Very Hoppy IPA Recipe

I am waiting for delivery on the Chinook IPA from NB, but I have decided to try something different for the hops. Since I love Founders Double Trouble so much, I searched for a recipe on the hops and found this:

60m - 3 oz Summit
30m - 1 oz amarillo/simcoe each
15m - 1 oz amarillo/simcoe each
5m - 1 oz amarillo/simco each
dry hop: 1.5 oz amarillo/simcoe each

I had a hard time finding simcoe, but ended up locating some. I have 5 oz of each of the 3 types. I am planning on following the hop schedule above, and not using any of the chinook. Is this a good idea? Anything I am overlooking? I don't think this kit is a very strong IPA...Not sure if that matters. Also, since I have 5 oz of each hop, should I use all? Maybe include the Chinook? I dont want an undrinkable final product.

Thanks!

what's the grain bill?

SPECIALTY GRAIN
-- 0.75 lbs Belgian Caramel Pils
-- 0.25 lbs Briess Caramel 120
FERMENTABLES
-- 6 lbs Pilsen malt syrup
-- 1 lb Pilsen dry malt extract

Sorry I should have clarified this is an extract kit.

Some brews that heavy on the hops will up the crystal to 1.5-2lbs to help balance it out but some don't.

I'm still relatively new to brewing but I'd say go for it.

If you want less risk I've been eying this one for a while
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_452_42_161&products_id=12569

That Hop Bomb kit does look interesting! I am wondering if I should get some more grains for this one. I don't want to waste all of those hops on a nasty brew!

I think I'm in the same boat as you. I'm just starting to make my own ipa recipes. I'm starting a bit smaller on the IBU's and trying to work my way up. I've been reading up on a lot of well known recipes and trying to tweak them to get what I want.

Here's another one they have that I've been looking at
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_452_42_161&products_id=11997

barkscruff said:

I am wondering if I should get some more grains for this one. I don't want to waste all of those hops on a nasty brew!

Click to expand...

When it comes to an IPA grain bill, less is more if you ask me. If you love hops and don't want to waste them, let 'em shine! Don't muck it up by adding more grains than are necessary. The whole reason you're using all these hops to make an IPA is because you want hops! Not grains!
I think your grain bill is fine right where it's at...

Just my opinion though, hope it turns out good!

Thanks - When I ran the #'s on hopville yesterday w/ my proposed recipe, the IBU's were sky high (270). Should I scale things back a bit on the hop addition?

Yeah, that may be a little high! You probably want to shoot for more like 70, maybe more if you REALLY want. I've heard you can't really taste anything over 100 IBU's so anything over that might not be necessary.
Maybe push the 30min addition to 20min and lower the amounts on everything. I'd leave the dryhop as is though.

Okay - thanks! I am also planning on adding a very small amount of my syrup at the start of the boil and adding most (75%) at the end. I am thinking of adding a small amount of DME instead of the LME at the start - but haven't decided yet. I didn't realize that adding the hops later lowers the IBU's.

Any thoughts on the following? I messed around w/ the Summit Hops since they have the highest AA...And figure since the kit comes w/ Chinook maybe I should use them. I think I have some old DME sitting around so I can add 1lb of that to help boost this. I might need more yeast though?

malt & fermentables
% LB OZ Malt or Fermentable ppg °L
74% 6 0 Northern Brewer Pilsen LME 36 2 ~
25% 2 0 Briess Pilsen Light DME 44 2 ~
1% 0 ¾ Belgian Caramel Pils 34 6 ~
0% 0 ¼ Briess Caramel 120L 34 120 ~
Batch size: 5.0 gallons


Original Gravity
1.061 / 15.0° Plato
(1.055 to 1.064)
Final Gravity
1.015 / 3.8° Plato
(1.013 to 1.016)
Color
4° SRM / 7° EBC
(Yellow)
Mash Efficiency
75%

hops
use time oz variety form aa
boil 60 mins 1.0 Chinook pellet 13.0
boil 60 mins 1.0 Summit pellet 18.0
boil 30 mins 1.0 Amarillo pellet 7.0
boil 30 mins 1.0 Amarillo pellet 7.0
boil 15 mins 0.5 Simcoe pellet 13.0
boil 15 mins 0.5 Simcoe pellet 13.0
boil 5 mins 1.0 Amarillo pellet 7.0
boil 5 mins 1.0 Simcoe pellet 13.0
dry hop 14 days 1.5 Amarillo pellet 7.0
dry hop 14 days 1.5 Simcoe pellet 13.0
Boil: 4.0 avg gallons for 60 minutes


Bitterness
156.2 IBU / 61 HBU
ƒ: Tinseth
BU:GU
2.55

yeast
Wyeast American Ale (1056)
ale yeast in liquid form with low to medium flocculation and 75% attenuation

156 IBU's is still pretty high for a regular IPA, what would happen if you just went with one or the other summit or chinook for the 60 min? I've used chinook before and liked it, never tried summit myself. Try picking one or the other and see how that affects your numbers.

One thing I noticed the way you have it plugged into hopville I think you've got the Caramel and Caramel Pils grains as 1/4 and 3/4 OZ each, instead of 1/4 and 3/4 pound. Just change to 4 and 12oz, I think that's why your color is coming out so light.

One pack of yeast should be fine but I'd make a starter with it if it's a Wyeast smack pack.

Oh okay - Thanks! This is my first time using hopville...I will make some modifications. On the starter, I have been pretty intimidated to do this, and know that I have to if I want to make bigger beers. I have been trying to keep the OG down to avoid the starter. I get very nervous when dealing w/ yeast, dont want to screw it up.

barkscruff said:

Oh okay - Thanks! This is my first time using hopville...I will make some modifications. On the starter, I have been pretty intimidated to do this, and know that I have to if I want to make bigger beers. I have been trying to keep the OG down to avoid the starter. I get very nervous when dealing w/ yeast, dont want to screw it up.

Click to expand...

Just like making a batch of beer except smallest scale. And it will help out fermenting even the smaller beers you make.

barkscruff said:

hops
use time oz variety form aa
boil 60 mins 1.0 Summit pellet 18.0

boil 30 mins 0.5 Summit pellet 18.0

boil 15 mins 0.5 Simcoe pellet 13.0
boil 15 mins 0.5 Amarillo pellet 7.0
boil 5 mins 0.5 Amarillo pellet 7.0
boil 5 mins 0.5 Simcoe pellet 13.0
dry hop 7 days 1.0 Amarillo pellet 7.0
dry hop 7 days 1.0 Simcoe pellet 13.0
Boil: 4.0 avg gallons for 60 minutes

Click to expand...

Off the top of my head, I'd do something a little more sane......156 IBU's........

Yea that seems a bit much. That IBU level would probably take your tooth enamel off. But, chinook hops are solid, I've used them before, but if you're going to put as much as you are into the boil, maybe add the chinook at 30 min and add something else first. It's a really high AA and boils up bitter, especially for a whole 30 mins. I used once with just 3oz citra and 1oz chinook and it was definitely a bitter situation.

I plugged everything into a calculator and got a color more about 7 or 8 SRM. 10oz of Hops?! That's a lot of plant material to be adding to the beer. Bitterness pushing 150 IBUs is way too much bitter with not that much alcohol backing it up at only about 6%. Style guidelines for an American IPA place the range from 40-70 IBUs. Imperial IPAs with original gravities pushing 1.07-1.09 still only range 60-120 IBUs. If you cut out the addition of Summit hops at 60 minutes, and only add 1 oz. of Amarillo hops instead of 2 at 30 minutes, then you'll still get a high, but more reasonable, approximately 80 IBUs.
Also I would dry hop with leaf hops instead of pellet.

Thanks everyone...The feedback is great. I am def going to cut the hops to a more reasonable level. I have all 1oz packs so I can just save whatever I don't use. Maybe I will see how this one goes and next batch will be a BIG one. Its evident after reading all of the replies that too many hops are a waste, and wont work w/ my beer.

Quick question, does DME go bad?

Everything I've read says that DME will eventually go bad, but it'll have a longer shelf life than LME due to the dehydration.

I'd change your style to Imperial IPA, add a bit more sugars to up the OG a little and leave the hopping rate as is. You'll have yourself a nice IIPA.

Update - I bottled this batch on Saturday 3/10, and opened a few bottles last night. I am extremely happy with this batch. Its got wonderful aroma, and the taste is amazing. It reminds me very much of Founders DT, but with a lot less alcohol kick. I am going to make this one again very soon, I might scale the hops back a shade.

Oh the clarity isnt great on it...Its very cloudy, and had little particles floating around. I assume its due to the dry hopping. I used pellets in a muslin bag. It sorts of settles as a powder in the bottom of the glass. I hope it will settle out in a week or so. I am guessing this one wont age that well, so I dont know how long I am going to wait.

I did something similar and was in a hurry, after I brewed I ran it thru beersmith and it was 156 IBU's. I did add 1# of dextrose to up the alcohol a bit while brewing. I transfered to secondary to dry-hop and the sample tasted amazing! I hope the bitterness doesn't sneak up real bad in the keg...but I'm excited to try it.

On your clarity issue, I used irish moss for the first time at 15min and it did an amazing job. My secondary is clear, as long as I can keep most of the dry hops in the bag it's going to be my most clear beer to date. Here's the hop schedule I used, if I did it again I'd just cut out the 30 min addition all together.

1 oz Columbus - 60
.5 oz columbus - 30
.5 oz nugget - 30
1 oz nugget - 20
1 oz cascade - 10
.5 oz columbus - flameout

still planning dry hop. I have columbus, citra, nugget and cascade.