Thoughts on this IIPA recipe?

I'd like to hear your thoughts on this IIPA recipe I came up with. I'm going for that ultra-resinous hops-in-your-face taste and aroma kind of thing with a sweet and bready malt backbone. I'm not really familiar with biscuit malt, but I like what I hear about it. Sounds like it could make an interesting IPA. Also if anyone has any thoughts on the Columbus/Chinook/Simcoe combination that would be great too!

5.5 gallon batch
5 gallon, 90 minute boil
target OG - 1.091
target FG - 1.022
estimated efficiency - 70%

18# 2-Row Pale
1# Crystal 40
8 oz Belgian Biscuit
8 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine

90 min - 1 oz Columbus
60 min - 1 oz Chinook
30 min - 1 oz Chinook
10 min - 1 oz Chinook
5 min - 1 oz Simcoe
Flameout - 1 oz Simcoe
Dryhop - 3 oz Columbus, 2 oz Simcoe

Yeast - WLP001

I like everything except:

1. Based on my experiences with Biscuit, I would recommend 4 oz instead of 8. With that many hops and the C40, you won't need the carapils for head retention...some people insist on using though, so if you do, I would cut the C40 in half. 1.5 pounds of crystal malt is too much for a IIPA, in my opinion.
2. I don't like a 90 and 60 minute addition. If you're boiling for 90 minutes, add all of your bittering hops there. <30 minute additions look good. Be prepared for 5 oz of dry hops to soak up a bunch of your beer though.

I would rather have columbus at 10 minutes and chinook earlier, but that is a personal preference.

I'll second the bittering addition suggestion, you can just move the 90 minute to 60. I'd also prefer to move the 30 to 15.

And....you may want to consider a bit of corn sugar (8-16 ounces) to dry it out a little

Alrighty, let's see if this looks any better!

5.5 gallon batch
5 gallon, 90 minute boil
target OG - 1.091
target FG - 1.022
estimated efficiency - 70%

18# 2-Row Pale
12 oz Crystal 40
8 oz Corn Sugar
4 oz Belgian Biscuit

90 min - 2 oz Chinook
30 min - 1 oz Chinook
10 min - 1 oz Columbus
5 min - 1 oz Simcoe
Flameout - 1 oz Simcoe
Dryhop - 3 oz Columbus, 2 oz Simcoe

Yeast - WLP001

Not nearly enough hops, IMO . You'll need to be looking to double the amount with the grainbill you have in mind (although I also second dropping the amount of overall crystal), but the dry hop is definitely the right idea.

FWIW, I put more than 6oz in the boil per 5 gallons for a regular IPA.

PseudoChef said:

Not nearly enough hops, IMO . You'll need to be looking to double the amount with the grainbill you have in mind (although I also second dropping the amount of overall crystal), but the dry hop is definitely the right idea.

FWIW, I put more than 6oz in the boil per 5 gallons for a regular IPA.

Click to expand...

Ya know, I think I love hops just as much as you do! But everything that I read say that once you hit the 100 IBU mark, you can't really detect any increases in hops. I believe in the heaps of late/dry hops to get the ultra hoppy effect, but I don't know if it would be worth it to add to the earlier additions. I normally wouldn't hesitate to go above and beyond, but hops can just be very expensive...

Gtrman13 said:

Ya know, I think I love hops just as much as you do! But everything that I read say that once you hit the 100 IBU mark, you can't really detect any increases in hops. I believe in the heaps of late/dry hops to get the ultra hoppy effect, but I don't know if it would be worth it to add to the earlier additions. I normally wouldn't hesitate to go above and beyond, but hops can just be very expensive...

Click to expand...

You could always add another hop varietal so it tastes hoppier even though the IBUs don't go up. Maybe some Centennial? But then you'd just be making another Pliny clone.

I think it looks good as it is.

The only change I might make is to move one ounce of the Columbus dry hops to the flameout addition...I'd brew the way you have it, and it'll be a damn good IIPA.

Gtrman13 said:

I normally wouldn't hesitate to go above and beyond, but hops can just be very expensive...

Click to expand...

yes they can, if you're buying them in 1oz increments.

Buy in bulk. You can get most US varieties for $13-18 a pound.

Well, expense or not, but it's not going to turn into this "ultra-resinous-hops-in-your-face" that you want, I think. That comes from the heaps of late additions. If you are sticking with what you have, only bitter at 90 and add the rest after 15 minutes.

You talk about that 100 IBU mark, but that's in reference to the bitter component of the beer - it has nothing to do with aroma and flavor, which, in my opinion, play a larger role in creating a fantastic, hoppy beer.

PseudoChef said:

Well, expense or not, but it's not going to turn into this "ultra-resinous-hops-in-your-face" that you want, I think. That comes from the heaps of late additions. If you are sticking with what you have, only bitter at 90 and add the rest after 15 minutes.

You talk about that 100 IBU mark, but that's in reference to the bitter component of the beer - it has nothing to do with aroma and flavor, which, in my opinion, play a larger role in creating a fantastic, hoppy beer.

Click to expand...

I agree 100% with this. I also agree with the gentleman about trying not to make a Pliny clone unless that's exactly what your looking for! in that case check around the forums. I'm sure there are quite a few Pliny clone recipes you can use to help guide along those lines.

As much as I love Pliny, It's easily obtainable for me so I wanted to create something a little more citrus like instead of the piney. I did some centennial at 10 min and some amarillo at 10 as well and dry hop them as well. I also threw in an oz of crystal at 10m as well to give it a "pleasant and slightly spicy" feel.

P.s. How'd it turn out?!

I built this IIPA with the guidance of a recipe for a Pliny clone. I changed the hops around a lot form the OG recipe. This is one of my favorites to brew and my hops headed friends LOVE it. I can't for the life of me remember the OG recipe to give credit and comparison for. In any case. This is just for reference.

Also, Another poster made a statement that is also vital to loads of dry hops! INCREASE YOUR BATCH SIZE!!!

I do this batch for 5 gallons of finished beer at 6.5 gallons in primary. Once the hops hit (I use leaf ) it will soak up a TON of beer. Just be cautious of your batch size!


16.00 lb Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 84.21 %
1.00 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 5.26 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 5.26 %
0.25 lb Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 1.32 %



1.00 oz Columbus [14.00 %] (60 min) Hops 30.0 IBU
1.00 oz Nugget [13.00 %] (45 min) Hops 25.6 IBU
1.25 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (30 min) Hops 20.6 IBU
1.35 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (15 min) Hops 7.9 IBU
1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (10 min) Hops 7.8 IBU
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (10 min) Hops 6.6 IBU
1.00 oz Crystal [3.50 %] (10 min) Hops 2.7 IBU

0.75 lb Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) (5 min) Sugar 3.95 %

1 Pkgs American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) Yeast-Ale


1.25 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (Dry Hop 14 days)
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (Dry Hop 14 days)
1.25 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (Dry Hop 14 days)
1.25 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (Dry Hop 14 days)