Help --- IPA yeast

[GHBWNY]

Doing first 5-gal. AG. Found a fairly simple starter recipe in the back of a book, as follows:

10 lb. Am. Two-row Pale Malt
1lb.4oz. Caramel 40L
8 oz. Munich Malt

60 min. 1.5 oz. Chinook
15 min. 0.5 oz. Cascade
1 min. 0.5 oz. Cascade
1 min. 0.5 oz. Centennial

Dry hop 7 days 1.0 oz. Centennial

IBUs 60
ABV 6.5%


Good so far, but there is no mention of what type of yeast to use. Suggestions? Thanks.

 

[ColoHox]

I just made a similar IPA. I made 10 gal, split the batch, and used Windsor on 5gal and US05 on the other.

I prefer the clean and sharp US05 batch, but most of my pal prefered the fruity english yeast.

For a first go, I would suggest a neutral yeast like US05.

 

[chickypad]

With the American hops I'd probably also go for an American yeast - the chico strains would be the classic clean choice as mentioned (US-05, WL001, Wyeast 1056). You could go with wyeast 1275/WL051 if you want a little fruitier character. Other clean yeasts would work as well, I use Pacman not infrequently.

Also I know you didn't ask but just an opinion on your hops. That'a a farily big bittering addition with relatively small late additions IMO for an AIPA. I'd personally not go with more than an oz of chinook at 60 then bump up all the late additions (like double at least and maybe add some for whirlpool/hopstand). Actually centennial/cascade/chinook makes a nice finishing hop trio IME, you could use some combo of use those 3 for the 15 min to dry hop additions and just adjust to hit the same IBU's. Lots of ways to skin a cat, that's just my 2 cents.

 

[stru]

I've always had great luck with WLP060... it's easily my favorite yeast for an IPA. If you prefer dry yeast, US05 works well.

I can say from experience that you may want to type down the caramel malt a bit. I recently overdid it with caramel malt and was less than impressed with the results.

 

[GHBWNY]

Prior to coming home and seeing the responses here, I stopped into the LHBS and showed the HB guy the recipe. He also recommended US-05, saying it would be on the less-fruity side. Thanks everyone for your input; I'll definitely keep all the other suggestions under consideration going forward. Still find it odd (and so did the LHBS guy) that a type of yeast for this particular recipe wasn't mentioned...

 

[Beer-lord]

I've used all types of yeast for my many IPA's....05, 001/1056, 1450, 007,002 and other British Ale Yeast.
Depending on what you really want out of it, 05 and 001/1056 would be my first choice.

 

[Queequeg]

I would go either 001 or 007 depending how dry I wanted it and how big the buttering addition was.

 

[bobeer]

I vote sa05. It's not expensive, its a beast and pretty fast. I wash it and reuse it all the time. It's good stuff!

 

[Komocabo]

Wyeast 1056 all day baby!!

 

[sandyeggoxj]

I'd vote for 60% less caramel malt and 001 or 007. The drier the finish the better.

 

[GHBWNY]

I'd vote for 60% less caramel malt and 001 or 007. The drier the finish the better.

Will reducing the caramel malt also reduce fermentables and therefore reduce potential alcohol content? Just curious --- not shooting for a certain ABV, just a good beer.

 

[sputnam]

I've always had great luck with WLP060... it's easily my favorite yeast for an IPA. If you prefer dry yeast, US05 works well.

I can say from experience that you may want to type down the caramel malt a bit. I recently overdid it with caramel malt and was less than impressed with the results.

great thing about beer is different strokes for different folks. My last IPA had
4# two row
1.5# otter
1# cara 60 (for 3 gallon batch)

I loved it

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Will reducing the caramel malt also reduce fermentables and therefore reduce potential alcohol content? Just curious --- not shooting for a certain ABV, just a good beer.

It will reduce fermentables but it can be made up with more base malt or Munich. The sugars in the crystal/caramel malts are slightly less fermentable due to how the grain is wet and not kilned when it is heated to differing times and temperatures. This caramelizes the malt to different levels creating the great flavors. I use a lot of c60 in an English mild to help keep the final gravity from dropping too low. When you use too much crystal in an IPA you have the residual sugar fighting the hoppy characters.

The reality of IPA is that it can vary widely. I like a dry 100+ IBU hop forward IPA with little malt character and around 7%abv. I call it a hop cone in a glass.

 

[GHBWNY]

The reality of IPA is that it can vary widely. I like a dry 100+ IBU hop forward IPA with little malt character and around 7%abv. I call it a hop cone in a glass.

This I understand. And appreciate. Being fairly new to the craft beer community, my palate hasn't crossed the high-IBU threshold yet, thus, it's still (relatively) happy (it thinks) around the 60-70 range, which is why I am doing this recipe, and also to have it what I deem "palatable" for my not-so-hoppy (at least not yet) co-consumers. I realize there is a LOT of latitude for experimentation in the hop-/malt-balance realm, but being your basic garden-variety AG noobee, I should probably play it "safe" for now and see how this batch plays out. One other thing, when you (and others) speak of a "dry" beer, is that necessarily a reference to a 'more hop'/'less malt' quality? Or as in wine, where "dry" is on the opposite end of the scale from "sweet"? Thanks.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Dry refers to a low final gravity. I like 1.008-1.010. It tastes "crisp" to me. You could theoretically have a dry beer with lots of malt character. But typically using more roasted grains and crystal malts it is harder to drive the fg down to dry levels. It is easy though to get high levels of cloying sweetness. If you can get ahold of green flash west coast ipa or palate wrecker it would be worth it to demonstrate what can be done with more complex malt bills and highly hopped final outcomes.

I also haven't re-read everything, but are you going to modify water for this? The right chloride to sulfate ratio will really help to open up an ipa. Even adding a little gypsum to the boil kettle will help.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Oh and when you get a chance read about the lupulin threshold shift theory.

 

[TriggerFingers]

If I were making an IPA on the fly I would probably go with yeast in this order (easiest to find, use, with great results).

Safale 05
WLP007
Pacman
WLP90
Wyeast1272

 

[Backslide]

How about Stone's yeast (Wyeast 1217) I adore the stuff.

 

[GHBWNY]

Oh and when you get a chance read about the lupulin threshold shift theory.

I have. While theories are just that, it would be interesting to know if there is any solid empirical research supporting the concept of the lupulin shift. Is the "desire" for an increasingly hoppier brew a matter of true physiological dependence? Or simply tolerance satisfied?

 

[GHBWNY]

I also haven't re-read everything, but are you going to modify water for this? The right chloride to sulfate ratio will really help to open up an ipa. Even adding a little gypsum to the boil kettle will help.

I've never had a water profile done, so I have no idea what the breakdown in minerals is. All I can say is, everyone in this area agrees that our tap water is excellent-tasting, and even at that, I run our home drinking water (that which I use for brewing) through an AquaSana undersink filter just to keep chlorine from being a potential taste problem. Could I be doing an otherwise better IPA an injustice by arbitrarily filtering out chlorine, etc.?

 

[RedstoneBrewing]

US-05 if you want to stick with dry yeast... if going liquid, I love WLP090 San Diego Super, quick, clean, and drops clear in no time... is a bit less temp tolerant than US-05 though.