Not Happy With My IPAs

IPA and IIPA are my favorite styles to drink, but I rarely am happy with ones that I brew. The biggest problem is that I don't feel like I get the bitterness right (yes, I have followed several clone recipes here to a "T"). One of the things I love about the styles is mouth-puckering bitterness, but I have a real problem achieving they in my Homebrew. Beersmith always says my IBUs are in the 70+ range, but I never get the bitterness like a Pliny, Sculpin, etc. Any suggestions on how to improve my bitterness? Thanks.

 

What's your boil volume?

 

6 to 11 gallons depending on my batch size (5 v. 10).

 

Do you have an example of your recipe, yeast, water, process...? Maybe we can figure out what's going on with your ipas.

 

what yeast are you using? yeast can play a factor in perceived bitterness.

 

I use 3 main yeasts: WLP001, WLP007, and San Diego Super Yeast. I typically mash around 148-152. I use RO water and build it up with Gypsum and Calcium Chloride.

 

I've also tried hop extract in lieu of pellets or leafs.

 

what level are you shooting for for your sulfates? Also, could we get a sample recipe so we can see what specialty grains you might be using/when you are making your hop additions?

 

What is your brewing water like? Ca and SO4 have an effect on hop utilization and perception.

 

300 ppm for my sulfates. I typically go with 90-95% base malt (GW 2-row, GW NW Pale, or Fawcett MO) and 5-10% crystal and carapils with hop additions typically at 60 then a bunch at <20. I've also tried FWH and Mash hopping.

 

Post your last recipe, including water volumes and measured FG at the end of fermentation.

I found my problem with IPA's was not getting them dry enough and not adding enough hops. Most of the clones I saw called for 3-4oz I now shoot for minimum of 6oz of hops and have been playing around with hop bursting my late additions.

 

Maybe with your system the solution is just that you need to add more bittering hops? For whatever reason you just aren't extracting the IBU's you want. Maybe just up the bittering addition by 5-10 % and see where that gets you. If you are supposed to be at 80 IBU's try upping it to 100 IBU's in spite of what the recipe calls for. It could also just be YOU....maybe your taste buds are not as sensitive to bitterness as others are.

 

What sort of crystal malts? Also what's your attenuation looking like? This is a pale beer, so are you acidifying your mash?

 

Also how are you adding the hops? Spider? Bags? Free floating in the boil?

 

More sulfites. Try using Kölsch yeast WLP029 and it will really make your bitterness pop. Next, think about using some hop extract. A lot of the breweries you mentioned are doing that to get the bitterness your describing. It's hard to think why you would be having this problem though. I know if I drop in 2 ounces of Apollo 17.8 in at 90 minutes the bitterness is teeth stripping.

 

I'm going to say if your using bags, spiders, paint strainers, etc... try not to for a batch. I have done this with my bitterness increasing (some will say otherwise saying bags and such do not effect utilization). It's worth a shot in my opinion. Also fwh tends to leave a smoother bitterness so of you want sharper bitterness just go with the 60 minute addition instead of the fwh. Could be the water also, just try one thing at a time so you know what works and what doesn't.

 

Add more hops.