1st from scratch recipe

Well, I don't know if I'd call this from scratch or not. I pieced together parts from a couple different IPA recipes and this is what I came up with....

6.6 lbs Light Liquid Extract
1 lb Light dry Extract

1 lb Medium Crystal Malt

90 min. 2oz. Willamette (4.8%)
5 min. 4oz Northern Brewer (7.4%)

European Ale Yeast (WLP011)

Do you guys think I should make any changes to the hop schedule?

The origional recipe I took the hops from called for 2.25 oz Northdown (5%) AND 4 oz East Kent (7.5%). I couldn't get the Northdown and the East Kents I could get were 5.3%... Did I do the right thing and got the closest AAs I could, or should I have done something different?

With the European Yeast, I could have used a California but since I was throwing this together kind of on my own, I figured what the heck... live a little... I'm stepping out on a ledge, might as well do it on one foot...

Next up is an upgrade to a mini mash with AHB's Blue Moon clone. Should be here on Tuesday.

I would make a change to the hop schedule such as splitting up the 4 oz at 5 mins a little. Maybe think of moving an ounce or two to a flame out addition to accentuate the hop aroma compared to at 5 mins. Are you planning on using any hops for dry hop? Also, Why not use all liquid or all dry malt extract to keep it simpler. Just my thoughts.

I don't know why, but dry hopping slipped my mind there for a bit. I will definately move an oz. of the Northern to that, and then try an oz at flameout and the other 2 for 5 mins. The hop schedule is from the recipe that gave me the higher IBUs (63), so thats probably why I didn't think of it.

With the mixed extracts, The two origional recipes called for 5.25 and 5.75lbs of dry pale extract. I found that by using the liquid, I could get closer to the 5.75 mark. It converted over to 6.9lbs of liquid (lbs of dry x 1.2). I added the dry to bump the 6.6lbs to get closer to amount of extract the recipe called for plus a little more for good measure. Another factor was that dry extract was a little more expensive than the liquid so I figured I'd try and shave a buck or two. I think I'd be fine going with just the liquid, but again, I'm just throwing caution to the wind with this batch.

Kudos for going the recipe development route. I'm new to that path also but have a couple thoughts that might help.

If you are doing full boil I think you'll hit a reasonable IBU (60 something?) and around 5.5% I'm assuming partial late extract addition to make sure you get good hop utilization. . .(bittering with a 5% hop - you don't want to lose utilization or you'll end up with a pale ale or english bitter.)

The hop choices look like you're using an English IPA recipe as your take-off point and I'm not familiar with those hops. (I'm brewing Amer. IPAs so I'm using "the big C" hops) Are you using some hop profile charts to pick your subs? I think when you pick a sub you want to pick primarily for the flavor profile and then adjust the quantity for any difference in IBU. A software like Beer Smith is invaluable in that process

Most of the IPA recipes I've analyzed use more hop additions through the boil: High IBU hops for bittering throughout the boil, 15 -20min additions for flavor, late additions & dry hop for aroma. That said, there is a pretty wide range to the IPA style - looks like you are copying a particular English IPA?

If you haven't already, consider the free 21 day Beer Smith trial to play with your recipe. It's an invaluable aid to see what changes you'll get from different hop schedules, full/partial boil, late extract, and a lot more.

Final thought. Consider half batches for recipe development. You can brew twice as often, adjust your recipe twice as much. Kudos for going this route!

Thanks. Like I said before, I'm just mashing two recipes together, so I don't know how much of it I would consider actually development. The two I'm basing off of are a Belgain-American IPA and a Jaggery Pale Ale.

Like I said earlier, with the hops subs I tried to match AA%. I don't think that my pallate is develolped enough to say 'hey, this tastes like it has Amarillo in it' or 'is that Chinook I taste?', but I do know I like em' fairly bitter, so that is why I went with AA instead.

I already burned through my 21 day trial. Now I need to get off my rear and register the thing.

I didn't really have any specific IPA in mind here. I just wanted something Amber that was what I would consider moderately high in IBUs but not too high. Then with the yeast, I just said 'WTF, let's see how this stuff tastes'. It looks like it should be okay according to the chart White Labs has....

So, do you think I'd be better off spreading the Northern additions out through the boil, with an oz set aside for dry hopping? Say 1 oz at 20, 1 at 15, and 1 at 5? Or would it balance out better by using an oz at flameout rather than 20?

I'm completely open to suggestions here. Man, thinking back to when I first started on this, I've come a long way. Still have a massive amount to learn though.

Hey, give yourself credit - "mashing 2 recipes together" is definitely developing your own!

As for the hop additions- yes, I'd stay with full boil for the bittering but break the Northern into a flavor addition (somewhere around 15-20 min) and the rest at 5 min (aroma,) and then dry hop to give it some "nose in the glass." I think spreading the hops will give you a more balanced profile. . .but hey, I'm too new to really know.

If it were me I'd brew this twice: Once as you wrote it and once with the Northern spread out. I'm a huge fan of 1/2 batch. For the same ingredients you can brew it both ways, brew twice as often, learn more from the effort. You can easily brew both versions on a Sunday. . .eh? Go for it and report back!

Its on its way right now. At least the grains are in the water and the temperature is on its way. I'm going to run it up to between 140-150 for about 45mins.

I just decided to say heck with it and run the full batch rather than do two. It'll get drank, plus it gives me an excuse to run another full batch and work on getting up to something that is more my own. Kind of a base line of what I can expect and figure out what to tweak.

I'm decided to brew this batch because for whatever reason, I can't get my pipeline filled up, so my beers have been having a hard time making it to maturity in the bottle. Just bottled a wheat last week and an experimental mini batch last night (a 10 pack of the wheat that I soaked some banana slices in). Next week I'm doing a Belgain White. Trying to get a stockpile going.

Thanks for the support ILuvIPA. I'll post more specifics as I get them.

Here is what the final so far is:

1 lb. Med. Crystal Malt
Steeped @140-150 - 45mins. (1.5 gal)

Sparge "attempt" @190F (my first attempt at anything other than steeping) - @1.25 gal.

1 lb. Extra Light Dry Extract
6.6 lb. Light Liquid Extract

2 oz. Williamette (4.8%) 90 mins.

1 oz. Northern Brewer (7.4) 20 mins.
1 oz. " " 10 mins.
1 oz. " " 5 mins.
1 oz. " " Dry Hopping when racking to secondary (date TBA)

Aerated the wort with a wisk (if that matters for anything)

1 vile European Ale Yeast (WLP011)

OG 1.053 @69F (before pitching)

The total batch is sitting @ 5.25-5.5 gals.

The OG is a little lower than I was expecting, but its not that big of a deal to me right now. I can tweak it up in future batches if I feel it needs tweeking.

I guess I should mention that right as the boil started, one of my dogs ate a plastic spoon, unrelated to the brewing. So, I got majorly distracted for a bit. The dog and the beer are both doing great now. I may name the beer after the dog in honor of her.

Congrats on putting your recipe in the fermenter! Look forward to a report in six weeks, sounds like malty goodness with a hop bite.

BTW, what kind of dog & what's his name?

Her name is Casey. She is a Jack Russell

ILuvIPA said:

If it were me I'd brew this twice: Once as you wrote it and once with the Northern spread out. I'm a huge fan of 1/2 batch. For the same ingredients you can brew it both ways, brew twice as often, learn more from the effort.

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That's a great idea. That's what I will do on the next batch.

iron_city_ap said:

Her name is Casey. She is a Jack Russell

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I see a label for this batch - "Casey's IPA" w/a picture of a Jack with her head cocked & her ears picked up!

LOL - I've got a pair of mini-dachshunds and a big american white shepherd. Was bottling late last night when the phone rang (I use Revy's bottling technique - bottling wand on the bucket spout/over the dishwasher door) Ran to the next room to grab the phone. . .

When I came back the big shepherd was lapping IPA off the end of the bottling wand for all she was worth. While I'd never give my dogs beer I gotta give her credit for impecible taste!

Not a bad name. Thanks.

I have 2 Jacks and an Irish Wolfhound. I've given all my dogs beer before. The little ones can't stand it, but the big one loves it. Not only do I use Revvy's bottling technique, I have to watch where I set the bottles before I cap them. She can get her head about half way back on the counters without lifting a paw off the floor. If I turn my back on one or the other for too long.... well... you know what comes next.