First Recipe

[UKBrewing]

Rather than brew another batch of the 'Programmers Elbow ESB' from 'Brewing Classic Styles' (which was too nice to leave alone when it got to 2 months old!) I decided I wanted a nice american IPA.

I had a few different hops in the freezer but nothing that combined to match a recipe that exists on here, so thought I would have a go with building a recipe on BrewersFriend and use up some of what I had at home.

Malt bill based on the pliny clone, and hops were a total shot in the dark...

Any feedback on the recipe welcome, good or bad! I will see how it turns out in due time as I brewed this yesterday (and for the first time hit the OG nicely).

HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: Is this the way to Simcorillo?

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: American IPA
Boil Time: 90 min
Batch Size: 21 liters (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 31 liters
Boil Gravity: 1.046
Efficiency: 68% (brew house)


STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.074
Final Gravity: 1.018
ABV (standard): 7.42%
IBU (tinseth): 68.08
SRM (morey): 9.41

FERMENTABLES:
4 kg - United Kingdom - Maris Otter Pale (57.1%)
0.4 kg - Corn Sugar - Dextrose - (late addition) (5.7%)
0.2 kg - German - Carapils (2.9%)
0.2 kg - United Kingdom - Crystal 30L (2.9%)
0.2 kg - United Kingdom - Crystal 60L (2.9%)
2 kg - Extra Pale Maris Otter (28.6%)

HOPS:
28 g - Chinook, Type: Pellet, AA: 12.3, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 43.33
14 g - Amarillo, Type: Pellet, AA: 7.3, Use: Boil for 15 min, IBU: 6.38
14 g - Simcoe, Type: Pellet, AA: 12.9, Use: Boil for 15 min, IBU: 11.27
14 g - Amarillo, Type: Pellet, AA: 7.3, Use: Boil for 5 min, IBU: 2.56
14 g - Simcoe, Type: Pellet, AA: 12.9, Use: Boil for 5 min, IBU: 4.53
14 g - Amarillo, Type: Pellet, AA: 7.3, Use: Aroma for 0 min
14 g - Simcoe, Type: Pellet, AA: 12.9, Use: Aroma for 0 min
24 g - Simcoe, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 12.9, Use: Dry Hop for 10 days
24 g - Amarillo, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 7.3, Use: Dry Hop for 10 days

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Temperature, Temp: 67 C, Time: 60 min, Amount: 20 L
Starting Mash Thickness: 3 L/kg

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
1 tsp - Irish Moss, Time: 15 min, Type: Fining, Use: Boil

YEAST:
Fermentis / Safale - English Ale Yeast S-04
Starter: No
Form: Dry
Attenuation (avg): 75%
Flocculation: High
Optimum Temp: 12.22 - 25 C
Fermentation Temp: 18 C

 

[Pappers_]

Congrats on hitting your numbers! Let us know how it turns out.

I love using Chinook as a bittering hop in American-style beers. This recipe is pushing the style boundaries, between an IPA and an Imperial IPA. Two things you might consider experimenting with the next time you brew it: 1) use an American-style yeast (US-05, for example) instead of the English style yeast and 2) reduce or eliminate the crystal malt.

 

[UKBrewing]

Thanks for feedback, and yes will report back on it when it's ready, quite interested to see what this tastes like.

I would usually use s05 for american style beers too but didn't have any about. S04 is used in the zombie dust clone I have made before which turned out great, so thought what the hell!

 

[UKBrewing]

OK so here I am reporting back on the finished brew...

This was not heavily bitter like the enamel peeling IPA's as I usually like.
Also, it has a more 'Floral' flavor than the Citrus/Tropical/Grapefruit flavors I tend to enjoy in my IPA's (I guess from the Amarillo).
But it was actually a rather nice brew.

I would class this as a more balanced IPA. Not over bitter and not over hopped. But definitely still bitter and hoppy enough for you to know its an IPA.

At a recent BBQ I hosted, I offered the lager drinking men a glass expecting them to politely say it was nice, but not for them. I was surprised when they got through several glasses, I ended up telling one how to use the keg so he could help himself!

In my opinion it hides its 7.4% abv well. But a couple of ladies who tried it mentioned it tasted really strong, so maybe it doesn't and I'm just used to strong beer, or maybe they are just used to watery lager tasting beer and anything else tastes strong.