First Brew Day - Recipe Question

[Lono]

Hey All!

I'm brewing tonight (finally). I ordered the Sierra Pale Ale kit from Midwest Supplies (http://www.midwestsupplies.com/sierra-pale-ale-sierra-nevada.html).

I'm doing a full boil. Guessing on using 6 gallons of water for the boil to account for loss during the boil.

I input the recipe in to "Beer Calculus" and if I follow the recipe from Midwest I get a brew that is close to the OG and FG in the instructions but the IBU's are way out of whack.

Hopville Recipe - http://hopville.com/recipe/363713/american-pale-ale-recipes/midwest-snpa-clone

Beer Calculus is showing 58.4 IBU (13 HBU) where as Sierra Nevada is 37 IBU.

If I drop the Perle to 1 oz. the IBU's calculate to about 32.5.

So, HBT'ers...

What would you do? Just follow the recipe since it's my first brew or adjust?

(I'm not afraid of hops, BTW.)

 

[KevinW]

Hmm, I used the brewersfriend website(my beersmith is at home) and they show about 46 IBU's for the 60 min. perle and about 6 IBU's for the 5 min. cascade! 52 total?
That is assuming a 6 gallon boil for 60 min.
I'd do that and not cut back on the hops at all!
52 IBU's is nominal for an IPA!

Good luck, sanitize well, watch you pitching temps, and be sure to aerate well!!

 

[BendBrewer]

boil 60 mins 2.0 Perle info pellet 6.5
boil 5 mins 2.0 Cascade info pellet 4.1

That isn't the Hop Schedule I would use for a SNPA clone.

I don't have mine here in front of me, but with what you have, I would do

1.5 oz perle 60 minute
.5 oz perle + .5 oz cascade 30 minutes
.5 oz cascade 20 minutes
.5 oz Cascade 10 minutes
.5 oz cascade 5 minutes

And I would start with 6.25 gallons of water

 

[Lono]

And I would start with 6.25 gallons of water

Thanks for the tip. I'll start with that amount of water.

Also, thanks for the info about how you would hop. I don't have a scale but I'm guessing I can just eyeball halves (the hops are in 1 oz. packets) and be OK.

 

[BendBrewer]

Thanks for the tip. I'll start with that amount of water.

Also, thanks for the info about how you would hop. I don't have a scale but I'm guessing I can just eyeball halves (the hops are in 1 oz. packets) and be OK.

yes you don't have to be exact.

 

[Lono]

Welp... I just went for it. Used the recipe. OG is on target a 1.045 (adjusted for proper temp).

Had a HUGE boil over at the first hop addition. Had a few beers. Had dinner (thanks SWMBO). Think all is well. Hope all is well. Stressing about my sanitation. Stressing about my aeration. Pitched to 75 degree wort. Think all is well. Hope all is well.

Only time will tell, I guess.