Crystal Malts and IPAs

I have heard several of you mention that you don't use crystal malts at all in IPAs. I like a dry beer in general, and just brewed an IPA with only 3% C-40, and it came out cloyingly sweet. Mashed at 152.

Being that it was technically a test batch on my new mash tun, I was anticipating 67% efficiency and hit 73, so I hadn't hopped it enough (only around 60 IBUs- the OG was 1.073 and FG 1.012. I'm assuming this played a role.

Question: Will the higher ABV in a 1.073 IPA be enough on its own to not need crystal malts?

If you mash at a slightly lower temp you should be able to go down a little lower than 1.012 thus creating a dryer beer.

I could be wrong, but if the flavor a crystal malt will provide isn't what you are after, then don't use it.

You dont "have" to use crystal malts, they are just a popular addition. I make a singlemalt IPA (Just maris otter) and it is great.

mattldm said:

You dont "have" to use crystal malts, they are just a popular addition. I make a singlemalt IPA (Just maris otter) and it is great.

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I have two IPAs I make frequently that have crystal in them, but my most common IPA recipe has no crystal in it at all. If you don't like the hint of sweetness it brings, then try not using it. You could use a different specialty grain, like victory malt, to bring some interest to the malt bill without sweetness. Underhopping could also be a very large part of why the beer is sweet.

An under bittered IPA will taste sweet even with no crystal malts in it. The key is balance. An OG of 1.073 will need IBUs in the high 60s-70 to taste like an IPA.

mattldm said:

You dont "have" to use crystal malts, they are just a popular addition. I make a singlemalt IPA (Just maris otter) and it is great.

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Changing my grain bill would probably help a lot. THe reason I used crystal malts in this IPA was because I had brewed a smash right before this (first batch on my new mash tun) of 2row/columbus and despite loving columbus hops, the 2 row did nothing for flavor or to back the hops. I'll probably do the next one with Maris Otter (which i love) or work in some vienna, munich, etc, or a combination.

Yooper said:

but my most common IPA recipe has no crystal in it at all.

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Yo Yooper, you got a link to this? Has it been posted or can you repost? I am in this hunt of an anti-crystal IPA

Thx
T

trent said:

Yo Yooper, you got a link to this? Has it been posted or can you repost? I am in this hunt of an anti-crystal IPA

Thx
T

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Sure! I just made it last week, as a matter of fact! https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f69/dogfish-head-60-minute-clone-ag-extract-25709/

If you don't have Thomas Fawcett amber malt (I get it from Brewmaster's Warehouse!), you could sub biscuit malt, victory malt, or aromatic malt (in descending order of preference).

Yooper said:

Sure! I just made it last week, as a matter of fact!.

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Good joke I didn't even bother looking at the clone recipie, thought it was one of "your own."



T

trent said:

Good joke I didn't even bother looking at the clone recipie, thought it was one of "your own."



T

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I make others, too, but that is one of my favorites. The no-crystal base, with the amarillo/simcoe hopping combo makes it one of my all-time favorites.

Yooper said:

I make others, too, but that is one of my favorites. The no-crystal base, with the amarillo/simcoe hopping combo makes it one of my all-time favorites.

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I agree with the A&S combo. Thats why I am looking for a no crystal beer to really bring out those hops. Thx

Yooper, have you gotten it from BMW recently? I see they have Thomas Oat, but can't find the amber.

I avoid crystal whenever I can. I don't like that raisin flavor and it's that one common thread in every beer I've brewed and said "meh" to. It's not in the porter I just brewed, it wasn't in the brown porter I brewed a while back, it's not in the black IPA I made, and it's coming out of my IPA next time around. There are alternatives. If you want sweet, mash hot or use a lower attenuating yeast. If you want fullness/malty use some munich and marris otter as your base.