Justibone
Well-Known Member
Exactly what I was going for. My first, off the cuff recipe in the beer so it doesn't really matter too much. If I end up with anything the SWMBO likes at all, then it's a win for me. If I actually like it, then that's a bonus.
So, no booster then, some pilsner LME, crystal 20 or wheat malt, and Amarillo hops? I think an oz of hops oughtta do it, right? Is 2 pounds about right on the LME? How bout the grains?
Amarillo hops are really good for aroma in an IPA. If you want to make something SWMBO will like, go for the orange peel and wheat malt. If you want to make something like a hybrid IPA, go for the pilsner malt and amarillo aroma hops.
Rule of thumb: 1 lb. fermentables per gallon ~ 5% ABV. So, 2 lbs. + MrB is going to be a bit strong, but still alright. Add some extra hops to offset the sweetness of the malt, unless you buy more pre-hopped extract like MrB uses.
2nd Rule of thumb: grain often gives 60-70% the sugars of the equivalent weight of malt extract. Some people optimize their systems to get more, but 60% is a good guesstimate, so 1.7 lbs roughly equals 1 lb.
3rd Rule of thumb: steeped grains should not exceed 6 oz. per gallon, but as little as 2 oz. per gallon is pretty good. This isn't a hard-and-fast rule, but just a little something I tend to follow when making up recipes.
4th Rule of thumb: don't stick your thumb in the beer. No, really. They used to do that to check the temperature of the mash. They really, really did.