Grapefruit IPA for SO

[jmarkus]

First off, I'm making this for my SO. She loves Abita's Grapefruit IPA, so to keep my obsess... hobby going, I figured I'd try to make her something similar.

Recipe type: Extract w/ Speciality Grain Steep

Yeast: Dry s-04 or s-05? (first question - which would be better)

Batch Size: 3 gallons

OG: 1.053

FG: 1.015

IBU: 47

Boil time: 60 min

Color: ?

Primary ferment: 4 weeks at room temp (~70F), dry hop at week 3

Grains:
4 lbs Pale LME
.5 lbs 120L Crystal Speciality Grains steeped for 30 min (second question - too dark? Should I go with 60L?)

Hop schedule:
.5 oz centennial (7.8%) @60min
.5oz cascade (7%) @20min
.5oz Amarillo (8.6%) @10min
.5oz cent (7.8) @5min
.5oz am (8.6) / .5oz cascade (7) at 0 min
Dry hop with which one of the three above?. (I don't know which one, but really want the grapefruit aroma to come through.) Third question.

Last question: do you think she will get the grapefruit flavor she's looking for with just the hops, or should I also "dry hop" with zest of one grapefruit (pith removed)?

Thanks for the help guys and gals! I'm just trying to please.

 

[teckmaster0179]

the hops won't get the flavor that you are looking for. You would either try to find a grapefruit extract to add or actually toss in a few cut up grapefruits. I'm relatively new to brewing, but personally, I would do a couple grapefruits about a week before bottling.

 

[johnsnownw]

Well, Two Hearted is considered a grapefruit bomb...and uses exclusively Centennial.

Since Abita uses actual grapefruit, you may need to use it...since that's what she likes.

Either yeast will work, but I'd say US-04 if I were making this recipe, as it finishes a little sweeter, and would probably pair a little better with the bitterness of the grapefruit.

 

[jmarkus]

Thanks for the help.

 

[chickypad]

the hops won't get the flavor that you are looking for. You would either try to find a grapefruit extract to add or actually toss in a few cut up grapefruits. I'm relatively new to brewing, but personally, I would do a couple grapefruits about a week before bottling.

I would have to disagree with the above. Like johnsnow said you can certainly get a ton of grapefruit just from hops, but it will also fade with time. I've got a simcoe/centennial IPA in the keg right now that when first tapped was like being hit by a grapefruit in the face. The zest would be fine to add too, but I think your best bet is to have a nice healthy fermentation so you can get this packaged quick and have her drink it while it's young. (OP, also posted in your other thread I see you have 2 going).

 

[jmarkus]

Chickypad, I wasn't quite sure to which forum to post. Thanks for the help. I'll make sure she drinks it early. What do you think about steeping some grapefruit zest in the last 10 minutes of the boil as well?

 

[FatsSchindee]

Chickypad, I wasn't quite sure to which forum to post. Thanks for the help. I'll make sure she drinks it early. What do you think about steeping some grapefruit zest in the last 10 minutes of the boil as well?

I know this is older, so if you've already made this... How'd it turn out? Enough grapefruit flavor/aroma for you?

Reading the above posts, my thoughts are:
I don't think adding the zest in the last 10 of the boil would add too much flavor. If you want it in the boil, I'd add it at flame out, so not too much of the volatile aromatics boil off. Also, the CO2 being produced during primary fermentation can carry a lot of aromatics off with it, so I'd even think about dry-"hopping" with the zest - either by itself or after steeping it in alcohol (grain alcohol, vodka, or even a grapefruit flavored vodka if you can find it) to extract some flavors from it (pitch both the alcohol and the zest) - for a week or so.