First IPA, proper Crystal and hops balance?

[twistr25]

Updates in red

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: American IPA
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5.5 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 7 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.062
Efficiency: 70% (brew house)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.079
Final Gravity: 1.022
ABV (standard): 7.48%
IBU (tinseth): 73.18
SRM (morey): 8.78

FERMENTABLES:
15 lb - American - Pale 2-Row (88.2%)
1 lb - American - Caramel / Crystal 40L (5.9%)
0.5 lb - American - Munich - Light 10L (2.9%)
0.5 lb - American - Wheat (2.9%)

HOPS:
1 oz - Cascade, Type: Leaf, AA: 7, Use: First Wort, IBU: 11.91
1 oz - Magnum, Type: Pellet, AA: 15, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 46.45
1 oz - Amarillo, Type: Pellet, AA: 8.6, Use: Boil for 10 min, IBU: 9.63
1 oz - Amarillo, Type: Pellet, AA: 8.6, Use: Boil for 10 min, IBU: 5.30
2 0z - Cascade, Type: Pellet, AA: 7, Use: Aroma, IBU: 0
2 oz - Citra, Type: Pellet, AA: 11, Use: Dry Hop for 7 days

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Sparge, Temp: 150 F, Time: 60 min, Amount: 5.65 gal, 3.92 Sparge Water, 164.33 Strike Temp
Starting Mash Thickness: 1.33 qt/lb

YEAST:
Fermentis / Safale - American Ale Yeast US-05
Starter: No
Form: Dry
Attenuation (avg): 72%
Flocculation: Medium
Optimum Temp: 59 - 75 F
Fermentation Temp: 63 F


Thanks for the help!

 

[peterj]

I like the Munich and the Crystal 40 is fine. But I would drop the carapils. You already have 1 pound of crystal in there and with an OG of 1.079 you're going to want to dry this beer out as much as you can. But it's no big deal if you leave them in. If you're looking for head retention you could sub 0.5 pounds of wheat for the carapils.

Next, you don't have nearly enough late addition hops. I would say you need at least 2 oz in the last 15 minutes, but with such a high OG I would shoot for around 4 (or more) oz. I like to add all mine at flameout and then do a hopstand for about 30 minutes after, but anytime you want to add them is fine in the last 15 minutes. You just really need to up the quantity. I would say 0.5 oz at 15 isn't even enough for a malty pale ale.

Also, I would bring your BU:GU ratio up closer to 1.0. Though your first wort hop will actually be adding more than 13 IBU so you should probably be fine there. For some reason brewing programs calculate FWH IBUs like a 20 minute addition, but that is just not the case. They are just another bittering addition and should be treated as a 60 minute (or however long your boil is) addition. Some people say the bittering you get from them is less harsh and that they enhance your later aroma hop additions but I think their effects are very subtle at best. None of the aroma from the actual FWH addition will last through the boil though.

Hope this helps!

 

[twistr25]

I like the Munich and the Crystal 40 is fine. But I would drop the carapils. You already have 1 pound of crystal in there and with an OG of 1.079 you're going to want to dry this beer out as much as you can. But it's no big deal if you leave them in. If you're looking for head retention you could sub 0.5 pounds of wheat for the carapils.

Next, you don't have nearly enough late addition hops. I would say you need at least 2 oz in the last 15 minutes, but with such a high OG I would shoot for around 4 (or more) oz. I like to add all mine at flameout and then do a hopstand for about 30 minutes after, but anytime you want to add them is fine in the last 15 minutes. You just really need to up the quantity. I would say 0.5 oz at 15 isn't even enough for a malty pale ale.

Also, I would bring your BU:GU ratio up closer to 1.0. Though your first wort hop will actually be adding more than 13 IBU so you should probably be fine there. For some reason brewing programs calculate FWH IBUs like a 20 minute addition, but that is just not the case. They are just another bittering addition and should be treated as a 60 minute (or however long your boil is) addition. Some people say the bittering you get from them is less harsh and that they enhance your later aroma hop additions but I think their effects are very subtle at best. None of the aroma from the actual FWH addition will last through the boil though.

Hope this helps!

That it does, thanks!

 

[sweetcell]

+1 to what peterj said.

what type of IPA do you like? what is your fav brand? personally i think that recipe has too much crystal, even after when dropping the carapils. however i like really dry IPAs. if you prefer maltier IPAs then you're good.

moar late hops. 15 minutes is pretty early, i would move that to 10 minutes, add a similar 5 min addition, then a double-sized flameout addition. how do you cool, and how long does it take you. if it takes you a while to cool, you want to move additions even further down since they will be sitting hot in the kettle while you cool.

2 oz dry hop: sufficient, but a little more can't hurt. if you have an oz of something else laying around (cascade or centennial work great), add it to the citra.

 

[twistr25]

I have a counterflow chiller, we drain it out pretty slow but I don't think it takes longer than 30 minutes.

I do like the slightly maltier IPAs, fan of SN Torpedo and the like. I'll update the recipe to the suggestions.