Help with an IPA recipe

I'd appreciate some input on a recipe for an IPA. Does this seem like a decent recipe or will it be a flop?

I pulled together pieces from a few recipes (sources include BCS and Northern Brewer kits) and I came up with the following:

5 gallon batch, with specialty grains

6.6 lbs. Briess Amber LME (late addition)
3.3 lbs. Briess Golden LME

0.75 lbs. Briess Crystal 40
0.25 lbs. Briess Crystal 120

Wyeast 1056 American Ale (yeast)

1 oz. Magnum (bittering: 60 min boil)
1 oz. Cascade (aroma: 15 min boil)
1 oz. Centennial (aroma: 15 min boil)
1 oz. Cascade (dry hopping)
1 oz. Columbus (dry hopping)


I've never brewed an IPA before so I'd really love some feedback!

Actually, looks like I'll be using White Labs WLP008 East Coast Ale since my LHBS apparently does not carry Wyeast...

Three3Beer said:

I'd appreciate some input on a recipe for an IPA. Does this seem like a decent recipe or will it be a flop?

I pulled together pieces from a few recipes (sources include BCS and Northern Brewer kits) and I came up with the following:

5 gallon batch, with specialty grains

6.6 lbs. Briess Amber LME (late addition)
3.3 lbs. Briess Golden LME

0.75 lbs. Briess Crystal 40
0.25 lbs. Briess Crystal 120

Wyeast 1056 American Ale (yeast)

1 oz. Magnum (bittering: 60 min boil)
1 oz. Cascade (aroma: 15 min boil)
1 oz. Centennial (aroma: 15 min boil)
1 oz. Cascade (dry hopping)
1 oz. Columbus (dry hopping)

I've never brewed an IPA before so I'd really love some feedback!

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The recipe looks pretty good. Here's what i would do, so take it with a grain of salt (my taste may not be the same as yours). I'd use 3/4 oz of magnum for 60 minutes. For your cascade and centennial, I would mix 2 oz and split into 4 half oz additions at 15 minutes, 10, 5, and at flameout. You'll get alot of flavor and aroma with smaller additions toward the end of the boil. Both varieties are really citrusy, so you'll get alot of grapefruit flavor out of it. Your dry hopping should be after fermentation is complete, and should be done for 5-7 days (you can do it right in the primary). I'd also back off the crystal 40 to 8 oz, or use 3/4 lb crystal 40, and cut out the 120.
At the worst, you'll still make beer. Try your recipe, and keep us posted. It might turn out to be your favorite.

jerryteague said:

For your cascade and centennial, I would mix 2 oz and split into 4 half oz additions at 15 minutes, 10, 5, and at flameout. You'll get alot of flavor and aroma with smaller additions toward the end of the boil. Both varieties are really citrusy, so you'll get alot of grapefruit flavor out of it.

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That sounds like a GREAT idea, definitely will be doing that!

My understanding is that White Labs WLP 001 California Ale is the same thing as Wyeast American Ale.

I'd skip the amber extract, and go with all pale in it's place. Otherwise, with the crystal malt you have already in there I think you'd have too much sweetness.

I like IPA hopping schedules more like this:

1 oz bittering hops (60 minutes) or to about 40-45 IBUs with this addition
1 oz hops 15 minutes
1 oz hops 10 minutes
1 oz hops 5 minutes
1 oz hops 0 minutes

Dryhop 1 or 2 ounces.

I would swap out the Amber LME for Gold LME unless you are shooting for a red IPA. I would also leave the dryhops as is, buy another oz of hops and switch your 15m and later hops to
1oz 15m
1oz 5m
1oz flameout
or go with Yooper's hop schedule.

Also, dry yeast in this particular case. US-05, WLP001 and Wyeast 1056 are, I believe, the same basic strain.

You may also want to add 8oz corn sugar depending on how far down you want it to ferment. If you want it a little thicker leave it as is. It will still be pretty good.

I'm currently brewing my recipe!

Made a few changes based on suggestions and availability at my LHBS.

I used 2 Gold LME and only 1 Amber (I think a little reddish color will look nice).

I used Crystal 40 and 80 instead of 40 and 120.

I am going to use 2 oz. each of Centennial and Cascade for aroma hopping at 15, 10, and 5 mins. (each addition is 1 1/3 oz. of hops).

P.S. I love the smell of hops right when you cut the bag open!

I save those bags for a while I love the smell sooooo much!

Three3Beer said:

I'm currently brewing my recipe!

Made a few changes based on suggestions and availability at my LHBS.

I used 2 Gold LME and only 1 Amber (I think a little reddish color will look nice).

I used Crystal 40 and 80 instead of 40 and 120.

I am going to use 2 oz. each of Centennial and Cascade for aroma hopping at 15, 10, and 5 mins. (each addition is 1 1/3 oz. of hops).

P.S. I love the smell of hops right when you cut the bag open!

Click to expand...

The crystal grains will add a redish color. You could have stayed with your original grains to get a redish color. Amber LME is basically Gold LME with some crystal malts already in it.

The color is a little darker than I was going for, so next time I think I'll use all Gold LME

I would use the WLP001 California Ale before I'd use the East Coast one.

I wouldn't say the 1056 and WLP001 are the same strain...I've used both to make the same IPA and think the WLP001 makes a much cleaner ale IMO.

I did end up using the WLP001 since my LHBS did not have East Coast

Update: yesterday I transfered to secondary fermenter. I used a 3/4 inch diameter steel ball as a weight, but it wasn't enough weight to hold down the 2 oz. of hops.
Next time I'll throw a few glass marbles in the bag. I figured I'd use a telescoping magnet thingy I have to get the hop bag out after I bottle (the magnet is an automotive tool, but I'm not sure of the proper name)

Awesome. You got it right, it's a telescoping magnet. What hopping schedule did you do with? I'm a big fan of the schedule Yooper listed; ~50 IBU from a 60 min add and then an oz or so at 15, 10, 5 and knockout. Also, cascade and centennial are a great combo for IPA! Enjoy!!

The hopping schedule I went with was 60, 15, 10, 5. I was surprised how much gunk my strainer caught after cooling, but I guess with all the hops it shouldn't be a surprise

I just brewed my first original IPA recipe, pinning this to see how yours goes. Also, cheers from a fellow MD home brewer!

Cool! Hope your's turn out well. What ingredients did you use?

Pinging as well. I just popped my first bottle of my first original recipe IPA. It too was a bit darker then I expected. But I dry hopped on 2 oz of simcoe and got a nice pinny flavor in the beer. Tastes great!

That does look pretty dark, almost like a stout. Nice head on it

I bottled a week ago. Tonight I decided to open a bottle. I was surprised by the amount of carbonation, which might not be so apparent in the photo.

I was afraid the beer might have a grassy taste, because I dry hopped for like 3 weeks. Fortunately I didn't taste any grassy flavor.

I'm really happy how my beer turned out, especially since it was only my second batch and I put together the recipe myself.

Thanks to everyone for their input and advice!

Tell us how the hops turned out. What you hoped for?

Overall I am happy with the flavors the hops provided. However I feel like the bittering hops are a little too pronounced in the flavor. I tend to like IPAs without too much of a bitter taste, for example Sierra Nevada's Torpedo IPA.

The flavor could also be coming from the hops with the grapefruit aromas, since grapefruit can be a bit bitter. Or maybe I'm wrong about that...