Extract Citra/Centennial IPA

[LordMcALe]

Hi,

I am about to brew my 6th batch. I always brew extract with steeping grains. My previous effort was a Bells 2 Hearted clone which came out pretty decent, now I want to try a Citra/Centennial IPA.

I would appreciate some feedback on my proposed recipe:

20 liter / 5,28 gallon batch

OG: 1066
FG: 1016
ABV: 6,4
IBU: 65

3kg (6,6 lbs) Light DME
300 gram (0,66 lbs) CaraMalt 40

Hops are Centennial 9,4% and Citra 13,3%:

60 min 1 oz Centennial
10 min 1 oz Citra + 1 oz Centennial
05 min 1 oz Citra + 1 oz Centennial
Dry Hop: 3.5 oz Citra

Safale US-05 yeast

I plan to steep 30 minutes at 150 F
Then add 1 lbs of DME at the start of the boil. The rest I will add at 15 minutes left in the boil.

Questions:
- any comments on the amount of DME / steeping grains?
- I like very hoppy IPAs with lot's of flavor and aroma. Any comments on the hop schedule, stick to the 10 and 5 mins or should I do flame out instead? [edit] I realize that the hop bill might be slightly over the top, so I consider cutting down on the 10 and 5 minute addition. [/edit]

Thanks a lot for your feedback!

 

[TheMilkMan]

You don't have to steep for 30 min @ 150. You can steep from cold water until ~170fish, if that makes sense. You are basically just dissolving sugar at that point. You can do it either way, just an option. Either way, looks tasty!

 

[RM-MN]

You don't have to steep for 30 min @ 150. You can steep from cold water until ~170fish, if that makes sense. You are basically just dissolving sugar at that point. You can do it either way, just an option. Either way, looks tasty!

This is true, the water temperature isn't critical for steeping grains. It is critical if you go all grain so practice in bringing the water to 150 will be helpful if you do decide to go all grain. Where it is also helpful is if there are any base malts in with the steeping grains as the range of 145 to 160 will cause the starches in those to be converted, adding fermentable sugars instead of starches.

 

[DukeAC]

That looks like it'll be tasty as-is. If I was brewing this, I'd make a couple of changes though.

1. Move the 10 and 5 minute additions to 5 min and flameout, with a 15-20 minute whirlpool/hop steep. You can increase your bittering addition to compensate for the change in IBUs, but also remember you'll get some isomerization in the whirlpool.

2. Drop the crystal to 5% and add some dextrose (5-10%) when you do your late boil DME addition to dry the beer out a little more (this depends on your taste in IPAs though).

Either way, sounds like it'll be good!

Missed your edit...if you want a lot of hop flavor/aroma, don't decrease the amounts for your late boil additions...if anything increase them!

 

[LordMcALe]

Hi,

Thanks for the feedback, helpful!

One question, what do you mean by adding dextrose? just add plain sugar?
And what exactly does it to the beer (instead of steeping grains?)

Thanks again!

 

[RM-MN]

One of the sources of dextrose is corn sugar. It's a very simple sugar and the yeast can easily eat it. It tends to make your beer ferment out more, less malty, more dry.

 

[DukeAC]

One of the sources of dextrose is corn sugar. It's a very simple sugar and the yeast can easily eat it. It tends to make your beer ferment out more, less malty, more dry.

Yes, this. Extract beers don't tend to dry out as much since you don't mash the grains and as a result don't have control over how fermentable your wort is. Your calculated FG is 1.016, which for my taste is a little high for an IPA. You can replace some DME with dextrose/corn sugar (to keep the same OG if that is what you want) and probably drop your predicted FG down to 1.012-1.014. I wouldn't add more than 5-10% dextrose though to avoid introducing off-flavors.

 

[Calder]

More late hops.

Add some flame out hops.

Why add the DME at 15? Why not just wait until flame out. Add the DME at flame out, when dissolved, then add any flame out hops, cover and steep for 30 minutes, then cool.

I'd add some plain table sugar. About a pound. Extract tends to end with a highish gravity. Adding sugar helps to lower the FG by a few points. I like IPAs to be drier.

 

[LordMcALe]

Hi,

Should I add 1 pound of sugar to the recipe of replace 1 pound of DME by 1 pound of sugar?

Regards
Lord McAle

 

[RM-MN]

Hi,

Should I add 1 pound of sugar to the recipe of replace 1 pound of DME by 1 pound of sugar?

Regards
Lord McAle

Yes.

Adding a pound of sugar should dry out the beer but add more alcohol. Replacing DME with sugar should dry out the beer but leave you with similar amount of alcohol as the recipe would have originally have stated.

 

[SC_Ed]

Sounds good, similar to what I have in the primary.

I love citra.

 

[LordMcALe]

Hi,

What kind of sugar should I use, in order to replace Some DME?

Thanks!

 

[Calder]

Hi,

What kind of sugar should I use, in order to replace Some DME?

Thanks!

I use plain old table sugar in my beers.