First time designing recipe (IPA)

This is my first time designing a recipe... I've been trying to read as much as possible, so any advice would be greatly appreciated!!


Batch size 10 gallons, boil size 13.4 (keggle)

22lbs Pale Malt (US 2 row)
12 oz Crystal 40l
4 oz Crystal 20l
8 oz Biscuit Malt

Mash 60 mins (with 8g of gypsum) at 152 degrees, mash out and fly sparge

1.5oz Warrior 60 min
1oz Simcoe 30 min
.5oz Ahtanum 15 min
.5oz Cascade 10 min
.5oz Chinook 5 min
1 oz Ahtanum 0min

Irish moss at 15 min

Dry hop with 1oz each of Ahtanum, Simcoe, Chinook

Ferment 1 week primary, up to 3 weeks secondary (keg and force carbonate)

Hops are what I need the most help with... I have a pretty decent understanding of how they work in the schedule, but I need more help with flavor pairing than anything else. Thanks!!!

dkziemann said:

T
Hops are what I need the most help with... I have a pretty decent understanding of how they work in the schedule, but I need more help with flavor pairing than anything else. Thanks!!!

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Ok, but of course I have to ask some other questions! Like, why the gypsum and when are you adding it? 8 grams of gypsum is a lot.

For hopping, I'd keep the basics but change it up a tad (more hops, later):

1.5oz warrior 60 min
2oz Simcoe 15 min
2oz Ahtanum 10 min
2oz Cascade 5 min
1oz Chinook 1 min
2 oz Ahtanum 0min

Dryhop as per recipe

Yooper said:

Ok, but of course I have to ask some other questions! Like, why the gypsum and when are you adding it? 8 grams of gypsum is a lot.

For hopping, I'd keep the basics but change it up a tad (more hops, later):

1.5oz warrior 60 min
2oz Simcoe 15 min
2oz Ahtanum 10 min
2oz Cascade 5 min
1oz Chinook 1 min
2 oz Ahtanum 0min

Dryhop as per recipe

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Thanks for the quick response! I was shooting for about 2 tsp of gypsum in the mash. The water in Rochester/Buffalo is pretty good, but I heard from another home brewer that he adds about 8g of gypsum to harden the water.

Thanks for the other changes too. I like a very citrusy/floral IPA, and I figured these hops would help me get that flavor I'm looking for. Any other changes are appreciated, thanks again!

Actually, 2 more questions. Since I'm fermenting in two 5-gallon carboys, do I do 3oz of hops in each carboy for dry hopping?

I also want to use oak chips in one of them... Do I do that separately from dry hopping? Oak it for one day and then transfer to another carboy where I dry hop it? Any order I should go on?

Lastly, If I want to age this In the carboy do I do it after dry hopping? Thanks!

The amount of dry hops are up to you since this is your recipe. You could do three in each because it is a nice IPA or go cheap and do less. You want to dry hop right before you are ready to bottle or keg. For anywhere from 3-7 days total. And most IPAs can be drank sooner rather than later to make sure you get the hops in their peak so you don't need a ton of aging.

I don't really know much about oaking beers so I'll leave that one to someone else but honestly I think I would skip it for an IPA. That said, I don't see why you couldn't add them at the same time.

I would go 1oz oak in each carboy for 10 days total, adding the hops at day 3 of that so you would have total contact time of 10 for oak and 7 for hops. For The amount of the hops I would suggest 3-4 ounces in each carboy. This will give you a noticeable oak character. I just got done with the Russian River Blind Pig recipe kit from MoreBeer and this is the process I followed. There was only 1oz of dry hop and that was not even close to enough hop character, it just tasted like an Oaked beer, very little hop presence. Good luck and be sure to let us know how it goes!

Awesome thanks for the feedback everybody!

Last question, anything I can do to darken the color a little bit? Beersmith is telling me it'll be pretty light, that's why I added a little crystal 40.

dkziemann said:

Last question, anything I can do to darken the color a little bit? Beersmith is telling me it'll be pretty light, that's why I added a little crystal 40.

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What's the projected color? IPAs are often pretty light in color, from 6 SRM up to 15 SRM. Some of my favorite IPAs are 6 SRM.

Yooper said:

What's the projected color? IPAs are often pretty light in color, from 6 SRM up to 15 SRM. Some of my favorite IPAs are 6 SRM.

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I second that, light IPAs are better IMO

definitely start with the oak. it will take longer to impart its flavor than the hops will, and it will be more stable once it does. i'd probably not add the hops till the oak hits the level you want and then i'd remove it before adding the hops.

i've only oaked porters and stouts, so i can't really comment on the quantity of oak for an IPA.

I just had to change my hop profile because most of the hops I wanted were out of stock! I'm brewing Monday, could someone tell me if what I have looks okay or any other good suggestions? Thanks!

22lb 2 row
12oz Crystal 40l
4oz Crystal 20l
8oz Caramunich

1.5oz warrior 60 min (might do 1.75)
2oz Centennial 10 min
2oz Cascade 5 min
1oz Chinook 1 min
2oz Columbus 0 min

My store was out of Simcoe, Citra, and Athanum, so I had to swap out Centennial for Ahtanum and get rid of the 15min simcoe addition.

This was the original hop schedule
1.5oz warrior 60 min
2oz Simcoe 15 min
2oz Ahtanum 10 min
2oz Cascade 5 min
1oz Chinook 1 min
2 oz Ahtanum 0min

Do my substitutions look okay? What do you recommend dry hopping with? I want to do 3oz per 5 gallon carboy. Thanks!

Columbus hops are harsh, and "dank". I'd probably not use them at flame out, and exchange them with the centennial or cascade.

Yooper said:

Columbus hops are harsh, and "dank". I'd probably not use them at flame out, and exchange them with the centennial or cascade.

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Great, thanks! New hop schedule looks like this

1.5oz warrior 60 min
2oz Columbus 10 min
2oz Cascade 5 min
1oz Chinook 1 min
2oz Centennial 0 min

With the switch and warrior at 1.5, total IBU count is 60

Any idea on what to dry hop with? I can still order hops online, so I was thinking maybe 1 oz ahtanum plus 2oz of something else per carboy. Thanks!

+1

Bump, any advice on what to dry hop with? Thanks!

amarillo for dry hop? I love it! I do about 3 oz per 5 gallons but you may not need that much with the 2 oz boil additions late. amarillo/centennial/cascade/colombus dry hop....0.5 oz ea sounds pretty good!

dkziemann said:

Any idea on what to dry hop with? I can still order hops online, so I was thinking maybe 1 oz ahtanum plus 2oz of something else per carboy. Thanks!

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Ahtanum and Citra is a great combo

Awesome, thanks! Should my DHs match my hop profile? I really want to try Ahtanum (or Amarillo), so maybe 1oz Ahtanum (or Amarillo), 1oz Centennial 1 oz Cascade?

They don't need to match but all those hops that you have named work really well together:
Cascade
Centennial
Amarillo
Citra
Ahtanum

Are all good fruity ipa hops

Gotcha, thanks! My LHBS has Citra in stock, so I think i'll go with 1oz Citra 1oz Centennial for the dryhop. I know I used 2oz Centennial late in the boil, but I think Citra & Centennial would be a good combination.