What do you think of my first recipe? Making an IPA for my 2nd AG batch.

[thisoneguy]

This will be my second AG batch, and I'll finally have a chance to brew it over the holidays, near Jan 1, 2012. The batch will definitely be after Christmas some time, I'm getting a freezer/ferm chamber and stir plate that I'll be dying to use! :rockin:

I'd like some feedback on the recipe, as it is the first that I've made on my own; constructive criticism, suggestions, substitutions you'd consider, etc. I'd also like to know if you think it looks good!

Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 8.27 gal
Boil Time: 75 min
Equipment: thisoneguy Pot and Rectangle Cooler ( 5 Gal/19 L) - All Grain
End of Boil Volume 7.02 gal (to allow some loss from kettle to fermenter due to hops, break material)
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 % (estimated from my first AG batch, which is all I have to go on, but I wouldn't be too surprised if I end up +/- from this measurement)
Final Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage (Thinking 7-10 days in primary around 65-66*F, then 7-10 days in a carboy on dry hops around 68*F) After this, I'll rack to a keg, and I'm considering putting a SS ball with some Centennial and maybe Amarillo pellets so the aroma doesn't dissipate. What do you think?


Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
10.00 gal Macomb Twp., MI Water (I can provide details of the water chem if you like)
8.00 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 2 -
11 lbs 4.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 77.6 %
1 lbs 12.0 oz Munich Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 4 12.1 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 5 10.3 %
0.75 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 26.0 IBUs
0.50 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 7 13.3 IBUs
0.75 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 8 15.8 IBUs
0.25 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 9 4.0 IBUs
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 10 -
0.50 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 11 4.1 IBUs
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 10.0 mins) Other 12 -
0.50 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 13 2.3 IBUs
0.50 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 14 2.7 IBUs
0.50 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 2.0 min Hop 15 1.1 IBUs
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 16 0.0 IBUs
0.50 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 17 0.0 IBUs
1L Starter of WLP007 <----------- Also Considering WLP001... Suggestions?
1.75 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 19 0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 20 0.0 IBUs

Single Infusion mash for 60 minutes at 150* in a rectangular cooler with copper manifold, batch sparge.
75 Minute boil, with above hop schedule.

I use an immersion chiller to cool the wort and also oxygenate with pure O2 before pitching.

Thanks in advance for your comments! Cheers!

 

[hercher]

That seems like a lot of hops and a very complex hop schedule. I would simplify that a lot. Disclaimer: I'm a big fan of using only one or two hop varieties in a beer. Consider sticking with just the Simcoe as a bittering hop, then using an ounce of Amarillo at the end of the boil. If you are going to dry hop in the keg, there is no need to dry hop in the secondary, as well.

IMHO, transferring to the secondary on the whole is unnecessary. I leave my beer on the yeast cake for an extra 7 days or so to help clean up the flavor, then transfer straight into the keg and dry hop. No point in handling your beer more than you absolutely have to.

Malt schedule looks good.

Is your water soft? Do you really need that much gypsum?

 

[JonM]

I'd bitter with something like Warrior or CTZ (and skip the 30 min addition) because Simcoe is hard to come by and will be hard to come by for the next ten months or so. I'd save my Simcoe for a recipe where I can put the Simcoe front and center.
The Centennial Amarillo mix should be good for the flavor/aroma additions.

 

[oach]

Warrior is a clean bittering hop that is ridiculously cheap (< $1/ounce when bought by the pound) and is much more plentiful than Simcoe. Warrior also is very high in alpha so you don't need much of it to achieve the same IBU level. As JonM, save the Simcoe for a Simcoe centric beer that shows off the proprietary hop in the flavor and aroma. Too expensive, too rare, and too good in the aforementioned rolls to use as a bittering hop.

I feel like you may be using a touch too much crystal for an eventual five gallon batch.

Good luck.

 

[Keffa]

I'm a noob, but take this how you will:

A touch too much caramel malt, do away with the 2 minute addition, change the bittering hop to something else and use the Simcoe in place of the Centennial. Amarillo/Simcoe = <3

 

[Piratwolf]

+1 on subbing a cheaper high AA hop for Simcoe as bittering hop. And unless you have a really pressing theory or experiment, I'd simplify the hop schedule to 60 (or even FWH, a fav of mine)-15-5. For example, 60=Warrior or Nugget, 15=Simcoe/Amarillo, 5=Simcoe/Amarillo.

As for Crystal malt, I've found that anything over 5% is too sweet for even aggressively-hopped (100+ IBU) IPAs to my taste. Granted, I've not put much Munich in before so that may help offset the caramel. But still, 10% seems really high IMO.

FWIW.

"All your home brew are belong to us!"