First AG IPA Recipe critique needed

[ahouse86]

Hello All,

1st time poster and about to make my first all grain batch using a 15 gal BIAB set up. Its called " The Devil's Nectar." The beet juice is added for color and maybe a little "earthy" flavor. The sugar is added because I've had some efficiency problems that I'm trying to work out. Please any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

The Devil"s Nectar
American IPA (14 B)Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 8.90 gal
Boil Time: 90 min
End of Boil Vol: 6.77 gal
Final Bottling Vol: 5.05 gal
IBU 77
Est OG 1.071
Est FG 1.014
Est ABV 7.5
Est SRM 6.3
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage
Brewer: Andy
Asst Brewer:
Equipment: Pot (15 Gal) - BIAB
Mash Temp 152 F for 90 min

Mash or Steep Grains
Mash Ingredients Amt Name Type # %/IBU
12 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 82.8 %
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 2 6.9 %
12.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 5.2 %
12.0 oz Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 4 5.2 %
0.5 lb table sugar


0.75 oz Warrior [15.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 33.1 IBUs
1.00 oz Amarillo [9.20 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 6 13.4 IBUs
1.00 oz Mosaic (HBC 369) [12.25 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 7 17.9 IBUs
1.00 oz Amarillo [9.20 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 8 5.4 IBUs
1.00 oz Mosaic (HBC 369) [12.25 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 9 7.2 IBUs

1 whirlfloc tab 15 min

1 cup (or so) pasteurized beet juice into fermenter

Primary 14 days

Dry Hop with 1oz mosaic and 1 oz amarillo for 5 days

 

[ahouse86]

anyone???

 

[Snicklefritz]

I would use corn sugar over table sugar but that's just me.

 

[TopherM]

If you are having efficiency problems, you don't want to add straight sugar, you want to proportionally add grain!

The sugar, as a simple carbohydrate, is adding absolutely nothing to the beer except alcohol. It'll dry the beer out and raise ABV.

The bad part about this is that the malt backbone of the beer will stay the same. Your malt/hop IBU proportions will still be out of balance as well. The sugar won't help that. You are throwing the recipe's balance out of wack.

Let's say your efficiency in the past has been 60%, and you are shooting for the standard 75%. Well if you have the 12lbs of Pale Malt at 60% and want the recipe to be in the same balance as the recipe calculated at 75%, then 12/60 = x/75......(12*75)/60 = 15 lbs. So, do that calculation for all of your grain additions, and you hit the intended recipe while maintaining the malt backbone and IBU and alcohol balance. Your efficiency stays at 60%, but you are getting the same proportion of grain starches, that will end up as BOTH simple and complex sugars, and the same IBU bitterness as the receipe formulated at 75%. Hope that makes sense! A program like BeerSmith will do all these types of calculations for you.

Just adding the sugar isn't a good idea.

Hope that helps!

 

[johngaltsmotor]

I would be inclined to go with DME instead of sugar, but that's a personal preference of liking beers with as much body as possible instead of thinning it out with sugar. But I doubt 1/2lb is going to make a noticeable difference.

Otherwise it looks good.

 

[catdaddy66]

Looks good. I am wondering about the beet juice... Is it for color or flavor? It struck me as an odd ingredient.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[TheCanisDirus]

1/2lb in 5 gallons wont impact the beer negatively necessarily. Sugar can be an important addition to certain beers (above say OG 1.05) in many styles. I have a few IPAs that benifit from the dryness (and thinning) that some sugar imparts. You can counter and add complexity by mashing higher, using more specialty grains and then proportions of your desired sugar to dial in mouthfeel, ABV and hop-fowardness.

I say rock on with .5lbs! Or simply bump your grainbill accordingly.

IMO far too many brewers are "afraid" of using sugars and fully fermentables in their beers. It's all about balance. (ironic in an IPA i know lol)

Also VERY interested in seeing how the beet juice turns out. The color will be blood red with that much juice... which gives me an awesome idea for a halloween party ale!

EDIT:

Also - something seems off with your water/boil/post volumes. What is your equipment profile? What software are you using to get these numbers? (if any)

 

[ahouse86]

Thank so much for the replies.

The sugar is a crutch If I don't get the efficiency form the mash that I want. I won't use it if I don't have to I'm hoping that double crushing the grains will help.

I checked the volumes and they seemed OK 8.9 gal - 1.45 (for grain absorption) - 1.69 for boil = 5.76 then account for 0.25 gal for trub. This was from beersmith so I assume its right?

The beet juice is for color but also for an earthy flavor. The devil idea came from red of hell. Lol.

Any other critiques or questions would be great but I'll let you know once I brew.

 

[chickypad]

If you're just compensating for poor efficiency, I agree you need to up your grainbill (or if the problem is erratic efficiency keep some DME on hand not sugar). On the other hand I'm fine with you using sugar in this recipe if your intention is to bump the alcohol while keeping the body thin. As was mentioned it's a common technique used in big IPA's, Belgians, etc. I can tell no difference when using corn sugar, table sugar, or clear candi (dark candi syrups are different). If that's the intent, though, I'm not sure what the carapils would be for, and you already have a full lb of crystal malt which is as much or more total cara than I would use in an IPA.

I agree something seems off with your volumes still - the recipe you posted says 6.77 post boil volume but you are saying 5.76. You'll lose about .25 gal to cooling but that's still off even with your trub loss. Beersmith is only as good as the numbers you put in - I wouldn't assume anything without double checking for your actual system.

Edit: forgot to add, I don't see a reason for a 90 min boil, is that what you really wanted to input?

 

[ahouse86]

OK so I bumped up the base malt by 1 lb. so attached is the screen shot of Beersmith's Vol calculations. It seems to make sense to me but maybe I typed in some of the things wrong in the original post because I'm not sure if there's a way to easily export the ingredients (if there is please tell me!!!).

I will keep some light DME on hand instead of sugar.