TrueBrew IPA - Changing it Up

[escalante88]

I will be brewing my second batch (TrueBrew IPA kit) tomorrow afternoon, wanted to play with a few of the ingredients, and thought I would run it by you guys and see what you thought. I am substituting 11.5 grams of Fermentis Safale US-05 for the 6 grams of Munton's dried yeast provided in the kit for 2 reasons: One, Mr. Malty's pitching rate calculator estimates 10 grams of dry yeast will be required for a 5 gallon batch, and two, everything I have read indicates that Munton's dry yeast is of inferior quality.

I am also adding 1 teaspoon of Irish moss for the last 15 minutes of the boil for better clarity, as well as considering adding hops. The hops included in the kit are UK Pilgrim pellets for bittering (1 ounce, 11% AA) and UK First Gold pellets for finishing (1 ounce, 7.3% AA), I've heard that the TrueBrew IPA is actually pretty weak on the hops, even for an English-style, so I am considering adding more hops.

I am not looking for a crazy bitter American IPA, just a hoppier English IPA with a little more character than the kit provides. Perhaps I should add an additional 1 ounce of Cascade hops for the final 15 minutes? I don't want to destroy the flavor profile, so if I do add hops I want to use a type that will complement the UK Pilgrim and First Gold. That being said, maybe I dry-hop in the secondary or is this even done with English IPAs?

Thanks for any suggestions. I am having a blast with this! I've been looking info up all week in preparation for the weekend... Cheers!

escalante88

 

[McGarnigle]

If you want to go English, then US-05 may not be as good a pick as an English yeast (S-04? Nottingham? Muntons Premium Gold?), although I agree with not using the basic Munton's.

Also, Cascades would produce a mid-Atlantic type of brew, which is fine but not purely English. EKGs might be an option. 15 minute hops won't add much bitterness...maybe you use some ealier, some later. Does the original kit use hopped extract or unhopped? That would help us guess starting IBUs.

 

[escalante88]

The original kit uses 2 cans of unhopped amber malt extract. How do I measure the IBU's?

 

[pernox]

I did this kit as my first brew.

It is not hoppy, nor anything like an IPA, English or otherwise.

Maybe an ounce of Fuggles at 10m and another ounce to dry hop with? That would add a little flavor and nose. Otherwise, truthfully, it just doesn't come out like an IPA, which is what I'm assuming you want since you bought the kit. ...Just like I did. =)

 

[escalante88]

Thanks pernox - I think I read one of your earlier posts regarding the kit, and how it wasn't really IPAish. Its funny that you suggest Fuggles because bought 1 oz yesterday, and was basically planning on dry-hopping in the primary, and was hoping that that would be adequate, but I am definitely willing to do an additional ounce at 10 minutes. Do you think that the 10 minute Fuggles will be too much? I am trying to get somewhere inbetween and English and American in terms of bitterness, flavor, and aroma. Crazy how unhoppy the kit comes out!

 

[Grimm]

I found eh true brew IPA kit to be a malty bitter IPA, not much hop flavor or aroma at all.

 

[pernox]

Thanks pernox - I think I read one of your earlier posts regarding the kit, and how it wasn't really IPAish. Its funny that you suggest Fuggles because bought 1 oz yesterday, and was basically planning on dry-hopping in the primary, and was hoping that that would be adequate, but I am definitely willing to do an additional ounce at 10 minutes. Do you think that the 10 minute Fuggles will be too much? I am trying to get somewhere inbetween and English and American in terms of bitterness, flavor, and aroma. Crazy how unhoppy the kit comes out!

I don't think it would be too much to throw the whole ounce in at 10m, and I think it would come out the way you want it - pretty much English. If you wanted to play it safe, you could probably use .5oz at 10m and dry hop the other half ounce. Or get another ounce, add .5oz@10m and dry hop with 1.5oz for a more prominent nostril filling delight.