Hop Usage

[eandersen]

Went to the LHBS with plans to pick up the ingredients for an all Amarillo IPA that called for 6oz Amarillo. Long story short I was only able to get 4oz of Amarillo and also grabbed 1oz each of Simcoe and Citra. The %AA on everything was a bit above what Beersmith estimated to the IBUs are all in the same range. But I'm wondering whether I should possibly bitter with some of the Simcoe and save a little Amarillo for dry hop, just to make a more efficient use of the hops. Here is what I have set up now.

8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 1 6.7 %
7 lbs Light Dry Extract (8.0 SRM) Dry Extract 2 93.3 %
1.50 oz Amarillo Gold [8.90 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 3 28.5 IBUs
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.90 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 4 9.4 IBUs
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.90 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 5 3.8 IBUs
0.50 oz Simcoe [14.10 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 6 3.0 IBUs
0.50 oz Amarillo Gold [8.90 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 7 0.0 IBUs
1.0 pkg American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) [124.21 ml] Yeast 8 -
1.00 oz Citra [13.80 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 9 0.0 IBUs
0.50 oz Simcoe [14.10 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 10 0.0 IBUs

Comes out to about 45 IBUs.

Also, my yeast is super fresh. Like they JUST got the shipment in so its about a week old. Trying to figure out whether I want to take a little DME for a starter and get back to OG with table sugar or just let it ride as is.

 

[DeBAD]

I'd use 1 oz of something like Warrior or Chinook for your 60 minute addition and move the 1.5 oz of Amarillo to later in the boil. I'd shoot for 6 oz of hops total in the boil for an IPA. I'd also dry hop with 3 oz of Amarillo since you are shooting for an Amarillo recipe.

Lastly you night be 100 billion or so cells short on your yeast. Toss your recipe through Mr Malty or something similar to make sure. A extra hydrated package of Safale 05 would do the trick and is pretty cheap.

 

[DeBAD]

In reading through your post again it sounds like you have 6 oz of hops right now. If you don't want to buy more hops yet just use your 1 oz Citra for your 60 min hop then space out the others as needed to end up at the IBU you are shooting for. Use Brewers Friend or something similar to calculate it.

After you've brewed go back to the brew store and get 3 oz more Amarillo. You have a little time while your beer is "cooking" before its time to dry hop.

Don't forget to check that yeast though. Sounds like your OG is high enough you might need 200 billion or so cells.

 

[BrewWNC]

Since you are shooting for a all (or nearly all) Amarillo ipa but dont have enough amarillo hops, I would suggest using hops that can substitute for Amarillo for bittering and use Amarillo some bittering but mostly for flavor and dry hopping. According to brew365, cascade, centennial, ahtanum, and summit can be used to substitute for Amarillo. If you cants get those, Id follow what debad says.

 

[Calder]

Bitter with something else, and save the Amarillo for 15 minutes and in, since you are making an Amarillo ale.

Both Simcoe and Citra are premium aroma hops, so if you have something else, use that. If all you have is the Simcoe and Citra, use the Simcoe to bitter; I understand some people don't like the flavor created by Citra when used for bittering.

I recommend making a starter, you can toss the whole starter in so you don't lose any fermentables if that is a problem. However, if the yeast is fresh and you trust how it was stored, you will probably be OK with straight pitching. You may be pitching low and it may be slow to start, but you should be OK. Just make sure you keep fermentation temps in check.

 

[eandersen]

Got the starter off and running now...hopefully I can get out to to shop tomorrow to grab another bittering hop. If not I'll probably go with the simcoe for bittering. Thanks!

 

[griffin1]

I had a question that relates to the original one posted. If I am going to be boiling hops just for the IBUs does it matter which I use? Will a 60 min boil add any flavor or aromas? Based on my reading they wouldn't.

I will be making an esb and don't know if it matters if I use all English hops for the bitter addition.

 

[Calder]

I had a question that relates to the original one posted. If I am going to be boiling hops just for the IBUs does it matter which I use? Will a 60 min boil add any flavor or aromas? Based on my reading they wouldn't.

I will be making an esb and don't know if it matters if I use all English hops for the bitter addition.

For the most part you are correct. However, many bittering hops do contribute to the flavor a little even though they are added early, so you really want to try to use a neutral one (like Magnum) or a hop from the same family of hops (British, American, Noble, etc) so they don't clash.

 

[griffin1]

Thanks. That makes sense. Based on this info I am going to try bittering with East Kent and use Fuggles for aroma.

Thanks again for the insight.