West Coast IPA

This recipe is going to be my first all grain IPA, and I'm shooting for a brew with plenty of malt and lots of hop character. I've been debating whether to mash at 154 or 152, but I think for my first run I'll do 152. If it doesn't result in very much body, I'll change this to 154 next time. Please feel free to commend and advise on this recipe!


Ingredients
12.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 80.00 %
2.00 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 13.33 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 6.67 %

1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (60 min) Hops 28.8 IBU
1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (30 min) Hops 22.1 IBU
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (5 min) Hops 3.2 IBU
1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (5 min) Hops 5.7 IBU
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (0 min) Hops - Dry Hop
Edit - added misc hops0.50 oz Willamette Hops - Dry Hop

1 pkgs Nottingham Dry Yeast - no starter

Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.069 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.016 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.89 %
Bitterness: 59.8 IBU
Calories: 312 cal/pint
Est Color: 11.1 SRM

EDIT - Actual Measurements
Actual OG: 1.065 SG
Actual FG: 1.008 SG
Actual ABV: 7.44%

Single Infusion Batch Sparge
1. Mash in with 4.36 gallons @ 152F - 1.25 qts/gallon (Hold for 60 minutes)
2. Vorlauf and drain
3. Batch sparge with 4.36 gallons @ 168F (Hold for 10 minutes)
4. Stir, Vorlauf, and drain

Fermentation
14 days @ 62F should be sufficient to clear this beer, but I may transfer to secondary if I don't notice much clearing. The dry hop will be done in the primary either way, and will be whole leaf Cascades.

EDIT
Actually, I ended up transferring to the secondary to dry hop this. I had a HUGE amount of trub at the bottom and just wanted to get the beer away so I wouldn't disturb it while bottling. It was a good call; my beer is already starting to clear nicely (at 4 days in the bottle).

Just bottled this on Saturday, and boy is it tasty already! I cracked one open last night, and it's got a wonderful hop nose and aroma. It finished a little low; 1.008 so while it's high ABV I'll have to wait until it ages a few more weeks to see if it suffers from not enough body. If it remains too dry, next time I brew I'll up the mash temp by a 2F, to 154F and see how that effects the FG.

One, note...for the dry hop I actually used 1oz of Cascade and 1/2oz of Willamette I had extra in the freezer. I like the combination, light citrus taste with a bit of musty/leafy flavor from the Willamette hops. This will definitely be a staple brew at my house from here on out. Yummy!

Just an update on this...it's fantastic! I've got a 12 pack left, and plan on saving at least half of that for another month or so and tasting then. The dry hop was VERY nice, and is the highlight of the beer for me. It's actually very refreshing for an IPA, with a malty backbone and a nice dry finish thanks to the Notty yeast. Definitely a brew-over, and a hit with my IPA-loving friends. Actually, my wife who does NOT like bitter beer said this one was "pretty good"....although she likes Edwort's Kolsch better!

TwoHeadsBrewing said:

......It finished a little low; 1.008 so while it's high ABV I'll have to wait until it ages a few more weeks to see if it suffers from not enough body. If it remains too dry, next time I brew I'll up the mash temp by a 2F, to 154F and see how that effects the FG...

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This sounds like a solid recipe.

To get a bit more malt profile, shorten your mash rest time down to 40 minutes at around 156. I'll bet that does it.

Making this today, but changed the grains a bit:
11.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 73.33 %
2.00 lb Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 13.33 %
1.50 lb Caramunich Malt (48.0 SRM) Grain 10.00 %
0.50 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM)

I'm also using Cali ale Yeast

11.1 IBUs? I think this may be a typo.

Mine turned out on the sweeter side. Maybe use caramel 20/40l next time?

elpenoso said:

Mine turned out on the sweeter side. Maybe use caramel 20/40l next time?

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Without sacrificing color, you could try mashing a little lower temp, or mashing for 90 minutes. Both that and using a large starter should result in a lower finishing gravity.

I didnt even notice your from Chico too. Awesome, probably seen you at the HBS and never knew it.
Solid recipe. Im going to do this again soon but with at least 2oz for dry hops. The 1.5oz wasnt quite enough for me given the heftiness of this beer. The HBS has the "wet' citra and simcoe coming in thurs might use some off that.

elpenoso said:

I didnt even notice your from Chico too. Awesome, probably seen you at the HBS and never knew it.
Solid recipe. Im going to do this again soon but with at least 2oz for dry hops. The 1.5oz wasnt quite enough for me given the heftiness of this beer. The HBS has the "wet' citra and simcoe coming in thurs might use some off that.

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Wow, Citra and Simcoe eh? I may have to cruise down there this week and check it out. Thanks for the tip!

Brewing this one next. Got got Wyeast British ale II to go with it.

Did a batch sparge on this one and it came out at 1.071 and now after 2 weeks in the primary it reads 1.012. Sample tastes good and I think I'm going to keg it!

Brewed this today, split 10 gal batch, 1/2 on a notty cake, 1/2 on a S-04 cake. Smells great.

This one is on my short list for my 2nd brew, hopefully next weekend or the weekend after. I've got almost 2oz of Magnum and 1.5oz of Perle left over from my SNPA clone yesterday, I'll see if I can sub those in somewhere. It would be fun to push one or both of them to a late addition to see how they play.