questions about a recipe...

[9am53]

1
Hop Bomb Imperial IPA
Recipe for 5 US gallons (19L)

Description: Quaffable after a big day of shooting the curl, this insanely hoppy, big beer is quite crisp and refreshing due to its
higher attenuation and incredible floral character.

Quantity Ingredients Comment
6.6 lbs Briess CBW® Sparkling Amber LME
2.0 lbs Briess CBW® Pilsen Light DME
2.0 lbs Cane Sugar
4 oz Briess Caramel Malt 60L
1.5 oz. Magnum Pelletized Hops (13%AA hop) 60 min boil time
1.0 oz. Amarillo Pelletized Hops (9%AA hop) 15 min boil time
1.0 oz. Amarillo Pelletized Hops (9%AA hop ) 0 min boil time
1.0 oz. Simcoe Pelletized Hops Dry Hop
1.0 oz. Cascade Pelletized Hops Dry Hop
2 vial(s) WLP001 California Ale Yeast

Brewing Procedures:
1. Steep grains in 5 gallons 150-180º F water for 15-20 minutes and then remove.
2. Remove from heat. Add CBWs and bittering hops and bring to a boil for 45 minutes.
3. Add sugar and more hops. Boil 15 more minutes.
4. Add finishing hops, Cool to 70º F, oxygenate wort and add 2 vials WLP001.
5. Add dry hops after secondary fermentation.

Fermentation:
Primary: 10 Days at 70° F
Secondary: 14 Days at 35° F
Bottle condition with Pilsen Light DME or force carbonate.
Original Gravity: 1.081 Final Gravity: 1.016
Alcohol by wt: 6.8% Alcohol by vol: 8.5%
IBU: Color(Lov): 15


OK, that is from the Breiss website. I can get all the briess ingredients and thought that the recipe sounded great, so here are my questions: Could I use some dark brown sugar instead of cane sugar? Could I use 2 packs of us-05 instead of the liquid yeast? It says to secondary at 35*F...at this temp would ale yeast not just start floccing out? what is the point of that cold secondary? They say
"add dry hops after secondary" do they mean before secondary?

Thanks.

 

[DJG42]

those are reasonable substitutions. the dark brown sugar will add more color to the wort and the yeasts should have really similar results. It's their recipe, but it's going to be your beer.

you might not ever really exactly match a recipe. especially if the recipe calls out the alpha acids in the hops. your LHBS may have different AA values for their hops on hand, and the AA will drop over time, so you're really only trying to get as close as you can to the recipe. The fact that you never see a water profile will tell you your only ever going to get close to what someone else made.