What's your favorite Grain Bill for an IPA?

I'm working on some new recepies and wondering what YOUR "go-to" grain bill for an IPA is.

 

I like a couple of pounds of munich in with the 2 row base grain.

_

 

I'm about to make an IIPA with 93.6% 2-Row, 3.7% C120 and 3.7% Special B. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Normal IPA though, I'd say 2-Row, up to 10% light to medium caramel malts, and mash low.

 

5 Gallon Batch

12 lbs 2-row
1.5 lbs 60 L Crystal
.5 lbs 40L Crystal

I mash at 160 to leave some residual sugar so that there is some sweetness and body to balance the hop extravaganza that I employ.

 

My go-to for IPA's is ~93% US two row, ~3% crystal, ~3% specialty malt (most commonly victory, caravienne, or aromatic), and a little cara-pils for extra body and lacing.

 

When you say 3% do you mean 3% of the total grain bill? or 3% of the base malt?

 

total

 

My favorite, hands down

89% Rahr 2-row or 10.5 lbs
9% Cane Sugar or 1lbs
2% Thomas Fawcett Crystal 135L-165L or 4 oz

I usually shoot for 1.060-1.062 OG

Lets the hops shine but has enough pop to balance out 60-70 ibus nicely. It is a grainbill you do not want to over hop. I always mash low with it and like to hit 1.010 as an FG. So you have to match your mash temp with your yeast attenuation. I always use 1056 or US-05 and mash at 151 and can repeat it like clockwork.

 

I like all European malts in mine, with a base of pale malt and Vienna, and a blend of C-15 and C-55/65 at about 7% of the grain bill (combined).

 

Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 7.03 gal
Estimated OG: 1.075 SG
Estimated Color: 6.9 SRM
Estimated IBU: 78.3 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 78.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:

Code:

Amount        Item                                      Type         % or IBU      
10 lbs        Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)            Grain        71.43 %       
2 lbs         Vienna Malt (Briess) (3.5 SRM)            Grain        14.29 %       
8.0 oz        Caramel Pils (8.0 SRM)                    Grain        3.57 %        
8.0 oz        Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM)     Grain        3.57 %        

ADD
1 pound of cane sugar to boil
1 Pkgs        Dry English Ale (White Labs #WLP007)      Yeast-Ale                  

Note that is not carapils, it is caramel pils and is slightly different. Its what I like.

 

80% 2-row
13% Honey Malt
7% C-20
OG=1.065, FG=1.012
Mash @150°-152° and IBU's around 90.

 

Vienna as a base malt... Other than that i vary in the specialty grains, but Vienna is my absolute favorite base malt for IPAs.

 

10 pounds pale, 1 pound toasted raw wheat, one half pound crystal 60L.

 

I just made one with 10lbs. 2 row 1lb. Vienna 1lb. crystal 60.

 

Made a IIPA with 15 lb 2 row, 2 lb crystal 60L. Just kegged it today, tasted exactly how I hopped...I mean hoped.

 

12 lb Maris Otter
3/4 lb Caramel 20L
3/8 lb Caramel 40L

 

11 lb 2 row
.5lb crystal 40
.5 lb crystal 10
.5lb carapils
1lb corn sugar

It's basically the grain bill from the Pliny clone and I've done all sorts of hop combos with it and it really let's you do what you want with it.

 

IPA's can be more creative than many other beers. Enjoy the freedom!

 

I haven't made too many IPA's yet (wife isnt a big hop lover, though I'm working on it) given the recent success of my pale ale using 50% vienna, my next IPA is going to be 90% vienna, 5% caramel 60L and 5% carapils. Given a few others on there have said they like vienna as an IPA base malt, I think it should turn out to be quite tasty.

 

75% 2-row or MO
10% Munich 10L
7% Carapils
7% Crystal 20L
Round up on the Crystal to make 100%

I am thinking abut replacing the Munich with Vienna and have been known to sub some wheat for the base malt.

 

Lost my notebook but I think my IPA is 11 lb 2-row, .5lb C20 and .5lb flaked barley.

flaked barley is for stupidly good head retention. every beer I've brewed with .25-.5lbs of that stuff does not lose its head, ever.

 

I haven't had that experience. Hops make for head retention. My stouts take something extra to get it to keep. It lead me to eliminate the adjuncts in my stouts.

 

Just brewed this yesterday. Working on my house IPA recipe.

US 2-Row Malt 14lb 0oz 93.3 % 7.0 In Mash/Steeped
US Caramel 40L Malt 8.00 oz 3.3 % 3.3 In Mash/Steeped
US Carapils Malt 8.00 oz 3.3 % 0.1 In Mash/Steeped

What to try a batch w/ about a 1lb of biscuit malt next time i brew. Did have any at the house this time.

 

95% MO
5 % Crystal 55
and Goldings late addition hops.

-a.

 

90% Marris Otter and 10% Crystal in the 80-120 L range.

 

2 Row Base 90.9%
CaraMunich 9.1%
80% efficiency = 1.060

Centennial Bittering, Cascade throughout

I like my IPA drinkable so I can have a few and not be out for the count.

 

Does carapils leave residual sweetness like a crystal (C40 or 60)? I like to add it for head retention, but i wonder if i am "doubling up" on crystal malts by having crystal and carapils in there.

For example, if i went

93% base
7% carapils

is that going to have a similar taste to

93% base
7% C40
?


Or should i make it:

88% base
7% crystal
5% carapils
?

I'm trying to get a good feel for different base malts in an IPA (MO, 2-row, vienna mainly), but want to add a little something more than just the base.

 

not sure if you can... but brew a batch of each and let it age and try them side by side to find the one u like the best! i'm starting to do that with my brews to refine the grains and hops.

 

I like my IPAs pretty dry. So personally, I prefer adding a little bit of wheat instead of carapils. Both contribute to head retention and have a fairly neutral flavor, but carapils is much less fermentable than wheat malt. ~1/2 lb of wheat is all it takes.

 

I haven't settled on a fave yet, but my next IPA will be 16# pilsner 8oz brown/amber malt or biscuit.

 

I don't know what my favorite is, but I just brewed my first IPA Monday. It was:

10# domestic pale ale malt
3# 20L munich
1.4# 20L caramel

60min infusion mash at 150*
OG: 1.066

Use all Willamette hops to see what their character is like. Used a 2L starter of WLP001 decanted for six gallons. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I like it.

I love that this thread appeared around the same time that I was brewing my first IPA.

 

Right now, my IPA is a SMaSH with MO and EKG. Not sure how long that will last, I think the next one might get some Victory malt and maybe some UK pale ale malt, cutting back on the Maris Otter.

 

My last IPA was 13#2 Row, 1#C10L, .5#C20L, 1#Carapils.

 

10lb 2 row
4lb vienna
2lb munich
1lb honey malt
.5lb carapils

 

Wanted to bump this old thread to see if people have any updated thoughts.

 

82.6% 2 row
8.7% torrified wheat
4.3% munich
4.3% vienna

centennial, simcoe, citra in various proportions at 60, 30, 12, 10, 2, flameout.

 

I don't really care for crystal malts in an IPA.

A white IPA I brewed recently hopped with all Nelson Sauvin was amazing. I highly recommend it with any fruity, high-aroma hop variety. Nelson Sauvin smells like grapefruit and white wine.

That bill was:
76% 2-row
18% wheat
4% carapils
2% acid malt

And I will be brewing it again this Saturday.

Normally I use something like:
86% 2-row
10% munich
4% carapils

BTW wheat is AMAZING in IPA grain bills. The head is like a puffy white cloud. I highly recommend you try it.

 

Hop however you like, but this came out simply fantastic! I've used the grain bill 2 times now with different hops ( 1 - posted below and 2 - Galena for bittering and all Galaxy hops).
*********************************************************
Title: Fresh Squeezed IPA

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: Imperial IPA
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5.25 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 6.5 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.057
Efficiency: 76% (brew house)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.070
Final Gravity: 1.012
ABV (standard): 7.64%
IBU (tinseth): 65.31
SRM (morey): 9.31

FERMENTABLES:
11 lb - American - Pale 2-Row (83%)
1 lb - American - Munich - Light 10L (7.5%)
12 oz - American - Caramel / Crystal 60L (5.7%)
0.5 lb - American - Wheat (3.8%)

HOPS:
0.5 oz - Nugget, Type: Pellet, AA: 13.3, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 22.68
1 oz - Citra, Type: Pellet, AA: 12.5, Use: Boil for 15 min, IBU: 21.15
1 oz - Mosaic, Type: Pellet, AA: 12.7, Use: Boil for 15 min, IBU: 21.49
1 oz - Citra, Type: Pellet, AA: 12.5, Use: Boil for 0 min
1 oz - Citra, Type: Pellet, AA: 12.5, Use: Dry Hop for 5 days

YEAST:
Fermentis / Safale - American Ale Yeast US-05
Starter: No
Form: Dry
Attenuation (custom): 83%
Flocculation: Medium
Optimum Temp: 59 - 75 F
Fermentation Temp: 68 F
Pitch Rate: 0.75 (M cells / ml / deg P)

NOTES:
Mash: 4.1 gallons @ 165* (1 Hour) - Achieves a 152* mash

Sparge: 6.2 gallons @ 170* (10 min)

 

These days I do 6% malted wheat, 3% medium British crystal (65 or so) and the base malt is equal parts maris otter and pilsner, mash at 152. For imperial I up the crystal a touch, add Munich and cane sugar, and go all MO, mash at 148, for double I half the crystal and add cane sugar, go all pilsner, mash at 150.

Steve da sleeve