Please comment on low grav American IPA recipe

Hi,

Can you take a peek at the recipe below and offer comments. I'm looking for a low alcohol IPA that is pretty hoppy without going over the top. By over the top I'm referring to some of the commercial 90 IPS's that are out there. I want it to stay in style if possible but have as low an alcholol content as possible. I'm also open to pointers to a better recipe to work from.

Thanks in advance

012 American IPA 60 min
14-B American IPA
Author: Pickles
Date: 12/02/2008

Size: 5.0 gal
Efficiency: 61.28%
Attenuation: 71.8%
Calories: 195.86 kcal per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.058 (1.056 - 1.075)
Terminal Gravity: 1.017 (1.010 - 1.018)
Color: 13.77 (6.0 - 15.0)
Alcohol: 5.51% (5.5% - 7.5%)
Bitterness: 62.3 (40.0 - 70.0)

Ingredients:
1.75 lb Crystal Malt 40°L
6 lb CBW® Golden Light Powder (Dry Malt Extract)
.5 oz Chinook (13.0%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
.5 oz Centennial (10.0%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
.25 oz Centennial (10.0%) - added during boil, boiled 45 min
.25 oz Centennial (10.0%) - added during boil, boiled 30 min
.25 oz Centennial (10.0%) - added during boil, boiled 15 min
1 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added dry to secondary fermenter
1.0 ea White Labs (HBUSA) WLP005 British Ale

Results generated by BeerTools Pro 1.5.2

that's a lot of crystal. maybe substitute something like biscuit or victory for a part of that unless you're looking for it to be quite sweet. what's your mash temp? I'd personally drop the 45, 30, and 15 min. additions to 1 oz. centennial @ 10 and .5 oz. centennial at flame out. It'll give you more aromatics and better flavor.

make a starter!

Calico Jack said:

that's a lot of crystal. maybe substitute something like biscuit or victory for a part of that unless you're looking for it to be quite sweet. what's your mash temp? I'd personally drop the 45, 30, and 15 min. additions to 1 oz. centennial @ 10 and .5 oz. centennial at flame out. It'll give you more aromatics and better flavor.

make a starter!

Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip on the crystal. I'll plan to mash at 155 for 45 min. The base recipe was a 90min IPA from my LBHS. I switched up the hops to act like a bastard. The 90min IPA was too sweet, so I'll drop the crystal to .75. Should I do 1/2# of victory & biscuit each?

Take a look at Yoopers AB IPA thread https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/arrogant-bastard-clone-43570/. There is a mix of steeping grains in that thread I might use.

I still don't fully understand the addition times for hops. The 90 min IPA had hops going in every 8 mins thus my toned down 15 min. I want the aroma and flavor so if doing this mod will deliver that is what I'll do.

Starter was done tonight for a Saturday brew.

Is this a mini mash or are you steeping that crystal? If it's a mini mash you can use either victory or biscuit. If you are steeping the specialty grains use the victory. Biscuit malt has no enzymes and won't convert itself unless you mash.

The 45 and 30 additions will give your ipa more bitterness than flavor because the hops have more time to isomerize. Later additions will give you more aroma and flavor.

Calico Jack said:

Is this a mini mash or are you steeping that crystal? If it's a mini mash you can use either victory or biscuit. If you are steeping the specialty grains use the victory. Biscuit malt has no enzymes and won't convert itself unless you mash.

Click to expand...

I hate being a putz and keep milking this out - but truth is the difference between steeping and partial mashing are lost on me. I've re-read the How-To-Brew guide on steeping and "method" one for mashing and sounds real similar in water volume and temperature. Only difference I can tell is how long to keep the grains in the water.

Deaths article https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/easy-partial-mash-brewing-pics-75231/ reinforced this in my mind.

So I think I'm mashing, but it looks a lot like steeping - hate not to be able to use the biscuit. If you (or anyone else) care to instruct a bit more I welcome it. If not, I'll just steep the victory and crystal and call it a day.

Regarding the hops - flavor and aroma is what I want so that tip I understand and can follow. TY!. I like bitter, but really enjoy the hops flavor. That, btw is why I'm putting cascade into the secondary. So the implied question is: Does dry hopping affect flavor or bitter or both and how much?

Mashing is temperature PLUS some base malt to provide enzymes. If you stick with just crystal, steep.

Dry hopping is mainly about aroma, a little flavor and zero bittering.