Recipe question

[jpeebs]

This is probably the third recipe I've done all on my own and I'm having some problems. I would like to make an American IPA, and I feel I've got a pretty good recipe going, but Beersmith says that my OG and ABV will be low for the style. Here's what I've plugged in so far:

Pale malt (2 row) - 17 lbs
Caramel/crystal - 2 lbs
Munich malt - 1 lbs

boil additions:
1.5 oz Chinook @ 60 min
1.5 oz amarillo @ 30 min
1 oz amarillo @ 15 min
1.5 oz cascade @ 5 min
1.5 oz citra @ 0 min

Est OG = 1.054
Est ABV = 5.6%
64 IBUs
6.5 SRM

Seems like a lot of grain for that low of an OG. I'm going for about 6.5-7% ABV. I've considered adding sugar at 0 min (maybe .5-.75 cups) but do not know how to estimate how this will change OG and Beersmith doesn't have a sugar addition...

Also keep in mind I'm just kind of throwing together what I've used in past kits that has worked well and not really positive how to make a recipe. So criticism allowed! Thanks in advance!

 

[billl]

What is your batch size? What was your efficiency in your earlier brews?

 

[chickypad]

I take it this is a 10 gal batch. If you want a higher ABV you need to add more fermentables. You could add sugar but I think you just need more grain. Beersmith has all kinds of sugar additions - cane sugar, corn sugar, candi sugar, etc. I would cut the crystal percentage down you're at 20% right now which is a lot IMO for an IPA. I go more like 5%. I would also personally up the later hop additions, moving the 30 min amarillo - something like 2-3 oz total at 15, 5, 0 plus a big dry hop.

 

[suckmyale]

I plugged it into Beersmith.

With 75/80% Effeciency you need about 3-5 more pounds of base to get it where you want.

I'm assuming you are limited to 20# of grain in your MLT?

Other options.

you could add 1-2 pounds of corn sugar, or add 2-3 pounds of DME. (They are both in Beersmith under Add Grain).

 

[jpeebs]

Thanks guys. This is for a 5 gallon batch which is why it seemed like such a low OG for that much grain. I have a 10 gallon tun (Orange water cooler). Would sugar kill the mouth feel of it?

 

[jpeebs]

Efficiency is about 75%.

 

[billl]

You've got some setting wrong. 20 lbs of grain with 75% efficiency in a 5 gallon batch is 20*45*.8*.75/5=108 or a OG of 1.108. Also the IBU's are way low. Do you have it set to a 10 gallon batch by chance?

 

[jpeebs]

Wow...I did...Case of the Monday nights for sure...Thanks for the tip billl!

 

[jpeebs]

ok. After fixing that faux pas, here's what I've corrected to get about where I want to be. Again, I've only done a couple recipes on my own, and this is my first IPA. Let me know what you think of the recipe.

5 gal batch
american IPA

12 lbs - Pale malt (2 row) (20 SRM)
1 lbs 4 oz - caramel/crystal malt
1 lb - munich malt

1.5 oz Chinook @ 60 min
1 oz amarillo @ 30 min
1 oz amarillo @ 15 min
1 oz cascade @ 5 min
1 oz citra @ 0 min (sit for 5-10 minutes)

2.5 oz cascade dry hop after 14 days in fermenter.

Wyeast #1056 american ale yeast pack

est OG = 1.064
IBUs - 84.5
72 SRM
est ABV 6.8%

This is basically exactly what I was going for, number wise. Any suggestions on the hops or hop schedule? I basically went with common stuff that I've worked with before and liked.

 

[rcornell]

Just experiment with different hop combos and see what you like. I just did a hop profile of 1oz simcoe 60min, 1oz mosaic 30min, 1oz Amarillo 15min, 1oz citra 5 min. Dry hopped 1oz each of mosaic, Amarillo, and Citra for 7 days. Turned out amazing. I made a double IPA and used a lb of local honey at flame out to cut the bitterness and up the ABV

 

[BeerLoverHere]

Just experiment with different hop combos and see what you like. I just did a hop profile of 1oz simcoe 60min, 1oz mosaic 30min, 1oz Amarillo 15min, 1oz citra 5 min. Dry hopped 1oz each of mosaic, Amarillo, and Citra for 7 days. Turned out amazing. I made a double IPA and used a lb of local honey at flame out to cut the bitterness and up the ABV

+1 on Mosaic, Amarillo, Simcoe, and Citra all together. Love using all 4 of those together in IPAs and APAs.

+1 on Honey to up the alcohol content at flame-out. I usually do this for my IIPA at times as well to give it a little more alcohol.

If you like Dogfish 60/90 min IPA, there are some threads here with recipes that are similar. I just did one this week and am anxious to try as the hop schedule calls for lots of hops in small amounts added often. I'm anxious to taste how it turns out.

 

[sky4meplease]

Normally when I build a recipe I will pull up HopUnions website and toggle through the different hops looking for flavor profiles, typical styles, AA% etc. until I get what I'm looking for in hops. Actually, I will use this process for grain and yeast as well.
Additionally, I will go back and forth between the BJCP style guidelines and my recipe tweaking things until I feel I have what I want assuming I am looking to stay within a style to begin with.
I brew once a month on average so experimenting doesn't really work for me. I need to be fairly certain on paper that the ingredients are going to work together. That way I don't spend 12-15 hours of my life and $20.00-$30.00 of my money to say " oh well I guess I won't do that again".

 

[LakeErieMonster]

A general IPA recipe I stick close to each time I brew an IPA:

90-95% base malt
5% crystal malt
0-5% wheat

1oz 60mins high AA hops
Then I usually add a ton of hops between the 5 and 0 minute mark with a ton more hops for a week to dryhop.

 

[Yooper]

ok. After fixing that faux pas, here's what I've corrected to get about where I want to be. Again, I've only done a couple recipes on my own, and this is my first IPA. Let me know what you think of the recipe.

5 gal batch
american IPA

12 lbs - Pale malt (2 row) (20 SRM)
1 lbs 4 oz - caramel/crystal malt
1 lb - munich malt

1.5 oz Chinook @ 60 min
1 oz amarillo @ 30 min
1 oz amarillo @ 15 min
1 oz cascade @ 5 min
1 oz citra @ 0 min (sit for 5-10 minutes)

2.5 oz cascade dry hop after 14 days in fermenter.

Wyeast #1056 american ale yeast pack

est OG = 1.064
IBUs - 84.5
72 SRM
est ABV 6.8%

This is basically exactly what I was going for, number wise. Any suggestions on the hops or hop schedule? I basically went with common stuff that I've worked with before and liked.

It's basically got some great "bones" to it- but it's too much crystal malt and I think too much in the way of bittering hops.

I'd change it just a bit.

I'd lower the crystal malt to no more than one pound. I'd decrease the bittering hops, so that you get about 25-40 IBUs with the 60 minute addition, and then move the 30 minute amarillo to 0 minutes. I'd make sure to do 1 ounce additions (at least) at 15/5 and then go with 2-3 ounces at 0 minutes (whirlpool hops). Otherwise, it's a very good start!

 

[sky4meplease]

"Malt flavor should be low to medium, and is generally clean and malty sweet although some caramel or toasty flavors are acceptable at low levels"

Taken from the BJCP style guidelines for Flavor in an American IPA. If your looking to stay within the style guidelines of course