Critique my n00bish recipe.

[grasseriver]

I'm trying to develop an extract recipe as my next foray into homebrewing; something of a next step.

I was using the calculator on tastybrew.com to work on this; let me know if you see any glaring issues. Keep in mind it's my first one.

Should be I steeping crystal malt at the beginning to add flavor?

--------------
Boil Volume: 3 Gal
Batch Size: 5.5 Gal

9# Amber DME
1oz Super Styrians @60 min boil
1oz Super Styrians @30 min boil
1oz Bramling Cross @20 min boil
10z Willamette @10 min boil

Wyeast 1098 British Ale

 

[Saccharomyces]

What style are you shooting for?

http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/catdex.html

Are you willing to do a partial mash, or just steeping grains? The more grains the more flavor you will get. All extract of one type will be pretty one-dimensional in the malt character.

 

[grasseriver]

For now, given my setup and knowledge, just going with steeping grains. My plan is to get more complex with each batch.

I know I snagged the Brit Ale yeast, but I'm shooting for a really hoppy ale in general. I'm not sure what you'd actually categorize it as -- American?

Apologies for sounding somewhat stunted.

 

[Saccharomyces]

British ale yeast makes a great IPA. A lot of commercial IPAs are made with it.

Super Styrians I'm not familiar with but they sound like a high alpha noble hop. Bramling cross appears to be British, also don't know that one. Willamette is a Hallertauer relative, spicy and floral. I think your hop bill will make an English IPA if you add an ounce of hops to dry hop in the secondary for a week (maybe an ounce of Willamette to dry hop?).

I'd sub 9# of Amber DME with:

7# Amber DME
2# Crystal 10 (steeped @155 for 30 minutes)
1/2# CaraPils (steeped @155 for 30 minutes)

You'll want to be 40-60 IBUs and SRM 10 or so on the color. You may need to adjust your hop additions to get in that range IBU-wise. Should make a nice balanced hoppy beer.

 

[grasseriver]

So then the recipe would look something like:

2# Crystal 10
1/2# CaraPils

7# Amber DME

1oz Super Styrians @60min
1oz Super Styrians @30min
1oz Bramling Cross @20min
1oz Willamette @10min

(These hop additions would be subject to change to lower the IBU's from my original recipe, which was hitting 54 IBU.)

Add the smack pack of 1098;

Then dry hop in secondary with 1oz Willamette?

 

[Saccharomyces]

Sounds like a plan to me, that's what I would brew.

Other folks are welcome to express their own opinions, of course.

54 IBUs would be fine. You SAID you wanted hoppy, you will definitely get hoppy, esp. with an extra ounce of Willamette to dry hop.

 

[grasseriver]

Sounds like a plan to me, that's what I would brew.

Other folks are welcome to express their own opinions, of course.

54 IBUs would be fine. You SAID you wanted hoppy, you will definitely get hoppy, esp. with an extra ounce of Willamette to dry hop.

Well, plugging in the numbers of the new version of said recipe, it drops the IBU to 38. That's still good by me.

 

[Saccharomyces]

I get 67 IBUs when I plug it in. That's assuming 9% AA on the Super Styrians. If your AA is lower you'll need to compensate by using more hops of course.

 

[grasseriver]

Yeah, my Super Styrians are only 7.0% -- none of the default Alpha percentages were equal to what I've actually got.

 

[s3n8]

Anyone else thing 2# of crystal might be 1# too much? Most of the recipes I have seen don't go much higher than 1. ymmv.

 

[mmb]

Willamette is a Hallertauer relative, spicy and floral.

I thought Willamette was an American Fuggles clone?

Anyone else thing 2# of crystal might be 1# too much? Most of the recipes I have seen don't go much higher than 1. ymmv.

Steeping grains get a lower extraction than mashing. You'll need more than a partial mash depending on what you are going for in the recipe.

 

[Saccharomyces]

Yeah, my Super Styrians are only 7.0% -- none of the default Alpha percentages were equal to what I've actually got.

Gotcha. You can do a late extract addition (say around 20 minutes left in the boil) which will increase your hop utilization. That should get you up around 60 IBUs without more hops.

 

[Saccharomyces]

I thought Willamette was an American Fuggles clone?

Oops you are right it's Fuggles. I was thinking of Mount Hood because I'm using them in my Tripel this weekend.

So that's two English type hops.

 

[grasseriver]

Gotcha. You can do a late extract addition (say around 20 minutes left in the boil) which will increase your hop utilization. That should get you up around 60 IBUs without more hops.

How much more would you add? A pound? 2#?

 

[Saccharomyces]

How much more would you add? A pound? 2#?

I'd add all 7 pounds with 20 minutes left in the boil. With the lower gravity early in the boil the alpha acids will isomerize better, giving more hop bitterness and flavor from the 60/30 additions.

 

[King of Cascade]

Anyone else thing 2# of crystal might be 1# too much? Most of the recipes I have seen don't go much higher than 1. ymmv.

If it was an american IPA i would say it's too much but an English IPA needs a few pounds of crystal

 

[tagz]

I don't know. Everything I've read says that any more than a pound of crystal is going to get cloyingly sweet. I could be wrong...

 

[King of Cascade]

I don't know. Everything I've read says that any more than a pound of crystal is going to get cloyingly sweet. I could be wrong...

There is a guy who brews a killer English IPA using several pounds of crystal that won BOS at our local competition. One of the BOS judges was Gordon Strong (Grand Master 5 BJCP judge) and he didn't think it was cloying????