Biscuit malt in IPA?

Is biscuit malt a no-no in an IPA?

82% American 2-row
9% biscuit malt
9% honey malt

Any thoughts?

What I've learned is that there are very few no-nos in this business. Rock it out - let us know how it turns out!

Nothing wrong with biscuit in your IPA, I use Victory, which is similar.

I certainly wouldn't tell you not to do it. I like a little biscuit in a ESB. I question the 9% Honey malt more than the Biscuit. I use 3% honey malt in my IPA, and it's just enough to taste.

dwarven_stout said:

I certainly wouldn't tell you not to do it, but I question the 9% Honey malt more than the Biscuit. I use 3% honey malt in my IPA, and it's just enough to taste.

Click to expand...

I agree. I like biscuit malt in one of my IPAs- 13 pounds two row and 1 pound biscuit.

Hmmm...ok, thank you. I will rethink the honey malt but stick to my guns when it comes to biscuit!

thedasha said:

Hmmm...ok, thank you. I will rethink the honey malt but stick to my guns when it comes to biscuit!

Click to expand...

Cheers. Like I said, I like about 3% Honey malt in an IPA (when I brew with the big citrus hops). If I'm doing a double IPA I'll add maybe 5-6% of a medium crystal (40-60L).

usfmikeb said:

Nothing wrong with biscuit in your IPA, I use Victory, which is similar.

Click to expand...

I'm a big fan of both of these malts, and use one of the two in almost everything, especially in my APA/IPAs.

after further consideration and research, this is what i think im going with:
10lbs - american 2-row (83%)
.5 lb - honey malt (4%)
.5 lb - biscuit malt (4%)
.5 lb - carapils/dextrine (4%)
.5lb - americal crystal?40L (4%)

I just want the malt profile to have a sweet buttery taste, I thought it would work well with Citra or Sorachi Ace aroma and flavoring hops...

You don't need the carapils.

Oh yeah,Honey biscuit. I love that combo. Although almost 10% of honey may be a bit much but i guess if you hop it pretty good maybe that would be ok then. I found a little goes a long way with the honey malt. Ive never used that much of % of honey malt yet.
Post back your recipe and tell us how it turns out after its finished. Woops,you adjusted the recipe.

With the sweet buttery taste i would get a yeast like an english type maybeif you like them, that has some dyactle in it and try to hit a temp that will emphasize it. Or something that emphasizes malt,maybe lower attenuating without muting hops.

I had the same idea when i brewed my english honey biscuit, although it wasnt real estery with the yeast but turned out really well. Mine wasnt an ipa but more of a english mild or esb type.Think i was going for an esb but i think it wasnt exactly an esb technically.Although i liked it alot more than the Lakefront esb i did,not to mention that beer commercially i thought is just ok/good anyway. Well,that turned into a ramble. Now i wish i had some honeymalt,i delayed making an ipa today for tomarrow because i havent decided the grainbill exactly.Maybe some golden naked oats and toasted malt.

no carapils?

thedasha said:

no carapils?

Click to expand...

Carapils is not necessary if you use crystal.
?Why do you want to use it.

You probably dont need them or at least that much of them,although people say that if you use crystal malts you dont need carapils. Ive found this not exactly working for me because ive made beers with more than normal amounts of crystal malts that ive wished ive had some carapils after the beer was well-finished, and ive used a good amount of carapils without getting much from them as well. It could also be something else i did in the process like mash too low or accidently did a protein rest from not getting my mash temp up quick enough or the yeast flocculated too well ?Those beers were made with dry yeast if that has something to do with it.Sometimes i feel better off just using flaked barley or a little wheat or wheat flakes or even rye flakes sometimes.

Hell, stick with the first try. Great Beers are created by people saying "What if....."