Over 25 ounces of hops in a IIPA?!?!?!

Yeah, that's right. I'm re-brewing a double IPA that I did last summer, but I'm changing up a few things based on my tasting notes (namely, trying out warrior hops for the first time, and shifting some of the beer's bitterness away from the beginning of the boil toward the end of the boil). Here we go:

10.5 gallons final volume
OG: 1.075

90% 2 row
5% crystal 40
5% carapils
0.75 lb cane sugar, added at flameout

hops:

5 oz warrior pellets (17.2%) 90 min
1 oz warrior 60 min
1 oz warrior 20 min
1 oz centennial pellets (9.2%) 20 min
1 oz CTZ pellets (13%) 20 min
5 oz centennial at 0
2 oz warrior at 0
2 oz CTZ at 0

dry hops:

2 oz of each for 14 days
0.5 oz each for 5 days

yeast:

three rehydrated packs of US05


Total cost of this batch was pretty reasonable, around 50 bucks for 10 gallons... I snagged some good prices on hops by the pound last month for this very purpose. Any thoughts on this one friends, bearing in mind I've never used warrior before?

ps Just to rub it in: This beer is brewed by request for SWMBO.

That's a massive amount of bittering hops. What's the IBU come in at?

Thats insane ... fully support it tho. Not sure I understand the 20 minute additions..why not just up the 90 min?

Rager formula "calculates" it at 321 IBUs.

jtakacs said:

Thats insane ... fully support it tho. Not sure I understand the 20 minute additions..why not just up the 90 min?

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The big 20 minute addition is all about extracting big green hop flavor.

Looks good! I am brewing a 5 gal. Batch right now that will end with 12 oz... Let us know how it finishes!

I never thought I'd say this...but that's a waste of hops.

i would move the 60minute addition to 90, or down to 5minute

heywatchthis said:

I never thought I'd say this...but that's a waste of hops.

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To each his own my friend, but you shouldn't knock it 'til you've tried it! Seriously, this brew turned out to be one of the best beers I've ever made last year. This year's recipe has been tweaked to hopefully improve it.

Is it over the top? Yes. Excessive? You betcha. But is it a waste?
I think not. I'd call it a worthy investment in an extreme beer -- what I intend to produce and drink.

molsonG said:

i would move the 60minute addition to 90, or down to 5minute

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I like both ideas. I've never used Warrior before, seems like most brewers are using them for their high alphas as a bittering charge. I figured I might give more "dimension" to the bitterness with both 60 and 90 minute additions, but maybe I will toss it in at 5 or so...

Why would you advise against a 60 and 90 minute addition? I did it with the IIPA I did last year (with Simcoe in place of the Warrior hops) and the bitterness was fantastic, complex.

Waddya think?

bigbeergeek said:

The big 20 minute addition is all about extracting big green hop flavor.

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I find that 20 minutes is a bit early for a big flavor. I'd wait until 10-15. Even then at 15 a lot of the flavor is transitioning to bitter rather than the sort of raw earthy or citrusy flavors of the hops themselves.

I second what Lakewood said. I actually did an unintentional side by side of my APA's last 2 batches (stupid me only made 5 gallons the first time). One of them got a 15 min and a 10 min addition, and the second one got them both combined at 10 mins because I forgot to throw in the 15 min. The one with only the 10 min addition has more hop flavor. They both had the same 5 min, 0 min, and dry hopping schedule. For me at least, 10 mins seems to be the perfect time to get the most flavor.

trigger said:

I second what Lakewood said. I actually did an unintentional side by side of my APA's last 2 batches (stupid me only made 5 gallons the first time). One of them got a 15 min and a 10 min addition, and the second one got them both combined at 10 mins because I forgot to throw in the 15 min. The one with only the 10 min addition has more hop flavor. They both had the same 5 min, 0 min, and dry hopping schedule. For me at least, 10 mins seems to be the perfect time to get the most flavor.

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done sir. all my 20's will be 10's. thanks!