LHBS Store Made Mistake and Doubled my Crystal Malt for IIPA..now what!?

12 gallon grain bill for a IIPA was supposed to be 30 pounds base malt and 2 pounds of crystal.


Instead I have the following

30 pounds pale two row
5 pounds muntons crystal malt (C55)

So I have a IIPA or what was supposed to be one, with %14 crystal malt.

I figure I could add 3 pounds of sugar and mash low and I might be OK?

Invite the change, mash higher and go for a hoppy imperial RED?

Are the grains already crushed?

Take it back & tell them to "get it right"! If you brew that thing it's going to be so cloyingly sweet you will be shivering after every sip.... Cheers!!!

Take it back. You in no way want 5lbs of crystal in an Imperial IPA.

Only way to save it would be to "dilute" it with more base malt or make a different style beers. That is a lot of crystal malt.

The grains are all crushed and I kind of know the guy at the LHBS store so he cuts me a little deal. Ended up getting the grain at .75 cents a pound so I in no way want to tarnish this "hookup". I will need to brew it. Here is how it punches into beersmith:

Type: All Grain
Date: 8/30/2011
Batch Size: 12.00 gal
Brewer: CP
Boil Size: 13.74 gal
Boil Time: 60 min
70.00

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
30.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 81.08 %
5.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 13.51 %
1.00 oz Chinook [11.50 %] (60 min) (First Wort Hop) Hops 15.0 IBU
2.00 oz Chinook [11.50 %] (Dry Hop 3 days) Hops -
2.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (Dry Hop 3 days) Hops -
1.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (60 min) Hops 16.6 IBU
1.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (30 min) Hops 12.8 IBU
1.00 oz Chinook [11.50 %] (30 min) Hops 10.5 IBU
3.00 oz Chinook [11.50 %] (10 min) Hops 14.9 IBU
2.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (10 min) Hops 12.1 IBU
3.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (2 min) Hops 4.2 IBU
2.00 oz Chinook [11.50 %] (2 min) Hops 2.3 IBU
4.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (0 min) Hops -
2.00 oz Chinook [11.50 %] (0 min) Hops -
2.00 lb Sugar, Table (Sucrose) (1.0 SRM) Sugar 5.41 %

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.081 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.021 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 7.92 %
Bitterness: 88.4 IBU
Est Color: 15.4 SRM


Mash Profile

Total Grain Weight: 35.00 lb
Sparge Water: 9.19 gal
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F
Mash Temp = 152
Mash Time = 120 minutes


Man I am bumming about this.


Should I go and just ask the guy to hit me with 5 pounds of vienna or something to add to the base malt?

At that price, go buy another 30 lbs of base malt. Thoroughly mix all 65 lbs of grain together and save half for another brew.

Add some more malt and try to get the percentage of crystal down, I love Vienna in my Pale ales.
Anyway, where it stand is not going to kill you with sweetness, it's about 15% of the grainbill, and actually less when you consider the sugar you are adding. Is it too much is debatable, with such a high alcohol level and large amount of hops it may not be as crisp as you want it but it will not render it undrinkable.

Well....at least I think not.

Yuri_Rage said:

At that price, go buy another 30 lbs of base malt. Thoroughly mix all 65 lbs of grain together and save half for another brew.

Click to expand...

You, sir, are a genius.

Yuri_Rage said:

At that price, go buy another 30 lbs of base malt. Thoroughly mix all 65 lbs of grain together and save half for another brew.

Click to expand...

Thats a good idea for another $20.

I suppose I could brew 20 gallons IIPA. There is no way I could drink that much before the hops would fade.

I am leaning towards brewing as is, and adding 4# sugar (%11) to the recipe. This knocks the percentage of crystal down to 12. The color is out of style guidelines. Could be an imperial red ale I guess.

Additionally my research indicates a higher percentage of crystal in Tasty McDoles award winning double IPA for a 12 gallon batch (%15.7 crystal).


81.3% 26.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row)
6.3 % 2.00 lbs. Caramel Pils Malt
6.3 % 2.00 lbs. Crystal 60
3.1 % 1.00 lbs. Crystal 120L
3.1 % 1.00 lbs. Munich Malt(2-row)

I'm with Yuri. Blend it and save half. The grain is cheap but the 22oz of hops for this recipe aren't. Get the extra grain and play it safe.

IMO, If you decide to cut it go with 2-row. Vienna, although excellent in an IPA, will add insult to injury here. You want something crisp & clean that doesn't contribute to the malty/biscuity profile. Cheers!!!

hamiltont said:

IMO, If you decide to cut it go with 2-row. Vienna, although excellent in an IPA, will add insult to injury here. You want something crisp & clean that doesn't contribute to the malty/biscuity profile. Cheers!!!

Click to expand...

I am going to go with 4 pounds of sugar at the end of the boil. This will cut the % of crystal down to around %10. I will mash low and I am using a massive Pacman yeast starter. I think it will be an awesome brew..

update:

Just added the dry hop to this. Had terrible efficiency due to lack of space in mash tun resulting in seriously thick mash. OG = 1.075 FG = 1.012. Sample from fermenter was very tasty, suprising in flavor actually. You start by noticing a nice faintly sweet caramel flavor that instantly fades out and gets overtaken by hop bitterness and flavor with a crisp lingering bitter finish. It might be some of my best work actually.

This beer is kegged up and is without question the best IPA I have ever made. I am not sure how it happened, but the crystal malt perfectly balances the huge hopload, and the final gravity is perfect at 1.012. It has a very dank, catty aroma that is mixed with a touch of citrus and tropical fruit. For being %8+ ABV it is very smooth, not fiery and the bitterness is not lingering. I am not sure how it all worked out so well, but this unorthodox IPA worked great. The grain bill may become my new IPA base.