Late Hopped IPA Recipe Critique

[off7spring]

Hi everyone!

I was looking for some feedback/input on a recipe I've put together for a late hopped IPA. I've had some issues before with overly bitter IPAs (possibly from astringency from sparging too high and/or hop bitterness).

So I was trying to make a NE style IPA with lots of hop flavor/aroma and just enough bitterness to balance it out. Here's my recipe so far:

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: American IPA
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5.5 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 7.5 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.049
Efficiency: 70% (brew house)


STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.067
Final Gravity: 1.013
ABV (standard): 7.15%
IBU (tinseth): 40.92
SRM (morey): 5.97

FERMENTABLES:
12 lb - United Kingdom - Golden Promise (82.8%)
2.5 lb - Flaked Oats (17.2%)

HOPS:
0.5 oz - Centennial, Type: Pellet, AA: 15, Use: Boil for 20 min, IBU: 15.82
1 oz - Amarillo, Type: Pellet, AA: 8.6, Use: Boil for 5 min, IBU: 5.97
0.5 oz - Centennial, Type: Pellet, AA: 15, Use: Boil for 5 min, IBU: 5.21
1 oz - Citra, Type: Pellet, AA: 11, Use: Boil for 5 min, IBU: 7.64
2 oz - Amarillo, Type: Pellet, AA: 8.6, Use: Whirlpool for 20 min at 180 °F, IBU: 2.34
2 oz - Citra, Type: Pellet, AA: 11, Use: Whirlpool for 20 min at 180 °F, IBU: 3
1 oz - Simcoe, Type: Pellet, AA: 7, Use: Whirlpool for 20 min at 180 °F, IBU: 0.95
2 oz - Amarillo, Type: Pellet, AA: 8.6, Use: Dry Hop for 5 days
2 oz - Citra, Type: Pellet, AA: 11, Use: Dry Hop for 5 days

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Infusion, Temp: 152 F, Time: 70 min, Amount: 4.5 gal
2) Sparge, Temp: 168 F, Time: 15 min, Amount: 1.6 gal
Starting Mash Thickness: 1.25 qt/lb

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
1 each - Whirlfloc, Time: 15 min, Type: Fining, Use: Boil
1 tsp - Yeast Nutrient, Time: 15 min, Type: Other, Use: Boil

YEAST:
GigaYeast - Vermont IPA Yeast
Starter: Yes
Form: Liquid
Attenuation (avg): 80%
Flocculation: Med-Low
Optimum Temp: 62 - 75 F
Fermentation Temp: 68 F
Pitch Rate: 0.5 (M cells / ml / deg P)

NOTES:
Mash at 152 for 60 min

Batch sparge at 168 for 15 min

I haven't worked with Golden Promise yet, but I've heard good things. I am really going for an over the top, juicy hop flavor with a really well rounded mouth feel and nice balance between sweet and bitter, but not overly bitter. Also, I think the brewers friend calculator is off since it counted the flaked oats toward the fermentable sugars/ABV.

Any feedback is much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Yooper]

Oats will give you fermentable sugars and increase the OG and the ABV- this is correct.

If you love oats, this recipe will work. I like them in creamy beers like oatmeal stouts, but I don't think it would be at all to my taste in this beer, or in this quantity. Oats are oily and slick, giving a slick creamy mouthfeel. It might be very odd with juicy hops flavor. Or it might be something you will love- I just wanted to mention it in case you were unsure of the oats.

Golden promise is a great base malt. It's very much like maris otter, and it's "warm" and "bready", as best as I can describe it. I really like it.

I love the hopping! I'd probably go with a tad bit more bitterness, close to 50 IBUs in a 1.067 beer to make sure that it's balanced well. Increasing the 20 minute centennial to 1 ounce would probably do that, and bring more flavor to the addition as well.

 

[mkling]

The hopping here looks good.

The flaked oats will be fermentable & should count towards the ABV. What they will also do is leave a fuller, slicker mouthfeel & some haze/cloudiness behind because of the increased proteins that will be in the beer.

 

[off7spring]

Oats will give you fermentable sugars and increase the OG and the ABV- this is correct.

If you love oats, this recipe will work. I like them in creamy beers like oatmeal stouts, but I don't think it would be at all to my taste in this beer, or in this quantity. Oats are oily and slick, giving a slick creamy mouthfeel. It might be very odd with juicy hops flavor. Or it might be something you will love- I just wanted to mention it in case you were unsure of the oats.

Golden promise is a great base malt. It's very much like maris otter, and it's "warm" and "bready", as best as I can describe it. I really like it.

I love the hopping! I'd probably go with a tad bit more bitterness, close to 50 IBUs in a 1.067 beer to make sure that it's balanced well. Increasing the 20 minute centennial to 1 ounce would probably do that, and bring more flavor to the addition as well.

Thank you! Good call on the oats...I'll probably cut that down some...I was comparing it to Tired Hands HopHands which I heard uses 18% oats.

 

[off7spring]

Thanks! Didn't know that they counted toward the ABV. Might have to adjust it down some to get more in the 6.5% range I was shooting for.