amarillo recipe

Hi. guys. I posted a question on a particular recipe in the Recipe Database, but I don't know how long it will be until the author of that recipe sees it, and I want to get started with my brew sometime soon.

So I figured I would ask you guys. The recipe is as follows:

Recipe Type: Extract
Yeast: Safale - 05
Yeast Starter: No
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter: No
Batch Size (Gallons): 5
Original Gravity: 1.067
Final Gravity: 1.016
IBU: 45
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 7 days at 60 deg
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 3 weeks at 60 deg


7lbs Muntons Extra Light DME
1/2lb Crystal 40

Steeped in 1.5 gallons of 160 deg water for 20 minutes.

1.5 oz Amarillo 8%AA for 60 Min
1 oz Amarillo 8%AA for for 15 Min
1 oz Amarillo 8%AA for for 5 Min
.5 oz Amarillo 8%AA for at flameout


Now, I used the basic AAUxUx75/rVolume equation to calcuate the IBU. When I do a 2 gallon boil volume, the IBU doesn't even come close to 45. But when I do 5 gallons, it comes close. So is it safe for me to assume that he meant for the brewer to do a full 5 gallon boil, even though it isn' t specified in the recipe? If so, can I just do a 2 or 3 gallon boil and use more hops?

Thanks,

Robert

The recipe you posted is mine. I do a partial boil of 2 gallons and then top off to 5 gallons and total IBUs are based on the total amount, not the boil amount. If you want to make a smaller batch you will need to adjust the malt and hop amounts accordingly as everything is based on a 5 gallon batch.

A bigger boil means more hop utilization. In other words, if you use a bigger boil, you will get more flavor with the same amount of hops. I like to use 3 gallon boils and I would go by the recipe.

Okay, I will go by your recipe and use a 2 or 3 gallon boil.

But just to be clear, you are saying that you derived the 45 IBU by calculating with the total recipie volume and not the boil volume?

I know that in the "75/rVolume" part of the equation, the total volume (5 gallons) is used, but in order to properly calculate the utilization (U), don't you need to take into account the boil gravity?

I did the calculation

malt ppg x (lbs. of extract /boil gallons) = total gravity points

and then I used the table in the Palmer book to associate total gravity points with boil time in order to derive Utilization:

http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter5-5.html


Can you just explain to me what I did wrong, because if I assume 44 ppg for the Muntons Extra Light, and add a tiny bit more gravity for the steeped Crystal Malt, then if I assume a 2 gallon boil voume, I end up with a gravity that is so high, it is not even depicted on Palmer's calculation table.

Thanks,

Robert

Okay, now I see where there may be some confusion. I use ProMash for all my recipe formulation and the calculations can be different depending on the method used (for more info on this Basic Brewing Radio did an interesting show on the results of different calculation methods a while back).

In ProMash I use a 5 gallon batch setting and a 2 gallon boil setting. I don't usually concern myself with hop utilization, but rather with the final IBUs. Since I always use the same ProMash calculation for all my recipes, I know around where I want my IBUs to be for any given beer.

If you follow the recipe and steep the Crystal in 1.5 gallons, then top your boil off to 2 gallons and finally top off with another 3 to 3.5 gallons, you should be right on the money. One thing to note is that this is not an overly hoppy beer so you may want to dry hop (something I did not do).

Please feel free to PM me with any questions.

I really want to brew this recipe, but I am having problems plugging this into BeerSmith. The gravity comes out lower than you specify.

Here is what I threw in:
5gal batch with 6 gal boil
7lb pale light dry extract (1.046 potential)
1/2lb Crystal 40 (1.034 potential)
It reports an OG of 1.065.

I know this is close, but a couple points here and a couple of points there bug me. This should be right on. I have tried a couple different software packages and they are giving me different numbers.

I have been having similar issues with some other recipes I have been trying to capture into BeerSmith and the calculations aren't matching the original posts. Another example is this BYO Moose Drool clone.
I only get 1.045, much lower than their posted 1.052. This one is a bit more complex because of the late extract addition, but the software is suppose to account for that.

Thanks for any help. Again really want to brew this exact beer, but in a full boil possibly scaled up.

Maybe I will generalize my question a bit more.
Since the OG for this recipe doesn't match the input ingredients, should I:

1. RDWHAHB and just brew it with the listed ingredients (and not try to hit numbers) and probably get the 'beer' that everyone has been commenting about
2. Adjust the inputs to achieve the listed OG, but maybe not brew the same 'beer'