Best grains to steep for IPA?

[ChadChaney]

Made an IPA last brew with caramel 60L and Belgian Strong for steeping, and the rest DME, good but looking for something different this time. Ideas?

 

[jester5120]

ipa's don't usually have real complicated grain bills. I typically just throw some crystal 40 or 60 on top of my base malt

 

[Yooper]

If you want something different, you could use victory malt or do a partial mash with some amber malt (like I have in my DFH clone recipe under my recipe pull-down).

As was already mentioned, American IPA grainbills are usually ultra simple. You just want to provide malt "backbone" for all of the hops.

 

[boist]

Try 40L and some biscuit, and replace about 5-10% of your DME with Wheat DME.

 

[solo103]

I used a lb of honey malt and some 60 l crystal. Came out nice kinda like bells two hearted

 

[ChadChaney]

Thanks for all the quick replies! I My last batch tasted a lot like a cross between NB Ranger and Bells Two Hearted, good batch! I like the wheat idea, what about flaked wheat? All I have access to today is Bavarian wheat DME or flaked. Going with completely different hops this time too, last time Centenial for bittering, Falconers, Amarillo, Cascade and Citra for flavor, aroma and dry hopping. Thinking Warrior, Centennial and Cascade this time?

 

[ChadChaney]

Yooper- can I replace some of the Pilsen DME w Amber DME for same effect, I have 2 lbs of Amber DME on hand?

 

[boist]

Try Challenger for bittering, Fuggles, E. Kent Goldings for aroma and dry hop. Give it a bit more of an "English" feel. US-04 or Nottingham yeast

 

[acefaser]

vienna or munich are popular

 

[Yooper]

Yooper- can I replace some of the Pilsen DME w Amber DME for same effect, I have 2 lbs of Amber DME on hand?

I'm not a fan of amber DME. It has crystal (no idea what color or how much) in it, but it might have some other things in there, too, like Munich malt. I'd much rather use the lightest extract you can find, and add the specialty grains for color and flavor and be in control of the ingredients. It'd be too sweet for an IPA.

 

[solo103]

You could try London ale yeast if you use the amber DME it would give it a oakey ester . But It would be like Terrapins Big Hoppy Monster. If you really want to go outside the box

 

[solo103]

Also I'm pretty sure flaked wheat will produce a haze in lighter beers

 

[ChadChaney]

Thanks for all the input,I'll list what I decide when I get home. Tossing the idea of a wheat IPA around.

 

[acefaser]

mmmmm... amarillo wheat? That sounds pretty good. I might have to give that one a try.

 

[duckmanco]

I have to be that guy, but I'm a big fan of none steeping grains.... That's right, straight either dme or lme for an American IPA works incredibly well. Some of my favorite extract brews, especially ipas have had no steeping grains AND have used 5% simple sugar, corn sugar usually, and it creates an awesome dry beer that lets hops scream through the beer.

 

[ChadChaney]

duckmanco- I tossed that idea around, still deciding on recipe, however I have never done this so a little skeptical.

Yooper- Thanks for chiming on on my post, I always hope you or Revy will post. Also, thanks for saving this batch, I almost decided to do the amber DME! I brewed a Dead Guy kit awhile back and did not bother to check the ingredients first and was short 2 lbs of Amber DME! Made a really crappy brew, lesson learned, but my supplier gave me 2 lbs of free Amber DME, maybe I will use it for yeast starters?

So, here is what I am sitting on now:

6 lbs Pilsen DME
1 lb 60L Caramel
3 oz Magnum pellets
2 oz Falconers pellets
2 oz Cascade pellets
2 oz Centennial pellets
Washed Pacman for starter (shaking when I can method)

Not sure of the final recipe, all suggestions welcome.
I brew in an extremely small pot, ugh, 3 gallon.
I usually steep the grain and then "sparge" with boiled water ( around 160) to rinse the steeped grain and add that to my boil. From there I proceed with the brewing process.
I am shooting for a nice clean, crisp and dry IPA.
I also have access to more of the hops listed here if needed. I will mes around with beersmith tomorrow and see what I can come up with.

I sincerely thank everyone who has contributed to this thread, this site has made me a better brewer. My all grain equipment will be here soon, so I am sure I will be leaning on the community some more then. I replied to the "pay it forward thread" and am expecting some great orange peel for a killer wit, maybe a wit IPA, and will be going through my stuff this weekend to see what I can offer someone else.

Thanks again all, and have a great holiday season!

 

[bighorn_brew]

Recently I used some honey malt in a pale ale and like the backing this gave the hops.

 

[Yooper]

I'd consider cutting the crystal malt to .50 pound and saving the other half for another brew. If you want a nice "clean, crisp" IPA, I'd also consider adding 1/2-1 pound corn sugar at the end of the boil. (6 pounds DME is not quite adequate for an IPA, plus the sugar will give you a certain crisp dryness that is great in an IPA). Add 1/2 of the extract at the end of the boil, or at 15 minutes before adding the hops if added it at the end of the boil is not something you want to do. To add at 15 minutes, stop the timer at 15 minutes, add the extract, stir well, and bring it back to a boil. Then start the timer again at 15 minutes and add the flavor hops.

With those ingredients, I'd make this:

8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 1 7.1 %
6 lbs Light Dry Extract (8.0 SRM) Dry Extract 2 85.7 %
8.0 oz Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 3 7.1 %

1.50 oz Magnum [11.60 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 36.4 IBUs
1.00 oz Centennial [10.40 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 5 10.8 IBUs
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 6 2.3 IBUs
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 7 0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Centennial [10.40 %] - Aroma Steep 1.0 min Hop 8 0.0 IBUs
Pacman yeast

Dryhop with any citrusy/floral hops for 5-7 days before packaging.

OG 1.058
IBUs 49.5

 

[duckmanco]

^^^^ if your going to use steeping grains, that's how to use them, 5-8 % for an ipa is just about perfect for my tastes, and 5-10% sugar keeps them nice and dry which I think is what makes an ipa really taste right. A malt backbone is fine, but I don't like it when they finish like an amber ale or anything close to a bw. Ymmv, but I'd for damn sure use what yooper posted.

 

[ChadChaney]

I was planning on not using all the crystal, have another brew in mind w the other half. I generally add at least half of my DME at the end of the boil.

Yooper,thanks for the recipe idea! I forgot about corn sugar,thanks. I think I want my IBU's a lot higher though,around 70 or so,and I think I might dry hop w cascade,shooting for something different than my last one.

 

[Yooper]

I was planning on not using all the crystal, have another brew in mind w the other half. I generally add at least half of my DME at the end of the boil.

Yooper,thanks for the recipe idea! I forgot about corn sugar,thanks. I think I want my IBU's a lot higher though, around 70 or so,and I think I might dry hop w cascade,shooting for something different than my last one.

If you want your IBUs higher, that's great! But make sure you add more fermentables otherwise the malt won't hold up to more bittering. With only 6 pounds of DME, you're under the OG for an IPA. The corn sugar will help, but it's still an IPA at the very low range of acceptable OG. Putting it at the very end of the high range for IBUs will make the beer strongly bitter but not in a good way.

 

[ChadChaney]

Right, I will grab another bag of Pilsen DME before Sunday, brewday.

 

[ChadChaney]

gonna play around in beersmith at some point today, I'll post final recipe then!

 

[ChadChaney]

Yooper, what is the difference for the hopping in your recipe;

1 oz Cascade boil 0 min and aroma steep 1 min Centennial?

 

[ChadChaney]

Also, you would leave the Falconers out?

 

[ChadChaney]

Here is what I have right now, thinking it is looking pretty good!

Holiday IPA
Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
8.0 oz Caramel Malt - 60L 6-Row (Briess) (60.0 SRM) Grain 1 5.0 %
3 lbs Pilsen DME (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 2 30.0 %
1.50 oz Magnum [13.01 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 3 21.5 IBUs
6 lbs Pilsen DME [Boil for 15 min](3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 4 60.0 %
1.00 oz Centennial [9.90 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 5 5.4 IBUs
8.0 oz Corn Sugar (Dextrose) [Boil for 15 min](0.0 SRM) Sugar 6 5.0 %
1.00 oz Cascade [5.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 7 1.1 IBUs
1.00 oz Cascade [5.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 8 0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Aroma Steep 1.0 min Hop 9 0.0 IBUs
1.0 pkg Pacman (Wyeast #) [35.49 ml] Yeast 10 -
2.00 oz Falconers Flight [10.50 %] - Dry Hop 10.0 Days Hop 11 0.0 IBUs


Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.076 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.021 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 7.2 %
Bitterness: 67.2 IBUs Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 7.2 SRM

Thoughts?

 

[Yooper]

Yooper, what is the difference for the hopping in your recipe;

1 oz Cascade boil 0 min and aroma steep 1 min Centennial?

Not much difference in a 0 addition and a 1 min addition. But it gives me a minute to grab my next addition!

Also, you would leave the Falconers out?

You can use any hops you like. I just really like centennial and cascade together. You can use the FF if you'd prefer.

I like the new recipe! That looks great. With pacman yeast, and some corn sugar and little crystal, you may even get a FG in the mid-teens. Which is a good thing in an IPA!

 

[ChadChaney]

Thanks Yooper! I have found that Pacman is a BEAST, eats everything, hence the name, lol. So what if I sub out the Falconers and dry hop w an ounce each of Centennial and Cascade?

So when exactly do you add the 0 and 1 min additions?

 

[powerfreak]

Honey malt is also a fantastic balancer for IPAs along with the crystal family. It all depends on what malt profile you're going for.

Honey malt always works itself into my recipes now. Its just awesome in my book.

 

[rexbanner]

My IPA just took first place at a fairly large comp. IPAs aren't complex, here's my recipe:

92% LME
8% c-20
6 oz simcoe
us-05

The hops are the star of the show.

 

[kyleobie]

I disagree about IPAs and complexity, although hops should be front and center. It just depends on the recipe. IPA with a good malty backbone tastes great in the wintertime. And something like flaked barley can add a different element to a bitter mouthfeel.

 

[Yooper]

Thanks Yooper! I have found that Pacman is a BEAST, eats everything, hence the name, lol. So what if I sub out the Falconers and dry hop w an ounce each of Centennial and Cascade?

So when exactly do you add the 0 and 1 min additions?

I don't know if you were serious or not, but just in case you were:

1 min additions go in with 1 minute left in the boil
0 min additions go in with 0 minutes left in the boil (flameout).

 

[ChadChaney]

Yooper, bringing back this thread, I hope... Just wanted to say I pitched a starter of about 1.5 liters ( split the smakpak between 2 flasks and came out with about 1.6 liters) of Pacman and got down to 1.018. Tasted today after 3 weeks on yeast and is killer! I just dumped 2 oz. of Falconers for dry hop, plan on leaving that for a minimum of 7 days. I want to try not to go more than 10 and then rack to secondary just to add gelatin and then cold crash for a few day and then keg. Anyway, thanks for all the advice! Happy new year!