Extract / grain bill for ipa ? Tips

+1 ^

Do a mini mash using 2 pounds of Vienna or 1 pound of Munich (10-15°L). If you like it dry, omit the crystal entirely, the malt extract has plenty of body and sweetness.

Use Extra Light or Pilsner dry malt extract (NO LME).

Only boil with half your DME and add the rest after flameout to prevent excessive caramelization and loss of hop utilization due to higher gravity.

Do a 30' or 60' boil with a good bittering hop to get half to most of your IBUs, e.g., Warrior, Magnum, or Galena, whatever, even Nugget if you like it (I do).

Look up how to do hop stands and whirlpool hops. The key is there are no 30' 15' 10' 5' 0' hops, all hops are added after flameout when the wort has cooled to 190°F and less (!) and recirculated or intermittently stirred for 30-60'. That gives you the tons of hop flavor you get in modern IPAs.

After fermentation has completed, about 7-10 days in, add your dry hops, 2-4 oz per 5 gallons. Do not do a secondary and prevent oxidation (air infiltration) at all steps and throughout the process.

Read current IPA recipes to get the hang of it.

 

Sure, you can use more, especially if you get a lighter variety Munich (~7°L). Mash low, 148-150F for an hour. Reduce your DME accordingly to get to your target OG.

 

Why not LME? Well, that's the big debate. Many believe LME doesn't ferment out (attenuate) as well as the Extra Light or Pilsner DME does. Regardless, using either LME or DME, extract brews tend to finish higher than AG. So there will be some more residual sweetness left. That's the main reason to omit all the Crystal Malt and as @chickypad said, even replacing some DME with plain sugar (a pound will do) will help to make it drier (lower FG). Add the sugar after the hopstand or, as I prefer, in a sanitary way after fermentation has slowed down (after 4-6 days).

As @king5899 pointed out, put your recipe into BeerSmith or some other recipe formulator (e.g., Brewer's Friend) and see what it gives you. You'll be performing a partial (mini) mash with the Vienna or Munich. I wouldn't go above 1.072. 1.066 is a decent IPA gravity target.

If you want a little more color, you can add a very small amount of roasted malt, such as Carafa Special III, Blackprinz, or Midnight Wheat. Even a 1/4 ounce is plenty. If you add too much your beer will taste roasty.