First Beer Recipe - Will this work?

[deadphish]

Hey all, been lurking on this site for a bit and thanks for all of the info on here. I had a bunch of Mr Beer kits that I've brewed over the last few months, and the results have been ok, but I'm ready to move on at this point. My plan is to brew a 5 gallon batch, and then split it between the 2 Mr Beer kegs i have, and then dry hop each one differently. This is what I've put to together so far for an IPA recipe. I love beers like Sculpin and Jai-Alai so I want to have some of those citriusy flavors which is why i want to go with the Simocoe and Citra.

I was going to start with 6.3 lbs of Northern Brewer's Super Structure (because i already have it on hand)
My planned hop schedule is
Centennial - 1.0 oz 60 minutes
Centennial - 1.0 oz 30 minutes
Citra - 0.5 10 minutes
Simcoe 0.5 10 minutes

Then split into 2 2.5gal kegs and dry hop 0.5 oz Simcoe in 1 and 0.5 oz Citra in the other to dry hop for 7 days.

So will this work? Should i add or subtract anything here? How are my measurements?

 

[rodwha]

Seeing what you like, and I'd assume then that you prefer the very flavorful yet not really bitter types of IPA, what I think of as more of a west coast style (comparing maybe to Ranger that's fairly bitter).

Were it me I'd move the 30 min addition to 20 mins (the peak of the flavor scale).

You might even want to reduce the 60 min addition by half to reduce the bitterness and increase the IBU's by placing the half you took into other areas thereby giving it more flavor/aroma over the bitter.

I recently made an IPA in which 30 mins was my "bittering" addition followed by a 20, 10, and 5 min addition. I gave it (in theory) 102 IBU's for a standard IPA. This was created to give a huge flavor burst.

 

[rodwha]

I don't know that I'd use Simcoe or Citra for the aroma and dry hop though. These are very nice, and were it me I'd use them in the flavoring portion, which will also boost your IBU's back up were you to reduce the bittering addition as I mentioned.

 

[rodwha]

Have you been using a calculator to figure this out?

 

[surffisher2a]

I would be using more citra closer to the end of the boil and flame out.


Those are the three hops that I make my DIPA out of and it always comes out great.

 

[deadphish]

Were it me I'd move the 30 min addition to 20 mins (the peak of the flavor scale).

You might even want to reduce the 60 min addition by half to reduce the bitterness and increase the IBU's by placing the half you took into other areas thereby giving it more flavor/aroma over the bitter.

Ill adjust the 30 to 20.

And you think I should only use 0.5oz at 60? Should i move the rest til later, or just not use it?

I don't know that I'd use Simcoe or Citra for the aroma and dry hop though. These are very nice, and were it me I'd use them in the flavoring portion, which will also boost your IBU's back up were you to reduce the bittering addition as I mentioned.

Would you recommend doing one over the other? I lean towards dry hop so i could have 2 with different feels. Is there something else i could use at the aroma stage? Or leave out completely?

Have you been using a calculator to figure this out?

I was just pulling numbers by looking at other recipes. AKA pulling it out of my ass.

 

[deadphish]

I would be using more citra closer to the end of the boil and flame out.


Those are the three hops that I make my DIPA out of and it always comes out great.

So maybe simcoe at 10 and citra at 5?

 

[rodwha]

Maybe use some Centennial and another as a dry hop to see the difference. But there is no right or wrong answer per se.

Try using a free online brew calculator such as Brewtoad or Brewer's Friend as IBU's mean quite a bit in an IPA.

 

[rodwha]

Were you to take 1/2 oz from your bittering 60 min addition I'd certainly move it to the flavor or aroma portion. You'd need to just to help make up the IBU loss.

You get a much greater IBU addition the longer you boil it, but it also burns up the flavor and aroma and gives more of a bitter.

 

[rodwha]

I've been using Brewtoad, which may not be the most accurate, but it's easy and I'm used to it. However it seems as though the IBU's are likely off when adding top off water, but I'm not certain if it is, or to what degree.

But let's us it to together to figure this out…

https://www.brewtoad.com

What exactly is the NB Super Structure? I'm guessing it's a canned LME?

 

[rodwha]

Here's a hop utilization chart:

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=455660&postcount=14

 

[deadphish]

Superstructure is a malt extract from NB that supposed to be aimed towards IPAs

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/northern-brewer-s-super-structure-malt-blend-for-ipa.html

Whether you're late hopping, hop standing, hop bursting, first wort hopping, dry hopping, or just plain hopping, the Super Structure is the extract for you. Clean and crisp, with hints of biscuits and bread to add mystery and complexity, it's a gold medal formula. This unique blend is specially-formulated from select American 2-row malt, English Maris Otter malt, and a light caramel malt. The three malts bring complexity and depth, but know when to hold back and let the hops do the talking. No overpowering caramel sweetness to clash with bracingly bitter hops - this is made for hop monsters.

PPG of 1.036, Lovibond of approximately 4.5

Northern Brewer Malt Syrups are some of the freshest malt extracts you can buy. Our high rate of turnover- we package and sell hundreds of gallons every day -means that the syrup you receive won't have been sitting on the shelf for months. Fresh malt extract makes better beer!

 

[rodwha]

You'll certainly need more as this will only produce 4.6% ABV in 5 gals.

 

[rodwha]

Were you to buy one more of those 3.15 lb jugs you'd have about 6.9% ABV using US-05 dry yeast.

 

[rodwha]

You could also use other extracts such as regular LME or DME.

 

[deadphish]

Were you to buy one more of those 3.15 lb jugs you'd have about 6.9% ABV using US-05 dry yeast.

Should I get another one, or some other type of dme?

 

[rodwha]

That's solely up to you. I use plain extract and then do a partial mash with grains for the flavor I'm after (crystal 20 and 40 mostly).

 

[rodwha]

It states they used a little light crystal malt. To keep it simple I'd suggest buying one more, but in the future maybe doing your own thing with simple plain extract and steeping grains. Then you can make adjustments to your taste.

 

[rodwha]

Do you have a yeast picked out?

Will you be doing a full boil or topping it off with water to make 5 gals? How large of a pot and how much can you get to a boil?

 

[rodwha]

The 2 oz of Centennial and 1 oz of both Citra and Simcoe, is this all you'll be using or would you buy any more? Do you know the AA value for them?

 

[deadphish]

Do you have a yeast picked out?

Will you be doing a full boil or topping it off with water to make 5 gals? How large of a pot and how much can you get to a boil?

Safale us-05

I several larger pots i Could use. However i only have an electric stove so boiling larger amounts could be more difficult. Was hoping to do a little less and then adding water after. if that is possible.

The 2 oz of Centennial and 1 oz of both Citra and Simcoe, is this all you'll be using or would you buy any more? Do you know the AA value for them?

Thats why I was wondering if id need more. Thats all i was planning on but have no idea what im doing. Trying to navigate the brewtoad site.

 

[rodwha]

A Mr Beer keg can handle up to about 2.5 gals, but I've never tried to ferment a higher gravity beer in them. 6.9% may prove to be a bit too much for it to handle. I'd suggest no more than maybe 2.25 gals, though that may or may not be too much still.

Another suggestion would be to do two small individual batches. One 3.15 lb jug in each and splitting some DME between the two, and trying Simcoe in one for flavor/aroma and using Citra in the other and splitting Centennial between the two.

 

[rodwha]

I configured the calculator to a 2.25 gal batch, used 1 jug and 1/2 lb of light DME and got 6.1% ABV.

Splitting up the hops you have and using 1/4 oz at 60 mins, 1/2 oz at 21 and 7 mins gave 64 IBU's with Citra, and using 3/4 oz Centennial for the dry hop.

 

[deadphish]

Maybe ill just scale it down to a 4 gallon batch to be safe.

 

[rodwha]

Do you have a good scale that weighs in, at the least, 1/10 of a gram? You'd need to split the yeast in half too, the more accurate the better.

 

[deadphish]

I configured the calculator to a 2.25 gal batch, used 1 jug and 1/2 lb of light DME and got 6.1% ABV.

Splitting up the hops you have and using 1/4 oz at 60 mins, 1/2 oz at 21 and 7 mins gave 64 IBU's with Citra, and using 3/4 oz Centennial for the dry hop.

So just one jug (3.15 lbs) of the Superstructor and 1/2 lb of dme?

 

[rodwha]

I've brewed 5.5% at 2.5 gals and it was OK. I'd feel good about 2.25 gals at 6.1% as long as you can keep the BEER's temp in the mid 60's or slightly lower. If it get's much about the high 60's it will ferment a little more vigorously and may cause problems.

Do you have the means to maintain the temp well enough?

 

[rodwha]

"So just one jug (3.15 lbs) of the Superstructor and 1/2 lb of due?"

Yes.

And then 8 muslin hop sacks and the US-05 (which I really like!).

 

[deadphish]

I've brewed 5.5% at 2.5 gals and it was OK. I'd feel good about 2.25 gals at 6.1% as long as you can keep the BEER's temp in the mid 60's or slightly lower. If it get's much about the high 60's it will ferment a little more vigorously and may cause problems.

Do you have the means to maintain the temp well enough?

Unfortunately not. I will be in low 70s

 

[rodwha]

The beer or the air temp?