Critique

[Whattawort]

If you saw my earlier post from this morning, you'll know that I'm about to take my first shot at an IPA. Curiosity finally got the better of me and I have hops and grain that are on the tail end of their prime that need to be used. So help me out and critique this recipe. Feel free to nail it to the wall and make it bleed. Like I said, I'm just trying to get rid of some old stock while trying something new.

"An Odd Duck IPA" or "And the Kitchen Sink Too!"
7.5gal Boil size
5.5gal batch size
WLP060 (1.5L starter)
est. OG - 1.067
est FG - 1.016
est IBUs - 70.21
est SRM - 7.83

6# Domestic 2-row - 44.4%
4# Golden Promise - 29.6%
2# Vienna - 14.8%
1# Crystal 30 - 7.4%
0.5# Carapils - 3.7%

1.25oz C-Type [9.7] @ 60min
1oz Cascade [7.3] @ 30min
.5oz Cascade [7.3] @ 10min
.5oz Zythos [10.9] @ 5min
.5oz Zythos [10.9] @ 0min

Dry Hop for 7 days
1oz C-Type
1oz Cascade
1oz Zythos

I bought 4oz of Zythos that I've only used in an ESB once. It worked out well for a British style, but I know it will need some more backbone to stand up to an American IPA. I have plenty of experience with the Noble and European hops to know what's good for what style, but I'm as lost as last year's Easter Egg when it comes to the big boys.

 

[daksin]

I think the recipe looks great, but I don't think you need the carapils- with it you're over 11% crystal which is kind of a lot for an IPA. I also think you could use some more late hop additions- the dry hop looks great but if you have more hops I would change all of your 0.5oz additions to 1 oz or add some new hops in there.

 

[ApothecaryBrewing]

I would say it looks like a good recipe and I would like a bottle or pint! The grain bill looks like a solid enough malt backbone for the hop schedule.

My only critique is to drop 1 type of hop around the 45 minute mark as a bittering then push everything else to the last 15 minutes of the boil to bring out more of the aroma and flavor. If you like a more bitter IPA, the schedule you have looks good. I prefer a modest bite with a large aroma and flavor so I tend to hopburst at the end of the boil

All preference in the end. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[Whattawort]

I'm gonna back off the Carapils to 2oz instead of 4. I want a head that will stick around on my beard a while though! I'll also probably bump the hop schedule a little more to the end of the boil as you suggested VT. I'm used to the bulk of the hop schedule being loaded in the beginning of the boil since I mainly make darker English/European styles. I wish I had some Citra and Centennial to burn though! I've been kinda disappointed with the C-type. Could be because they've been hanging out in the freezer for a while though! I use a lot of Tettnang/Fuggles/Northern Brewer/ Hallertau/Glacier/EK Goldings, so those are what I burn through the most.

 

[RM-MN]

I'm gonna back off the Carapils to 2oz instead of 4. I want a head that will stick around on my beard a while though! I'll also probably bump the hop schedule a little more to the end of the boil as you suggested VT. I'm used to the bulk of the hop schedule being loaded in the beginning of the boil since I mainly make darker English/European styles. I wish I had some Citra and Centennial to burn though! I've been kinda disappointed with the C-type. Could be because they've been hanging out in the freezer for a while though! I use a lot of Tettnang/Fuggles/Northern Brewer/ Hallertau/Glacier/EK Goldings, so those are what I burn through the most.

I brewed a pale ale using Citra last year about as soon as the Citra were available and it was wonderful. So was the next on using Citra and Cascade. Then I quit brewing as life got in the way and my Citra stayed in the freezer over the summer and fall until I had time to brew. I brewed another pale ale with Citra and what a difference in flavor. I sort of wish I had thrown the older Citra out and waited for new crop. It was a decent pale ale but not at all like the one of a year previous. I hope you aren't as disappointed in your older hops as I was.

 

[ApothecaryBrewing]

It might be good practice to save older hops for bittering additions and allow the newer hops to be your aroma/flavor hops. I normally just buy what i need for a batch and so they only sit around for a week tops, so I am by no means an good reference but I would think older hops would work better for bittering than aroma.