What can I expect from this American IPA hop schedule?

I decided to replace this recipe's hops with some Amarillo, Cascade and Cluster hops I have laying around. I put this recipe together with the help of beercalculus. I would love to get some advice on the hop schedule and also what flavor profiles you think, this American IPA will produce. I'd like to produce a citrusy IPA that has medium bitterness.

I appreciate you taking the time to help out a new brewer!



8lb Pale Liquid Extract
1lb Crystal 60L
Batch size: 5.0 gallons

Original Gravity
1.063

Final Gravity
1.015

Color
8° SRM
(Gold to Copper)

Mash Efficiency
75%

hops
time oz variety form aa
60 mins 1.0 Amarillo pellet 7.0
45 mins 1.0 Cluster pellet 7.0
30 mins 1.0 Cascade plug 5.5
15 mins 1.0 Cluster pellet 7.0
5 mins 1.0 Cascade pellet 5.5

Boil: 3.0 avg gallons for 60 minutes


Bitterness
51.2 IBU

yeast
White Labs California Ale (WLP001)

Alcohol
6.4% A.B.V.

Calories
208 per 12 oz.

Just my opinion, but I would use the Cluster as the bittering (60 min) addition and move the Amarillo as one of the final additions. Amarillo is almost too good to use early in the boil. Maybe even mix the cascade and cluster together and use those two as the last additions.
[edit - I mean't mixing cascade and amarillo]
I find cluster to be a bit cat-p*ssy.

I'd use the cluster for bittering (it isn't all that great tasting, but makes a fine bittering hop) and move the amarillo and cascade to all late additions.

I'd do the bittering at 60, and then add the amarillo and cascade with only 15 minutes or less in the boil.

I don't know the IBUs, but this is a ballpark of what I'd do:

Cluster 60 (to get about 45-50 IBUs)


.5 ounce Cascade 10 minutes
.5 ounce amarillo 5 minutes
.5 ounce cascade 5 minutes
.5 ounce Amarillo flame out
.5 ounce cascade flame out

That make's sense.. by going with the cluster hop at 60, will it reduce the cat pissy taste? basic boil it off, and just leave a nice bittering? it appears that the high AA hops should be used at the beginning of the boil.

@yooper - i like your suggestion down the stretch.

2 oz. Cluster 60 minutes
.5 ounce Cascade 10 minutes
.5 ounce Amarillo 5 minutes
.5 ounce cascade 5 minutes
.5 ounce Amarillo flame out
.5 ounce cascade flame out

What size boil are you doing, and when are you adding the extract? I will run the recipe through Beersmith, and double check the numbers. Cluster is usually a pretty high AAU hop, and 2 ounces just seems like a lot to me. If you're doing a partial boil, though, or have lower AAU clusters, that might come out right.

YooperBrew said:

What size boil are you doing, and when are you adding the extract? I will run the recipe through Beersmith, and double check the numbers. Cluster is usually a pretty high AAU hop, and 2 ounces just seems like a lot to me. If you're doing a partial boil, though, or have lower AAU clusters, that might come out right.

Click to expand...

I usually start with 3 Gallons and finish at about 2.5, top off with water.

Extract will be added at the beginning of the boil.

The Clusters are 7.5% AAU

Beersmith shows an OG of 1.058, but only 40 IBUs for hops with your recipe in a 3 gallon boil.

I'd try this- I'd add 1/2 the extract at the beginning, and the other 1/2 at flame out (or with 5 minutes left right after the 5 minute hops).

That would give you 60 IBUs, so that might be a bit too much, but you'd have a lighter colored, less extract-y beer.

I definitely would go with adding 1/2 the extract at the end of the boil, and you might want to consider that if you do that, you may want to use only 1.5 ounces of cluster hops at 60 minutes. That would give you 47 IBUs, about perfect for that malt.

Yoop - Thanks for running the numbers. I like big IBU beers, but also want something that's well balanced. I'll definitely split the extract additions up, and bring the cluster hops down. Thanks!

I have been looking for and extract IPA for my 3rd batch. Let me know how this turns out.

Going to brew this on Saturday. I'll fill in the actual recipe with all the results.

This came out really tasty. It's a bitter beer that finishes sweet and already packs a lot of citrus aroma and floral scents. It's not a cheap recipe, but the big IBU flavors are well worth it.

malt and fermentables
LB OZ Malt or Fermentable ppg °L
8 0 Pale Liquid Extract 36 0
1 0 Crystal 60L 34 60
0 4 Cara-Pils/Dextrine 33 2
Batch size: 5.3 gallons

Original Gravity = 1.061
(1.054 to 1.064)

Final Gravity = 1.015
(1.013 to 1.016)

Color
7° SRM (Gold to Copper)

Mash Efficiency 75%

hops
use time oz variety form aa
Boil 60 mins 1.0 Simcoe pellet 12.2
Boil 40 mins 1.0 Columbus pellet 14.2
Boil 30 mins 1.0 Cascade pellet 7.5
Boil 15 mins 1.0 Amarillo pellet 7.0
Boil 5 mins 1.0 Cascade pellet 7.5
Boil 1 min 1.0 Centennial pellet 10.0

Dry hop 7 days 1.0 Cascade plug 5.5
Dry hop 7 days 1.0 Amarillo plug 7.0
Boil: 3.0 avg gallons for 60 minutes

79.4 IBU

yeast
White Labs California Ale (WLP001)

Alcohol
6.1%

A.B.V.
4.7%

Calories
199 per 12 oz.

YooperBrew said:

That would give you 60 IBUs, so that might be a bit too much, but you'd have a lighter colored, less extract-y beer.

Click to expand...

Yooper, would you mind elaborating on this?
Thanks
Tom