Imperial IPA - Please critique

Imperial IPA

3 gallon batch

Beer Profile Estimated Original Gravity: 1.089 SG
Estimated Final Gravity: 1.025 SG
Estimated Color: 14.7 SRM
Bitterness: 70.3 IBU
Estimated Alcohol by Volume: 8.33 %

Mash at 154F for 60 min

7.50 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US
1.00 lb Aromatic Malt
1.00 lb Munich Malt
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L

0.50 oz Columbus [12.20 %] (60 min)
0.50 oz Columbus [12.20 %] (20 min)
0.50 oz Cascade [6.30 %] (20 min)
0.50 oz Columbus [12.20 %] (10 min)
0.50 oz Cascade [6.30 %] (10 min)
0.50 oz Cascade [6.30 %] (5 min)
1.00 oz Cascade [6.30 %] (Dry Hop 14 days)
1.00 oz Columbus [12.20 %] (Dry Hop 14 days)

What Yeast do you recommend?

Atl300zx said:

Imperial IPA

3 gallon batch

Beer Profile Estimated Original Gravity: 1.089 SG
Estimated Final Gravity: 1.025 SG
Estimated Color: 14.7 SRM
Bitterness: 70.3 IBU
Estimated Alcohol by Volume: 8.33 %

Mash at 154F for 60 min

7.50 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US
1.00 lb Aromatic Malt
1.00 lb Munich Malt
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L

0.50 oz Columbus [12.20 %] (60 min)
0.50 oz Columbus [12.20 %] (20 min)
0.50 oz Cascade [6.30 %] (20 min)
0.50 oz Columbus [12.20 %] (10 min)
0.50 oz Cascade [6.30 %] (10 min)
0.50 oz Cascade [6.30 %] (5 min)
1.00 oz Cascade [6.30 %] (Dry Hop 14 days)
1.00 oz Columbus [12.20 %] (Dry Hop 14 days)

What Yeast do you recommend?

Click to expand...

Nottingham or US-05 should do fine with that. My last IIPA was 1.086 > 1.012 with rehydrated Notty. Then I pitched a 1.096 barleywine on the cake that went down to 1.010. I would bump the IBUs up to match the OG, but thats just me.

Edit: you should also make 5 gallons, feel free to send me the extra

I would drop the aromatic - you don't really want malt competing for the hops, especially for how little you have (no offence).

I would up the IBUs in both bittering and in the late additions. S-05 is another good yeast that will get you the attenuation you'll want.

Ya I agree. On an IIPA I would shoot for 90+ on the IBUs.

As far as yeast goes I like the California yeast

ok ill make some adjsutments and repost, thanks for the recommendations.

Edit:

Ok so here is what i came up with

Imperial IPA

3 gallon batch

Beer Profile Estimated Original Gravity: 1.089 SG
Estimated Final Gravity: 1.025 SG
Estimated Color: 14.7 SRM
Bitterness: 89.4 IBU
Estimated Alcohol by Volume: 8.39 %

Mash at 154F for 60 min

8.50 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US
1.00 lb Munich Malt
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L

0.75 oz Columbus [12.20 %] (60 min)
0.50 oz Columbus [12.20 %] (20 min)
0.50 oz Cascade [6.30 %] (20 min)
0.50 oz Columbus [12.20 %] (10 min)
0.50 oz Cascade [6.30 %] (10 min)
0.50 oz Cascade [6.30 %] (5 min)
0.50 oz Columbus [12.20 %] (5 min)
1.00 oz Cascade [6.30 %] (Dry Hop 14 days)
1.00 oz Columbus [12.20 %] (Dry Hop 14 days)

Any particular reason you are mashing at 154? I like my big beers to dry out, so I mash a little cooler, usually 151 or so. Otherwise, I think it looks great.

I personally think your cascade is out of balance with your Columbus. Columbus is a more dominant hop character, and will tend to overwhelm the cascade a bit. Though if this is what you are going for, I will shut my mouth, hah.

honestly, this is why i posted this here.

So should i bring my mash temp down to 151-152F? That is what i traditionally have mashed pale ales at.

In my previous IPAs ive used centennial, but i dont have any and its been difficult to get. I am going to be ordering some more hops soon.

I have a lot more cascade if you want to suggest a better hopping schedule to balance this out.

Can anyone provide me with a more appropriate hopping schedule?

I ended up holding off on brewing this based on recommendations here.

First why are you only making a 3 gallon batch? You should just go for 5.

I would go for 1 oz columbus at 60, either another ounce or a half ounce at 45 and then one ounce cascade at 20 and another at 5 or 10. I would then dry hop with a ounce of columbus for 5-7 days then take it out and add an ounce of cascade for 5-7 days.

I am a big fan of using WLP001 for my IIPA's. Be sure to make a starter first. Nottingham is another good choice but I have heard that it is hard to find right now.

Ya I like California yeast as well. I would make at least a one liter starter.

Suggestion:

If you want a true to style DIPA, you need to get your FG down in the teens somewhere. I think under-attenuated Impy's tend to cross the Barleywine line. I would definitely mash lower (150F) and consider some simple sugars to get your attenuation. I would try to get this beer down to 1.015 or so. I would use 2 packs of US-05 (my favorite) or an adequate starter of 001 or 1056.
The hops look pretty good to me, though I like a bit of citrus character in mine.

I agree with mashing in at a lower temp 151-153f. Cut out some of the malt and add some sucrose to boost the ABV a few points.

If you want something to compare to, check out the Pliny the Elder clone:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f69/pliny-bastid-21229/. I brewed this earlier this year and it is a fantastic beer.

Obviously, you might want/need to change the hops to fit what you have and/or can find, but I would try to match the amount of late additions and dry hops.

As far as the malt, I would cut all the Munich and the higher crystal. As others have said, add some sugar too.