I'm planning a split IIPA batch in a week or two, and I'd like some advice on hops.
I'll be mashing and then doing a 90-minute boil down to 4 gallons (target OG ~1.085-1.090), then transferring the wort at boiling or near-boiling temps to four 5L PP buckets, each with a hop bag. Each batch will have the same FWH/Bittering addition and get its own flavor and aroma from a whirlpool/steep addition in the bucket, then from a dry-hop later on.
The base recipe is mostly 2-row, with about a pound of wheat and 10 oz of C60; no sugar because I like a slightly syrupy IIPA.
My hops in hand are roughly as follows:
~300g/11 oz Cascade
~150g/5 oz each Simcoe, Citra, Chinook
~100g/3.5 oz each Amarillo, Zeus (CTZ), Centennial
So on with the questions:
1) Should I go FWH or regular bittering hops in the boil? Chinook or Zeus?
2) I'd love some suggestions for hops in the individual gallons, both steep/whirlpool and dry. I'm still pretty new, my previous IPA experience was a hop-bursted Mosaic IPA (meh - not well-balanced, as you might expect) and a Chinook-bittered, Cascade/Simcoe/Citra IIPA (really liked it), so I've got a lot to learn yet.
3) Any concerns that the technique I describe above will fall flat or be otherwise problematic? PP is supposed to be heat-resistant to the mid 130's Celsius in its lowest quality, up to the 180's with high-quality stuff, but I wonder if temps between 95 and 100 might still cause chemicals to leach or softening of the bucket walls. I'm also only about 80% confident that this pour-over hopbursting technique will work well.
4) My current names are 25 Cent, 15 Minute, 90 Degree, and 3 Month... I'm least satisfied with the "3 Month" label for the fourth variant. Any suggestions for a better name that is synonymous with a quarter?
Edit -
5) Also, what do folks think about splitting the 500g wheat malt between regular wheat malt and roasted 90L wheat malt?
I'll be mashing and then doing a 90-minute boil down to 4 gallons (target OG ~1.085-1.090), then transferring the wort at boiling or near-boiling temps to four 5L PP buckets, each with a hop bag. Each batch will have the same FWH/Bittering addition and get its own flavor and aroma from a whirlpool/steep addition in the bucket, then from a dry-hop later on.
The base recipe is mostly 2-row, with about a pound of wheat and 10 oz of C60; no sugar because I like a slightly syrupy IIPA.
My hops in hand are roughly as follows:
~300g/11 oz Cascade
~150g/5 oz each Simcoe, Citra, Chinook
~100g/3.5 oz each Amarillo, Zeus (CTZ), Centennial
So on with the questions:
1) Should I go FWH or regular bittering hops in the boil? Chinook or Zeus?
2) I'd love some suggestions for hops in the individual gallons, both steep/whirlpool and dry. I'm still pretty new, my previous IPA experience was a hop-bursted Mosaic IPA (meh - not well-balanced, as you might expect) and a Chinook-bittered, Cascade/Simcoe/Citra IIPA (really liked it), so I've got a lot to learn yet.
3) Any concerns that the technique I describe above will fall flat or be otherwise problematic? PP is supposed to be heat-resistant to the mid 130's Celsius in its lowest quality, up to the 180's with high-quality stuff, but I wonder if temps between 95 and 100 might still cause chemicals to leach or softening of the bucket walls. I'm also only about 80% confident that this pour-over hopbursting technique will work well.
4) My current names are 25 Cent, 15 Minute, 90 Degree, and 3 Month... I'm least satisfied with the "3 Month" label for the fourth variant. Any suggestions for a better name that is synonymous with a quarter?
Edit -
5) Also, what do folks think about splitting the 500g wheat malt between regular wheat malt and roasted 90L wheat malt?