My first IPA. (citra)

This is my first go at an American IPA recipe: target volume 5 gal via BIAB

(This will be my first time not using my mr beer fermentors, have a 6 gal pet carboy FINALLY!)


10 lbs. 2 row
12 oz. cara foam
4 oz. Caramel 20
4 oz. Caramel 40
8 oz. Caramel 60
4 oz. Caramel 80

1 oz. Citra. 60 min
.5 oz. Citra. 5 mins-flameout
.5 oz. Citra. Dry hop

Tsp Irish moss 15 mins
Safale US-05

I am leaving hops in while I cool wort for the first time.
I've never used citra hops, but I've read about them and love fruity smelling hops and well balanced ipas which is why I threw in all the caramels.

Feedback I hope for:
What temp to do this in a 60 minute infusion?(I mashout and sparge the brew bag)
Do my hop additions seem okay or do I need to up the 5 min addition to a whole oz and the dryhop to a whole oz?(I'm going for a lot of flavor and aroma.)

Thanks HBTers!

First, you have way too much crystal malt in this recipe. Its around 20% of the malt bill. I would personally keep it to less than 5%, but it really needs to be less than 10%.

Second, you need more hops for an IPA. 1 oz of hops for flavor/aroma additions isn't nearly enough. I would say that you need a minimum of 4 oz, but I tend to use >12 oz. It depends on what kind of IPA you're looking for. You say a lot of flavor and aroma...you need a lot of hops.

Yeah, I'd pump up the late additions and dry hop if you're going for big flavor and aroma. Hell, if it were me I'd do AT LEAST 2-4oz more late and probably 2oz for dry hop. Worst case is your flavor and aroma are too much and you have to wait a little while for them to fade.

I agree about the Crystal. My rule is to keep it at 1.5 lbs or less for a 5 gallon batch. .25 lbs of Carafoam is probably all you need for the head retention you're looking for.
I get a rich color for an IPA with just 60 and maybe some 40.
The hops point has been mentioned. Double what you have. Triple it!

Okay, thanks for the quick responses! Here is what I have so far now, let me know what you think:

10lbs 2 row
1 lb victory
12 oz caramel 60
4 oz cara foam

1 oz citra. 60min
1 oz citra. 10min
1 oz citra. 5 min.(I will keep all hops during chill for the first time)
1 oz citra. dry hop

Irish moss
Safale 05

I usually just keep my mash between 150-157 for 60 mins, will this work on this recipe?

This looks good to me!
One more thing on Mash temps. I noticed that when I mashed over 155 (as a recipe told me to) I ended up with a sweeter beer than I prefer. I now keep it between 150 - 152.
That's strictly my preference, but you will notice a much sweeter product over 155.

Mugsfull said:

This looks good to me!
One more thing on Mash temps. I noticed that when I mashed over 155 (as a recipe told me to) I ended up with a sweeter beer than I prefer. I now keep it between 150 - 152.
That's strictly my preference, but you will notice a much sweeter product over 155.

Click to expand...

Great! I will be careful about going over 150 then. I will try to keep it between 148-153. I brew on an electric stove indoors so I don't have the best temp control.

I wouldn't use Citra for early additions. I'd sub Chinook for the 60 minute boil...

Cheers!

jgerard said:

Okay, thanks for the quick responses! Here is what I have so far now, let me know what you think:

10lbs 2 row
1 lb victory
12 oz caramel 60
4 oz cara foam

1 oz citra. 60min
1 oz citra. 10min
1 oz citra. 5 min.(I will keep all hops during chill for the first time)
1 oz citra. dry hop

Irish moss
Safale 05

I usually just keep my mash between 150-157 for 60 mins, will this work on this recipe?

Click to expand...

I would mash at 150, use 1# or less total crystal (60 or lower).

Do 1 at 60
1 at 5
2 oz at flameout.
2 oz dry hop.
Citra is super potent so you can get away with these low amounts. If you were using most other hop types this would be a pale ale more than an IPA.

My last two IPAs used 2.5 oz for bittering, and 7 oz late hops. Then I dry hopped with another 6 oz.

IPAs commonly have very large and expensive hop bills.

tesilential said:

I would mash at 150, use 1# or less total crystal (60 or lower).

Do 1 at 60
1 at 5
2 oz at flameout.
2 oz dry hop.
Citra is super potent so you can get away with these low amounts. If you were using most other hop types this would be a pale ale more than an IPA.

My last two IPAs used 2.5 oz for bittering, and 7 oz late hops. Then I dry hopped with another 6 oz.

IPAs commonly have very large and expensive hop bills.

Click to expand...

Does adding @ flameout add any ibus? I can't find any calculator with flameout hops or that adds any ibu from 0 minutes. Can there be flavor with 0 ibus?

Yes, flameout hops provide more flavor than 10-5 min additions because nothing is boiled away with the steam.

The 60-30-15 hop schedule is outdated, most commercial IPA's use very late additions to create huge flavor and some aroma. Dry hopping is where you get huge aroma.

IBUs increase is very small maybe 10-15 IBUs from 6 oz late addition, if that.

I am new to brewing and after reading this i was thinking of making exactly what you guys have been talking about yesterday while at my LHBS. Also citra was the only hop that seamed interesting. They had very few hops in stock.
6.00 lb Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 75.0 %
1.00 lb Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 12.5 %
0.75 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 9.4 %
0.25 lb Carafoam (2.0 SRM) Grain 3.1 %
1.00 oz Citra [12.00%] (60 min) Hops 24.3 IBU
1.00 oz Citra [12.00%] (30 min) Hops 18.7 IBU
2.00 oz Citra [12.00%] (10 min) Hops 17.6 IBU
2.00 oz Citra [12.00%] (Dry Hop 7 days) Hops -
1 Pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale

Would this be way to over powering?

It looks good but I would change the hop schedule as follows

1oz at 60
1.5 oz at 10
1.5 oz at ko
2 oz dh