Bitter IPA style?

[dude1]

I brewed a clone of the Russian River Blind Pig IPA

The recipe included some early hops additions on top of the typical late additions and DH of an IPA

1/2oz (14g) Chinook at 60'
1/4oz (7g) Columbus at 60'
1/2oz (14g) Amarillo at 30'

The beer turns out to be quite bitter, almost in an unpleasant way

I searched online to see if a "Bitter IPA" style existed, but apparently not

What would you say would be the best way to call such as beer, as it's clearly not your usual, mostly aromatic IPA?

Thanks

 

[FatDragon]

Your hop additions are all out of whack. An aromatic IPA should have some hops early on for bitterness, but most of its hops should come late in the boil or after the boil (whirlpool or dry hop) for aroma and flavor. You either got a bad clone recipe or you misread the recipe because that hop schedule (presumably for one gallon?) is not going to make a modern IPA.

If it's an option, dry hop it and you'll have a bitter, but still aromatic, beer. If not, you can leave it for a few months and some of the bitterness will fade (I find it helps to drink a beer like that at cellar temps rather than fridge-cold). If it's just completely unpalateable, dump it or cook with it. Either way, chalk it up to experience and move on to your next brew.

 

[dude1]

Couldn't agree more
Early hops additions in IPAs are calling for trouble

I inspired myself from these two recipes, which both come from the American Homebrewers Association

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/homebrew-recipe/russian-river-blind-pig-ipa-clone
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=19721.0

 

[IndyBlueprints]

Couldn't agree more
Early hops additions in IPAs are calling for trouble

I inspired myself from these two recipes, which both come from the American Homebrewers Association

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/homebrew-recipe/russian-river-blind-pig-ipa-clone
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=19721.0

Both of those recipes have a substantial amount of late addition hops and dry hops. Did you opt out of adding those?

Early addition hops are totally appropriate for an IPA, I just wouldn't go with them exclusively.

 

[RM-MN]

I brewed a clone of the Russian River Blind Pig IPA

The recipe included some early hops additions on top of the typical late additions and DH of an IPA

1/2oz (14g) Chinook at 60'
1/4oz (7g) Columbus at 60'
1/2oz (14g) Amarillo at 30'

The beer turns out to be quite bitter, almost in an unpleasant way

I searched online to see if a "Bitter IPA" style existed, but apparently not

What would you say would be the best way to call such as beer, as it's clearly not your usual, mostly aromatic IPA?

Thanks

If the hops you listed are the only ones in the recipe you have an incomplete recipe. Russian River Blind Pig is a very bitter beer but it should have a very good aroma from all the late addition hops. Compare your recipe to this one and see if yours is missing something. https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/homebrew-recipe/russian-river-blind-pig-ipa-clone/

 

[dude1]

I've added everything according to the recipe

Still, I guess I will stay away from early hops additions in IPAs or at least add less, because the result is definitely a little too bitter

 

[AdamEltro]

If you weren't keen on what you tasted, brew this again reducing the early hops. Enjoying the end result is more important than sticking to the recipe!

My IPAs and pales often have no hops at the beginning of the boil, to allow more hops later