F**K up at HBS - IIPA Thoughts

[AndDrink916]

Ok, Long story here but scale was at KILO not OZ. I was talking to the owner and wasn't paying attention. So my 9% IPA became a 11.7%IPA since my 4 pounds of specialty malts became 8.8 pounds just like that. So 22 pounds of grain for a 5.5 gallon batch. As of right now I have decided to just go with it. Since I don't have a big enough MT to go no sparge I feel like this is the best option. So how do I balance this recipe or does it look good?

14 pounds of 2 Row
4.4 pounds of Vienna
4.4 pounds of Munich

Bittering with Apollo
Flavor with El Dorado, Mosaic, and a small hit of Galaxy since they were out of Citra.
Whirpool with El Dorado and Mosaic.

71% efficiency
11.7%
1.105 SG
92.8 IBU
BR .885

60 min boil
mash - fly sparge

equipment all grain with 10 gallon coolers

what do you all think. Can I make an awesome IPA at 11.7% or should I just redo the grains all together and make it at 9 like originally planned.


thanks all!

 

[Melana]

You could make a second 5G partigyle batch after the first runnings!

 

[SnakeRidge]

I would go with it and see what you get but I'm a Certified Man of Danger

 

[Sailingeric]

I have done similar. Got talking, ended up with the wrong stuff and said screw it and lets see what happens.. guess what, still made a great beer

 

[peterj]

I would increase your hops a bit to compensate and maybe lower your mash temp a little since it will be such a big beer. But since it was just Vienna and Munich, you should be fine. I brewed an all Vienna pale ale once that I mashed at 154F and got about 78% attenuation with US-05.

You could also mix the grains really well and take out a couple pounds of the mixture until you get to what would be a 9% beer. Your grain ratios would still be off from the original recipe though.

 

[Brettomomyces]

If you go for the 11% make sure you got a BIG pitch of yeast for this sucker, and aerate really well.

I'd also up the bitter ratio to at least 1, if not more.

 

[LLBeanJ]

Your recipe doesn't really have any specialty malts, as it's all base grain, so no major issue here. As the others have said, increase your hops proportionally based on the new grain weight, but other than that, brew it as it was originally planned. And, of course, be sure to pitch enough yeast since your OG will be quite a bit higher.

 

[Braufessor]

I would brew the regular beer I planned to brew. Save the "extra grain" and make a second, smaller beer - maybe grab a 3lb bag of DME to get some extra gravity and bring it up to a 1.04-1.05 type beer if you need. 11.7% is not an IPA. It is not an IIPA..... it is basically a barleywine, and a sizable one at that. All of your grains are basemalts..... you can brew whatever you want with them from an IPA, to a Lager, to a Saison..... whatever you can think of. 2 beers is my vote.

 

[TrickyDick]

I'd agree with Braufessor. That's like 2.5 beers in one glass. I'd uniformly mix the grains and split in two. You COULD do a double brew session with one mash, split the wort into two dilute to appropriate strength and conduct two separate boils if you have the means. You could fiddle with different hops and or different yeasts. Might be more fun than a monster beer that's going to finish around 1.030 or something near that if you're lucky. Could even steep some dark grains in the boil kettle for different color, etc.

TD

 

[Dogue]

I concur with the above recommendations. I'll stress that if you do decide to brew that big a beer, you will need to pitch a big starter, aerate well, and keep fermentation temperatures down (at least at the beginning of fermentation). If you do not do so, you'll risk getting fusel flavors.

 

[Silentdrinker]

My guess is all the brain is mixed into one bag (the exact reason I seperate all my grains and crush then at home)

So I doubt he has an easy way of separating it for two batches.

There a formula to balance your beer based off the gravity. It has the limits for the styles, so you can always aim for the same bitterness vs a specific ibu.

Read this:

http://beersmith.com/blog/2009/09/26/balancing-your-beer-with-the-bitterness-ratio/

 

[Hujo]

If it's all mixed together I'd buy more 2-row and add it, then save half for later. If you don't do that, atleast count with a lower efficiency or increase the sparge volume by quite a lot and do a longer boil.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I'd just use half the bag and call it good. Or buy more hops and make a 10 gallon batch.

 

[sudbuddy]

that beer looks awesome, go for it dude! But I agree you should increase your hops to compensate. Lucky it's all base malts so it shouldn't be overly sweet.

:rockin::rockin::rockin:

 

[kh54s10]

I would also go with mixing the grain as well as possible then splitting it for two batches. If it is not mixed equal, you will just have two different beers.

 

[AndDrink916]

Many ideas. I am going to think about it more. Or I am easily swayed. lol

I bought 2 vials of 090 and planned to make a big starter. I always ferment on the colder side anyway and keep it about 60 and free raise to about 65.

I like the idea of splitting it into two batches. But I also like the idea of a big big IPA. But I don't want something so hot it's impossible to drink. This will weigh very heavy on me today while I should be focusing on work.


I do have more hops. I just hate not knowing exactly the malt ratio even if it is mainly base malts. Just a numbers guy and don't really like unknowns.

 

[Braufessor]

I'll stress that if you do decide to brew that big a beer, you will need to pitch a big starter, aerate well, and keep fermentation temperatures down (at least at the beginning of fermentation). If you do not do so, you'll risk getting fusel flavors.

Whatever you decide - absolutely keep this in mind...... a beer that big can get away from you in a hurry. You need a big starter/lots of healthy yeast, you need O2....... but that will also lead to a fermentation that will generate a lot of heat. I brewed a big bourbon porter last year. Fermented in my basement (60 degrees). Chilled to low 60's........ the active fermentation actually drove the temperature of my fermenter up to 74 degrees and left a lot of "hot" alcohol in the beer. Ruined it pretty much. I had never seen a beer generate that kind of temp. increase and did not think I would need to worry about temp. control in a 60 degree basement..... I was wrong.

 

[bragona71]

If it's all mixed together I'd buy more 2-row and add it, then save half for later. If you don't do that, atleast count with a lower efficiency or increase the sparge volume by quite a lot and do a longer boil.

+1

that beer looks awesome, go for it dude! But I agree you should increase your hops to compensate. Lucky it's all base malts so it shouldn't be overly sweet.

:rockin::rockin::rockin:

+1





tough call I think I would just lower efficiency and brew a big beer and take a risk

 

[peterj]

If it's all mixed together I'd buy more 2-row and add it, then save half for later.

This is a good idea. If you want to be precise about it you could do some math. You added 8.8 lbs and you want 4 pounds, so if you mix the grains evenly and portion them out in that ratio you'll end up having the correct (4 pounds) of Vienna and Munich. So (4/8.8)*22.8lbs = 10.36 lbs. So if you take 10.36 lbs of the grain mixture you currently have, that should contain the desired 2 pounds of Vienna and 2 pounds of Munich. Then just add 7.64 lbs of 2-row to that and you will end up with the correct grain bill.

And you'll also have 12.44 lbs of the original mixture left that you can use to brew pretty much anything else you wanted. By weight it would have 7.64 lbs of 2-row, 2.4 lbs of Vienna, and 2.4 lbs of Munich.

 

[Happywanderer]

I'd split it in half and make two session beers out of it. Adjust hops accordingly. Unless you have equipment to pull off a 10g batch.

 

[AndDrink916]

Well I have a temp controlled ferment. But I will need to keep a close eye on it because I have another IPA in the chamber. It is 11 days in so probably not as temp sensitive at this point but still. I think I am going to go ahead an mix up the crushed grains as best I can (do you think since they are crushed it will be a problem?) and pull out about 3 pounds, adjust my hops, get my IBU/SG close to 1.0. Make a big starter, then let the Beer Gods sort out the rest.

I am limited on ferment space. I have two burners but currently only one kettle. So probably best just to make a big beer but not an almost 12 point beer.

 

[SnakeRidge]

Well I have a temp controlled ferment. But I will need to keep a close eye on it because I have another IPA in the chamber. It is 11 days in so probably not as temp sensitive at this point but still. I think I am going to go ahead an mix up the crushed grains as best I can (do you think since they are crushed it will be a problem?) and pull out about 3 pounds, adjust my hops, get my IBU/SG close to 1.0. Make a big starter, then let the Beer Gods sort out the rest.

I am limited on ferment space. I have two burners but currently only one kettle. So probably best just to make a big beer but not an almost 12 point beer.

It'll be fine. Those are all base malts so rock it out. If you start with the same #'s of grain, you can expect similar gravity. Might not be the same base vs. Vienna vs. Munich flavor but it will be good. I would try to mix up the crushed grain some but I wouldn't sweat it too much

 

[AndDrink916]

I was listening to a BN podcast and I think it was 21A who said they like that malt combo with 2 row. So figured what the hell.

I threw the entire thing in a trash bag and mixed it up best I could. Took out 3 pounds 8 oz of malt (19 pounds left over) and have a monster starter on the stir plate right now. Beersmith has me at 10.2% at 71% which I hit that bhe on last weeks IPA. So we will see.

Mash at 148
Strike at 170
San Diego Super 090
96.1 IBU
10.2% ABV
IBU/SG 1.084
7.4 SRM


First Wort - Simcoe 14 grams
60 min - Apollo Bittering Addition 12 grams
20 - El Dorado 15 g
10 - El Dorado 20 g
4 - Mosaic 28 g
2 - Galaxy 28 g
Whirlpool 30 mins - El Doardo - 56 g
Whirlpool 30 mins - Mosaic - 56 grams
Dry Hop El Dorado - 56 g for 5 days

Package

 

[SnakeRidge]

I've never tried El Dorado, but looks like it will be an amazing beer. Best of luck!