Vitamin C IPA

OK, this my first recipe that I am willing to call a success. I was going for an American style IPA with a big citrus note, and I think I found it. I still have some hop tweaking to do, but I really like this result. Next time I'll probably add a bit more Amarillo since I like it so much.

Beersmith says this has 93.7 IBUs, but it really doesn't come across that way. Before I carbonated it, it had a rather Orange Tang flavor, but after 2 weeks sitting in the keg, its really nice. I already know I like it, but opinions are still much welcomed. I don't think either the biscuit or 2-row actually did anything, but I'd like opinions on that. I took a friend's advise, but I question his knowledge sometimes... Does a long steep and a pour-over sparge through a colander constitute a minimash?

Steeping Grains - 30 mins @ 160
.25lb Biscuit malt
.25lb 2-row
.125lb SpecialB
.5lb Caramel 60
.25lb Cara-Pils

Extract
7lb Extra Light Dry Extract

Adjuncts
.5 oz Sweet Orange peel (10 min)
.25tsp Irish moss

Hops
2.0 oz Pearl (60min)
.5 oz Pearl (30min)
.5 oz Cascade (30min)
.5 oz Amarillo (30min)
5 oz Pearl (10min)
.5 oz Cascade (10min)
.5 oz Amarillo (10min)
5 oz Pearl (5min)
.5 oz Cascade (5min)
.5 oz Amarillo (5min)
5 oz Pearl (Dry hopped 3 days)
.5 oz Cascade (Dry hopped 3 days)
.5 oz Amarillo (Dry hopped 3 days)

Yeast
Rogue's Pacman

This looks more like an imperial IPA, which is a great style. The recipe looks quite good, however why did you put sweet orange peel in it? I bet this beer will benifit from longer aging.

Iordz said:

This looks more like an imperial IPA, which is a great style. The recipe looks quite good, however why did you put sweet orange peel in it? I bet this beer will benifit from longer aging.

Click to expand...

It was just a whim. I had it leftover from something else I brewed, and I wasn't confident I'd get orange out of the hops selection. And I wanted more orange than grapefruit. Grapefruit turns a lot of people off, but not orange. And I *think* it did what I wanted (I'm still a brewbie), I don't get grapefruit pucker from what I'm drinking now. And since the IBU's climbed so fast as I added hops to Beersmith, I though sweet was better than any more bitterness for balance. I don't have any experience with this other than chewing on some sweet orange peel and some bitter orange peel.

I tried to wait for the 1-2-3 rule, but I succumbed at 1-2-2, so a few more weeks will probably help it. I thought the dry hopping faded early, so I wanted to try it at several different ages. I'm afraid it won't last very long though, I really like this stuff.

The gravity readings make this to be 5.9% ABV 1.052 OG down to 1.007 FG. I didn't think that made it Imperial, but its above agerage.

The gravity definitely doesn't make it imperial, but the hops seem to, most IPAs don't go over 70IBU. Personally, I like the "grapefruit" flavor, but then again I like to eat grapefruits. I used to dry hop 5-7 days with bottled beer, give this a try next time and see if you like the results. Luckily I keg now so I put the hops in a bag and place them in the keg. As long as you like it, that's all that matters.

tell me more about the orange. is there a distinct orange flavor? how much orange peel did you use? did you use the standard dried kind that's available at every LHBS? what about the aroma? which would you say is stronger, the flavor or aroma? i use sweet orange peel in my wheats (sipping one now), but i'm planning on using it in a stout soon, so i'm looking for some info.

Half an ounce. I fixed the recipe, didn't realize I left out the quantity.
Yes its the standard dried stuff from the LHBS.

When I kegged it, before it was carbed, it did have a distinct orange flavor. Which I was worried about. But it had died down 2 weeks later. Now the orange just edges out the grapefruit as the first thing you taste, and it doesn't have too much of the pucker.

The nose is more Amarillo, but Cascade always stands out.

160F is too hot for a mini-mash and you would need more 2-row to provide enzymes anyway.

A little like my 3CPA, but I used Columbus & Chinook for bittering. Tasted like grapefruit juice the first month.

I did an IPA somewhat close to that, it;s still in the secondary waiting for my kegs to get here but Hops are somewhat similar and I love the smell. It had cascade, chinook, amarillo and simcoe.