oz of a couple hops.

legasus233 said:

PVH, thanks for your input. I am a relatively new brewer and am still trying to find my way around the block. Am I correct in understanding that the earlier in the boil the hops are added, the more bitterness you will pull from them and that later in the boil you are pulling less of the bitterness and more flavor/aroma? I know that dry hopping is only adding aroma, but am more curious about the 5 and 10 minute additions.

Click to expand...

Yes, the longer you boil the hops the more bitterness you will achieve. Your brewing software is doing the calculation for you.

Consider this approach to designing the hop bill for an IIPA recipe. Hop flavor and aroma are critical in an IIPA, so nail down your late additions first. The short boil time leaves intact the oils that give you flavor and aroma. Once you have a ton of late addition hops, adjust your 60 minute addition (beginning of the boil) to give you the IBU you desire. Many brewers would not blink an eye using 10 oz of hops between late additions and dry hopping in an IIPA.

Many if not most IIPAs will be 100+ IBU - pushing the limits of perceived bitterness. This is actually kind of liberating, because you do not have to worry if you are overdoing it. Keep in mind that the brewing software underestimates the IBU from late additions, probably because it does not accurately reflect actual time from end of boil to chilling under isomerization temps. But in a 100+ IBU beer, you don't care about those extra, unknown IBU.

Also, while dry hopping probably "only adds aroma," that aroma can change the perceived bitterness of the beer, particularly when using varieties of hops associated with bitter beers. If you dry hop the hell out of a 35 IBU Pale Ale with Centennial, it will probably taste more bitter than the not-dry-hopped version.

Good luck on your IIPA.

PVH, thank you for the thoughtful and informational response, it is much appreciated! I think I have a really good grasp now on how these components fit together! I will post back once I get around to brewing this to let you know how it goes!