Belgian Imperial IPA - Thoughts??

OK, so I was thinking about this big bad assed hop-freak IPA using some Belgian style hops and a Belgian yeast. Using BeerTools, this is what I came up with. I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts.

Belgian Imperial IPA

Size: 5 gal
Original Gravity: 1.102 (1.026 - 1.120)
Terminal Gravity: 1.026 (0.995 - 1.035)
Alcohol: 10.23% (2.5% - 14.5%)
Bitterness: 110.2 (0.0 - 100.0)

Ingredients:
3.0 lb Breiss 2-row Brewers malt
1.0 lb 15L Briess crystal malt
9.0 lb Northwestern Gold Light LME
2.0 oz Tomahawk (16%) - added during boil, boiled 50.0 min
1.0 oz Saaz (4.5%) - added during boil, boiled 5.0 min

WYeast 3787 High Gravity Belgian Trappist

2.0 oz Amarillo (8%) - dry hopped 5-7 days prior to bottling

It'll certainly be interesting. I'm not quite sure how it'll turn out, never brewed anything like that.

Not sure you'd get much out of the Saaz. Your IBU's are high enough that you won't catch any flavors from it, as it's usually for lagers/pilsners. I'd maybe swap it out with something that'll pique a little more interest.

Here was my Tripel IPA. Best beer I ever made (200+ batches). I drank all of it in less than 2 weeks.

Now with my LHBS annual competition coming up, I gotta decide between doing this one again or brewing up my Delirium Tremens clone...

Jif said:

It'll certainly be interesting. I'm not quite sure how it'll turn out, never brewed anything like that.

Not sure you'd get much out of the Saaz. Your IBU's are high enough that you won't catch any flavors from it, as it's usually for lagers/pilsners. I'd maybe swap it out with something that'll pique a little more interest.

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Thanks. Any suggestions?

jkarp said:

Here was my Tripel IPA. Best beer I ever made (200+ batches). I drank all of it in less than 2 weeks.

Now with my LHBS annual competition coming up, I gotta decide between doing this one again or brewing up my Delirium Tremens clone...

Click to expand...

That does sound good and pretty much what I was envisioning, except I think I'd like to push the hop envelope just a bit more. Thanks though, that's a good recipe to work with.

I would probably tone down the Tomahawk until you get around 80 IBUs. Then, up the Saaz at the end, if you want.

I get lots of spice/earthiness from Saaz, so I actually think it would go good in the late additions.

I'm guessing you are doing these hops for a Houblon Chouffe type clone?

PseudoChef said:

I would probably tone down the Tomahawk until you get around 80 IBUs. Then, up the Saaz at the end, if you want.

I get lots of spice/earthiness from Saaz, so I actually think it would go good in the late additions.

I'm guessing you are doing these hops for a Houblon Chouffe type clone?

Click to expand...

Yes, at least from what I've read and heard. I've never actually had the pleasure of the HC.