German IPA recipe

[TheCatman]

I've been kicking around the idea of brewing a German IPA. Here is the recipe I came up with:

4 lb German Pils
4 lb German Pale Ale malt
1 lb Munich
1 lb Melanoidin

1 oz Perle 60 min
0.5 oz Perle 30 min
0.5 oz Perle 20 min
0.5 oz Tettnanger 15 min
0.5 oz Tettnanger 10 min
0.5 oz Tettnanger 5 min
0.5 oz Tettnanger 0 min
2 oz Perle dry hop

I'm not sure on the yeast yet. Possibly Kölsch, or maybe just an American Ale.

I chose Perle and Tett mostly to keep costs down and the IBUs where I want (60-70). This would be for a 4 gallon BIAB batch, shooting for around 1.065.

Thoughts?

 

[bobbrews]

Get rid of Melanoidin and replace with a Carahell and/or German wheat.

Get rid of Tettnanger and replace with German Northern Brewer. I like Perle for bittering, not in the dryhop.

Kolsch yeast (WLP029) would work.

 

[onthekeg]

I would bitter with Magnum and then NB for the late additions.

 

[TheCatman]

Get rid of Melanoidin and replace with a Carahell and/or German wheat.

Get rid of Tettnanger and replace with German Northern Brewer. I like Perle for bittering, not in the dryhop.

Kolsch yeast (WLP029) would work.

Any reason for the substitutions? And I was definitely leaning towards the WLP029.

 

[bobbrews]

Because I think Melanoidin is better suited for malty ambers/reds, dark lagers, and Scottish ales. Melanoidin is basically turbo Munich. It's very malty and lends dark bready flavors. I don't want that in an IPA, German or otherwise. Carahell is akin to light crystal and would work in a pale hoppy ale under 8%. A bit of wheat in an IPA goes a long way. I use 5-10% Rahr red wheat malt all the time for my IPAs. It aids head retention and helps provide a smoother mouthfeel.

Tettnanger isn't very IPA-ish. I feel German Northern Brewer would be a better option while still staying in theme.

 

[TheCatman]

Ok that's a good suggestion. I also like the NB substitution, but I'm not sure if my LHBS carries German NB. I'll have to ask them, or find some online.

Thanks!

 

[bobbrews]

http://www.rebelbrewer.com/shoppingcart/products/Perle-Hops-(Germany)-%2d-1oz.-Pellets.html

http://www.rebelbrewer.com/shoppingcart/products/Northern-Brewer-Hops-(GR)-%2d-1oz.-Pellets.html

I know a guy who used Hallertau Mittelfruh for bittering a DIPA because he had a lot of it on hand and wanted to experiment using something low cohumulone. After the long boil, that Noble spicy/earthy character faded away so it was great for an IPA; especially because he blasted it late with citrusy, American hops. The same can be done with Tettnanger if that's your goal. I would personally stick with Perle and NB.

http://www.rebelbrewer.com/shoppingcart/products/Hallertau-Mittelfruh-Hops-%2d-1oz.-Pellets.html

 

[TheCatman]

How about this:

4 lb German Pils
4 lb German Pale Ale malt
1.5 lb Munich
0.5 lb CaraHell

1 oz Perle 60 min
0.5 oz Mittelfruh 30 min
0.5 oz Mittelfruh 20 min
0.5 oz Mittelfruh 15 min
0.5 oz Mittelfruh 10 min
0.5 oz NB 5 min
0.5 oz NB 0 min
1 oz Mittelfruh dry hop
1 oz NB dry hop

WLP029

 

[ahurd110]

I have been curious about doing a recipe like this for a while, let me know how it goes!

 

[bobbrews]

You have to do a 90 minute boil, considering you are using pils malt. And at 1.065+ OG, you will need a yeast starter.

Is this a 6 gallon boil, 5 gallon batch? If so, I would use approx. 1.5 - 2.0 oz Perle for bittering. After this is accomplished, add a bunch of NB at 10 minutes and Mid-flameout for a long hop stand. Then dryhop as planned.

The Mittelfruh at 30-10 is not needed. I'm just curious... do you want this to taste like a Noble earthy, spicy, mild European IPA or a bold American IPA with German influences?

 

[TheCatman]

I don't care for the really bitter American IPAs, so I'd want it be more of an English IPA with all German ingredients. And yes, this will be a 6 gallon boil.

1 oz Perle 90 min
.5 oz Perle 60 min
1 oz NB 10 min
1 oz NB 0 min
.5 oz Perle 0 min

1 oz NB dry
1 oz Mittelfruh dry

This should put me at around 60 IBU. I really don't want to go much higher than that.

 

[bobbrews]

Looks good. However, I would strengthen the 10 minute addition a bit. You can simplify it even more by combining the bittering additions at 60. No need for a 90 minute hop addition. YOU should however boil the wort for 90 minutes.

I would do this (feel free to alter):

1.5 oz. Perle 60 min
2 oz. NB and Perle 10 min
2 oz. NB 0 min
2 oz. NB and Perle 5-7 day dryhop

 

[TheCatman]

I like that, much simpler. I might have to brew this one for National Homebrew day. Thanks for the input!

 

[TyTanium]

One of the Twelve Hopostles used Mittlefruh (an IPA continuously hopped with just Mittlefruh to 70 IBU)

I haven't had it yet, but he said it's really good. I think you'll be pleased with your results.

 

[chuckstout]

Nice, I had the same idea mine stemed from having some wlp029 the starter finished just waiting for time

10lbs Munich
2lbs Pilsner
1lb DME
60m .5oz merker (magnum)
40m .5oz merker
20m .5oz merker
15m 1oz Northern Brewer
10m .5oz merker
5m 1oz Northern Brewer
0m 1oz Northern Brewer
0m 1oz merker

Brew On!

 

[TheCatman]

Just ordered the hops, so I'll be brewing this one on Saturday. Here's the final recipe:

4.5 lb Weyermann Pale Ale
4.5 lb Munich II
1.0 lb CaraHell

1.5 oz Perle pellets @ 60 min
1.0 oz NB pellets @ 10 min
0.5 oz Perle pellets @ 10 min
1.0 oz NB pellets @ 0 min
2.0 oz whole NB dry hop

WLP029

 

[bobbrews]

Did you pick up German Perle & NB or the American versions? What are the alpha acid %'s? A quick recommendation that may provide slightly better results... Swap the 1 oz. NB pellets at 10 minutes to the dryhop, and move 1 oz. of the leaf to 10 minutes... that way you dryhop with both leaf and pellet. How many days is your dryhop?

 

[TheCatman]

I ordered the hops from Rebel Brewer because their prices are awesome and they were labeled as German. I'm not sure if what my LHBS has are American or German, so I went with Rebel just to be sure. The NB, both pellet and whole, are listed as 9.9% AA, and the Perle as 9.6%.

What is the benefit of dry hopping on leaf and pellet? I've never dry hopped before, so I don't have a preferred technique. I was planning on 7 days for the dry hop.

 

[bobbrews]

It's probably minor in this case, but pellets provide faster oil release than leaf, but leaf tend to be fresher than pellets on average. So considering what you have on hand, hedging your bets wouldn't hurt.

I also recall you saying you don't like very bitter beers. Since the aa% of the hops is 9.6 & 9.9 and your OG is approx. 1.050-1.055, you're currently at 75-80 IBUs as is. For that reason, I suggest bittering with 1 ounce and moving the other 1/2 oz. to flameout. This will set you at about 60 IBUs. The last piece of advice I can give is to cut the Carahell to 10 ounces. It will be about 6% of the grist, instead of 10% where you are now. I feel the beer would benefit from drinkability by doing this and it won't affect the OG by more than a point or two. Are you mashing low?

 

[SkiNuke]

I wish I had seen this thread before. I would have suggested to go with hallertau and tettnang for flavor/aroma. I did a pale ale like this, and while it didn't taste like a typical pale ale, it was damn tasty. Even my girlfriend who hates hops loved it! By the sound of it you don't really want a standard American IPA anyways, so you might as well go for something different. Also, isn't NB an English hop variety?

 

[TheCatman]

It's probably minor in this case, but pellets provide faster oil release than leaf, but leaf tend to be fresher than pellets on average. So considering what you have on hand, hedging your bets wouldn't hurt.

I also recall you saying you don't like very bitter beers. Since the aa% of the hops is 9.6 & 9.9 and your OG is approx. 1.050-1.055, you're currently at 75-80 IBUs as is. For that reason, I suggest bittering with 1 ounce and moving the other 1/2 oz. to flameout. This will set you at about 60 IBUs. The last piece of advice I can give is to cut the Carahell to 10 ounces. It will be about 6% of the grist, instead of 10% where you are now. I feel the beer would benefit from drinkability by doing this and it won't affect the OG by more than a point or two. Are you mashing low?

Ok, I'll shuffle some of the hops around.

My last BIAB I brewed, I hit 85% efficiency. If I got the same here, my OG would be around 1.070. But I think I'll move half an ounce of the Perle to 10 min, which should give me about 55 IBU.

 

[TheCatman]

I wish I had seen this thread before. I would have suggested to go with hallertau and tettnang for flavor/aroma. I did a pale ale like this, and while it didn't taste like a typical pale ale, it was damn tasty. Even my girlfriend who hates hops loved it! By the sound of it you don't really want a standard American IPA anyways, so you might as well go for something different. Also, isn't NB an English hop variety?

NB was originally a German variety, and now there is also an American version.

 

[bobbrews]

If I got the same here, my OG would be around 1.070.

With a full volume 6 gallon boil, 5 gallon batch? At 75% efficiency, I project 4.5# of each base malt plus 10 ounces of carahell as 1.050 - 1.055 OG. This is only about 9-1/2 lbs. of grain.

 

[TheCatman]

With a full volume 6 gallon boil, 5 gallon batch?

I usually end up with 4.5 gallons going into the fermenter. If I cut down the CaraHell a few ounces and hit 85%, that'll give me an OG of 1.068 and 55 IBU.

 

[afr0byte]

I wish I had seen this thread before. I would have suggested to go with hallertau and tettnang for flavor/aroma. I did a pale ale like this, and while it didn't taste like a typical pale ale, it was damn tasty. Even my girlfriend who hates hops loved it! By the sound of it you don't really want a standard American IPA anyways, so you might as well go for something different. Also, isn't NB an English hop variety?

NB supposedly originated in England, but normally it's grown in either Germany or the USA.

 

[SkiNuke]

Yeah everything I can seem to find about Northern Brewer hops state that they were bred in 1934 in England as a descendant from a golding variety.

 

[afr0byte]

Yeah everything I can seem to find about Northern Brewer hops state that they were bred in 1934 in England as a descendant from a golding variety.

Indeed. I'd still personally consider it a German hop if it's German Northern Brewer.

 

[teucer]

As a completely different take on the concept, here's my German export ale, based on the hoppier Einbeck beers of the late Middle Ages but adapted somewhat:

11lb Munich malt
6lb wheat malt (ideally the dark German wheat malt)
.5lb beech-smoked malt

Do a decoction mash, or at least an infusion mash with a decoction step for the mashout. Boil additions:

3.5oz Hallertau 60'
1oz Hallertau 20'

(You can use more hops if you like. You can also use other continental landrace hops; period hop varieties aren't available, but none of those should be too far off.)

Pitch a German Altbier yeast, such as Wyeast 1007. Ferment at lager temperatures, or the cold end of ale temps.

 

[TheCatman]

I just racked this one onto the NB for dry hopping. Gravity was 1.014 after primary. I'm really excited to taste this one after it's all grown up.

 

[HopNutz]

I'm brewing a Hoppy European Pale Ale this weekend. 81.6% 2 row, 12.2% Munich, 4.1% Carahell, 2% C40. Northern Brewer for bittering then NB, Mittelfruh, and Saaz for flavour and dry hop. Kolsch yeast.

 

[emsroth]

How did the beer turn out?

I just dry-hopped for 5 days with HM and Saaz and it tastes quite awful, almost like chewable vitamins.

 

[emsroth]

I'm finally getting around to making a German IPA, calling it an "Old World IPA."

6.5 gallon ending kettle with 75% efficiency
1.060 to 1.015, ~6% abv and 50 IBU

10.75 lbs Pale 2-row
3.75 lbs German Munich

60 minute boil
1 oz Magnum @ 30
3 oz Northern Brewer @ 5
3 oz Liberty @ 5
Dry hop TBD

Imperial A01 ferments at 62 then raised to 68 to finish.
2 week cold condition for clean and clear