Feedback, changes to following DIPA recipe...

[dusdau]

Pretty new to brewing (fourth batch in three years...plan on getting into more. Anyone that's more experienced see any issues with below recipe, particularly the wort makeup?

6.75 lbs Muntons Light DME
.6 lb Briess Caramel 40 Malt
.6 lb Carapils
.25 lb dextrose
6 oz maltodextrin
1 t gypsum
1 Whirlfloc tab

3.50 oz Columbus 90 min
.75 oz Columbus 45 min
1.00 oz Simcoe 30 min
1.00 oz Cascade 0 min
2.50 oz Simcoe 0 min

1.00 oz Columbus Dry Hop 12-14 days
1.00 oz Chinook Dry Hop 12-14 days
1.00 oz Simcoe 12-14 days
.25 oz Columbus Dry Hops 7 days
.33 oz Chinook 7 days
.25 oz Simcoe 7 days

2 Wyeast 1056 American Ale packs

Full wort boil (start at 8 g or very close) Grains will steep for 30 min at 165 F in 2.5 quarts water. 6 g batch to account for hop loss.

Thanks for any feedback, rationale for changes to be made, etc.

Dustin

 

[skunkfunk]

Why dextrose and maltodextrin? Also, I think this will be way too many IBU for the malt profile. Dry hopping with columbus is also a bit unusual.

 

[dusdau]

Why dextrose and maltodextrin? Also, I think this will be way too many IBU for the malt profile. Dry hopping with columbus is also a bit unusual.

The original recipe (Pliny the Elder clone) calls for .75 lb dextrose to bump up the gravity, and to make a lighter bodied beer. It goes on to state if you want more body, then to eliminate or reduce the amount of dextrose and adjust malt. I like a little more body, so I reduced the dextrose to .25 lb and bumped up the original 6.5 lb light DME to 6.75 lbs.

The dextrose and malt adjustment is my main concern if it will cause any problems. New to brewing, so not sure on how to do the calculations correctly. The recipe for all-grain calls to sub two-row malt for dextrose 1:1 if you want, but does not provide how much DME to sub for dextrose if it's an extract beer.

I am using the maltodextrin to add some mouthfeel and body, without adding any sweetness. My last batch was similar to this one, and it seemed really thin.

For the dry hopping, using Columbus as it's called for in the Pliny the Elder clone.

Thanks for any input.

 

[skunkfunk]

Pliny does not use that much bittering hops. This is a 5G batch right? I think you're way overshooting the ibu you want on this thing.

If you want a fuller beer, just throw out the dextrose altogether and use malt extract. At least, that's what I'd do. I like my ipa to finish around 1.010 with ibu's more like 75, though. Haven't brewed a pliny clone, yet.

What's your calculated OG and IBU?

 

[DeBAD]

I don't see enough fermentables to make this a double IPA. Looks like an OG around 1.06 at the most. Also I'd use the Chinook as your bittering hop instead and drop the other down later in the boil. I'd also add ounces to your dry hop.

 

[DeBAD]

Also rather than two snack packs I'd sub one for a hydrated Safale 05. If you end up with a double IPA and an OG in the mid 7s let's say, you are gonna need more than 200 billion cells.

 

[dusdau]

Pliny does not use that much bittering hops. This is a 5G batch right? I think you're way overshooting the ibu you want on this thing.

If you want a fuller beer, just throw out the dextrose altogether and use malt extract. At least, that's what I'd do. I like my ipa to finish around 1.010 with ibu's more like 75, though. Haven't brewed a pliny clone, yet.

What's your calculated OG and IBU?

Interesting...I verified the Pliny clone schedule, and it does call for 3.5 oz of Columbus. However, if I run it through a calculator, it IS off the charts. Maybe a typo. Looks like maybe .75 oz at 90 min makes more sense (yields 92IBU using AA% in recipe). That sound more like it to you? I used OG of 1.072 cited in the original recipe when calculating.

I calculate OG to be 1.0488 (6.75 lbs DME, .25 lb dextrose, and the .6 lbs of Caramel 40L). I am not really confident in my calculation, though.

So if I just get rid of the dextrose, I can just swap it out 1:1 for DME? If the original calls for 6.5 lbs DME, and .75 lb dextrose, I can just go 7.25 lbs of DME with no dextrose?? Maybe I should just follow the recipe, and stop tinkering with it.

 

[skunkfunk]

Interesting...I verified the Pliny clone schedule, and it does call for 3.5 oz of Columbus. However, if I run it through a calculator, it IS off the charts. Maybe a typo. Looks like maybe .75 oz at 90 min makes more sense (yields 92IBU using AA% in recipe). That sound more like it to you? I used OG of 1.072 cited in the original recipe when calculating.

I calculate OG to be 1.0488 (6.75 lbs DME, .25 lb dextrose, and the .6 lbs of Caramel 40L). I am not really confident in my calculation, though.

So if I just get rid of the dextrose, I can just swap it out 1:1 for DME? If the original calls for 6.5 lbs DME, and .75 lb dextrose, I can just go 7.25 lbs of DME with no dextrose?? Maybe I should just follow the recipe, and stop tinkering with it.

Hmm. According to all-knowing Google, it seems that adding that much high-alpha bittering hops is actually how they do it. But Vinnie's recipe also says 90-95 IBU. Somethings gotta give, right? I would think the .75 oz columbus would work just fine.

Hopefully someone who has actually brewed a Pliny clone can chime in here.

I don't think it's exactly 1:1 on the dextrose to DME, play around with it in brew software to get it converted right. I can't say as I don't really use DME.

 

[dusdau]

Hmm. According to all-knowing Google, it seems that adding that much high-alpha bittering hops is actually how they do it. But Vinnie's recipe also says 90-95 IBU. Somethings gotta give, right? I would think the .75 oz columbus would work just fine.

Hopefully someone who has actually brewed a Pliny clone can chime in here.

I don't think it's exactly 1:1 on the dextrose to DME, play around with it in brew software to get it converted right. I can't say as I don't really use DME.

Yeah, strange how 'off' the recipe seems...going for 90-95 IBUs, yet calc puts it at over 200. Think I'll stick to .75 or so.

I'll check out some software. Looks like maybe 65-70% fermentability for DME, so I get just over 7.5 lbs if I eliminate the dextrose and I'm thinking correctly (.75 lb dextrose x 99% fermentable = .7425/.70, adding 1.06 to the 6.5 lbs originally called for).

Thanks again.

 

[dusdau]

I don't see enough fermentables to make this a double IPA. Looks like an OG around 1.06 at the most. Also I'd use the Chinook as your bittering hop instead and drop the other down later in the boil. I'd also add ounces to your dry hop.

The original recipe calls for 6.5lbs of DME, and .75lb of dextrose, so I'll stick with that. It also asks for .6 lb Carapils (I omitted by accident)...don't know if that contributes or not. That should get me to 1.072, according to the recipe?

As far as your yeast comment...thanks, also. I would have not adjusted. I already have two smack packs, and based on some calculators I can use one for a yeast starter and be good to go. Or both??