Anybody willing to critique my first all grain IPA recipe?

[johnwayneblack]

Also my recipe presentation. Pretty much just copying and pasting what I entered into beersmith here.

Quick introduction.. Hi! I'm Tim. New here. I've done 4 extract batches and I'm getting prepared to do my first all grain. I drink IPAs usually and that's what I'm looking to brew.

I'm looking for advice on my first recipe I'm working out. It's a pale hoppy american IPA. Also, was hoping to get some suggestions for a mash profile.


Style: American IPA
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 6.52 gal
Color: 4.7 SRM
Bitterness: 95.9 IBUs
Boil Time: 60 min
Est OG: 1.060 (14.7° P)
Mash Profile: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Est FG: 1.013 SG (3.3° P)
ABV: 6.2%

10 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
8.0 oz Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM)
1 lbs Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM)

1.0 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.0%] - Boil 60 min
1.0 oz Cascade [5.5%] - Boil 20 min
1.0 oz Cascade [5.5%] - Steep 20 min
2.0 oz Chinook [13.0%] - Steep 20 min
1.0 oz Centennial [10.0%] - Steep 20 min

1 pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001)

1.0 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.0%] - Dry Hop 5 days
1.0 oz Chinook [13.0%] - Dry Hop 5 days
1.0 oz Centennial [10.0%] - Dry Hop 5 days

Thanks y'all.

 

[Evan_L]

I would lower the IBUs a bit. Since it's your first all grain, you don't know your system's efficiency yet (take good notes to calculate this). Since you are estimating your ppg yield a lower mash efficiency might leave your GU:BU ratio unpleasantly bitter. The recipe looks good to me. The best advice I can give for your first batch is have some DME on hand to adjust gravity if you get low mash efficiency. Have some ice water and boiling water on hand to adjust mash temp if need be (mash in a bit thick in case you have to adjust). Have fun!

 

[LazyLab]

Looks pretty good to me. I don't do much steeping with my IPAs so I can't speak to how effective that is. Typically I do a 60 minute addition for bittering and then do a 15, 5 and 1. I like the 3 oz of hops for dry hopping. I typically dry hop for a minimum of 7 days. Another option would be to layer your dry hops. For example Columbus for 7 days and Chinook and Centennial for 10 days. It depends on what flavor you are looking for but it seems like you have three very piney or spicy hops for the dry hop, I might replace the Columbus dry hop with Cascade to bring out a little more of the floral or grapefruit flavor. But that's all preference.

For the mash I like to have a little body with the IPA so mashing around 151-152 is what I shoot for. However, you could go lower (148-149) to obtain a drier beer. What equipment are you using? Do you have an idea of how much heat loss you will get over an hour of mashing?

Lastly, I usually use irish moss in my IPAs just to help with clarity.

All in all looks pretty good to me. Enjoy the switch to all grain and Happy Brewing!

 

[bobbrews]

Do you want a standard IPA or a double IPA? I cannot tell from the recipe. Some corn sugar added here along with a healthy yeast starter could make this more of a middle of the road IPA/DIPA.

The toughest part about brewing IPAs is understanding how to use the hops. Have you brewed with these hops before? How did you come to the conclusion to use them together? What are you looking for in the final product?

If it were me, and I had 9 oz. American hops along with that grist and yeast, I would do something more like this:

-20-40 IBUs at 60 min full rolling boil start
-Add enough 10 minute additions to hit another 25-35 IBUs
-Add/hold your warm hopstand additions under boiling temps (180-140F) for 30 min or longer.
-Dryhop with 4 oz.

The dryhop is the most important area of focus when it comes to an IPAs intoxicating character. I always dryhop hoppy beers like this with 40-50% of my total recipe hops by weight.

 

[peterj]

Yeah that recipe looks great. The only change I would make is what others have said about lowering the IBUs. Just cut your bittering addition enough to get it into the 50-70 IBU range, depending on how bitter you like your IPAs.

 

[johnwayneblack]

I appreciate the response. Working on adjusting it to lower IBUs a bit.
Would I just potentially add some dme to the wort during the boil to up the og if it is below par?

 

[johnwayneblack]

I would lower the IBUs a bit. Since it's your first all grain, you don't know your system's efficiency yet (take good notes to calculate this). Since you are estimating your ppg yield a lower mash efficiency might leave your GU:BU ratio unpleasantly bitter. The recipe looks good to me. The best advice I can give for your first batch is have some DME on hand to adjust gravity if you get low mash efficiency. Have some ice water and boiling water on hand to adjust mash temp if need be (mash in a bit thick in case you have to adjust). Have fun!

I appreciate the response. Working on adjusting it to lower IBUs a bit.
Would I just potentially add some dme to the wort during the boil to up the og if it is below par?

 

[johnwayneblack]

Yeah that recipe looks great. The only change I would make is what others have said about lowering the IBUs. Just cut your bittering addition enough to get it into the 50-70 IBU range, depending on how bitter you like your IPAs.

Good advice. Thank you.

 

[johnwayneblack]

I might replace the Columbus dry hop with Cascade to bring out a little more of the floral or grapefruit flavor

I like this idea. Thanks.

What equipment are you using? Do you have an idea of how much heat loss you will get over an hour of mashing?

I made a mash tun from a 10 gallon gatorade cooler. Don't know about heat loss, or efficiency really given this is my first batch.

Lastly, I usually use irish moss in my IPAs just to help with clarity.

I did pick up some whirlfloc tablets for this purpose.

Thanks for the response.

 

[johnwayneblack]

Potential update using some of your advice:

OG: 1.063
FG: 1.014
ABV: 6.46%
IBUs: 62
SRM: 4.8

10 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
1 lbs Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM)
8.0 oz Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM)

0.5 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.0%] - Boil 60 min
1.0 oz Cascade [5.5%] - Boil 20 min

1.00 Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15 min)

1.0 oz Chinook [13.0%] - Boil 5 min
0.5 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.0%] - Flame off
1.0 oz Cascade [5.5%] - Flame off
1.0 oz Centennial [10.0%] - Flame off

1 pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001)

1.0 oz Cascade [5.5%] - Dry Hop 7 days
1.0 oz Centennial [10.0%] - Dry Hop 5 days
1.0 oz Chinook [13.0%] - Dry Hop 5 days

 

[Evan_L]

Yes, if your OG is low after the mash, you can add DME to the boil. Beersmith will help you figure out how much to add to adjust it to your target. Someone mentioned corn sugar too, that would be a good substitute for the DME if your mash temp was also higher than target as it would help to dry the beer out.

 

[mclamb6]

I like this idea. Thanks.



I made a mash tun from a 10 gallon gatorade cooler. Don't know about heat loss, or efficiency really given this is my first batch.



I did pick up some whirlfloc tablets for this purpose.

Thanks for the response.

I use a converted 10 gallon cylindrical cooler for my mash tun. Unless you are brewing some place really cold, I'd be surprised if you have to worry about heat loss while mashing. I never have any real problems with that.

When you mash-in, I would make sure to pre-heat your tun to avoid heat loss when you add the grains/strike water. To pre-heat, I typically use hot tap water, spray the surfaces of the tun thoroughly, and then leave about 1-2 gallons of hot tap water in the tun with the lid on until you are ready to mash in.