Help me create my House IPA.

[McKBrew]

I am trying to create in my mind what would be the perfect IPA for me. I have made a few in the past, but have been limited by what hops I have had on hand, and time. I can make a decent IPA, but they turn out like many of the commercial ones which are good, but seem to focus mostly on piney, resinous bitterness. In a previous thread I asked for information on citrusy hops and received good advice. Now I want to take that advice to the next level. Honestly, I don't think I've ever had the IPA I am envisioning.

I could easily make a decent IPA on my own, but there are brewers here that have far more experience creating recipes from scratch.

I'm not too big on style guidelines unless this turns out and I decide that it's competition worthy. My IPA's tend to be darker, and border on the edge between IPA and Imperial IPA.

Enough rambling, here are some basic guidelines.

Batch Size: 10G
Color: Light to Medium
ABV: 6.5-7.5% give or take
IBU's: 60+ (preferably more)
Hops: I have quite a few Chinook, Cascade and Perle Hops. Thinking of using the Cascade and Perle for bittering. Would like to keep the Chinook out of it as I personally feel that even when used for bittering they have a unique character.
Planning on ordering Centennial, Amarillo and Summit.
Hop Character: Strong Citrus: Aroma and Flavor.
Malt Character: Would like a decent malt base. Interested in doing something unique if it will work. I.E. Small amounts of special B, Honey Malt, Biscuit, etc... Any combination of two row and other base malts (MO, Vienna, or Pilsner). Specialty malts as necessary to create a thick, foamy head.

What input I would like: Anything you want to offer. If you want to whip up a full recipe, go for it. If you just want to provide a hopping schedule, feel free. If you want to make fun of me and call me names, have at it, but keep it at a minimum so I can find the other posts. Together we will build a recipe. If two or more unique recipes come out and we can't reach a consensus, maybe I'll add a poll.

Most importantly, and as always, THANKS for your help.

 

[bob1852]

If you want to make fun of me and call me names

you're a moron! you suck!

I too am building my perfect IPA so I won't give you my recipe.....BUT:

keep your crystal to ~10% or less of the grain bill (I like 0.75-1.0 lbs of 60L with ~11-12 lbs of base malt)

use some carapils to get some good body, mouth feel, and head retention

shoot for your IBU's and OG to be close to the same (65 IBUs & 1.065 for example)

mash low - no higher than 154*

use a clean yeast like notty or US-05

fement in the mid 60s for at least 3 weeks in the primary

And now the hops ---

I personally don't like to bitter with cascade -- save that for late additions and dry hop the crap out of it with cascade for citrus aroma and flavor.

I'd look to a 15 min. addition of centennial; and I'd consider something like Nugget, Warrior, or Columbus for the main bittering hop (I know, I know, not on your list - but still, work with me!

Good luck - and you're about to push me into buying a 50' IC so I can start doing 10 gallon batches of my house IPA!

 

[big supper]

I really enjoy throwing in some munich in my IPA's. mabye 3lbs for 10 gal.

How about a combination of Amarillo and Centennial for the later additions. Dry hopped with those as well, with a touch of Chinook.

 

[Bokonon]

The best IPAs I make are almost always something like 83% domestic pale malt, 4% crystal 15 or 20 or 40, 4% crystal 40 or 60, 4% munich or vienna, and 5% sugar (I tend to use turbinado)

Simcoe and amarillo hops are probably my favorite combination, but I still try others to see if I can come up with something better.

 

[foxtrot]

Here are some tips I use from brewmaster Vinnie from Russian River:

http://www.brew-monkey.com/articles/Better_Hoppy_Beers.pdf

 

[bob1852]

I really enjoy throwing in some munich in my IPA's. mabye 3lbs for 10 gal.

+1! anywhere from 2-3 lbs would be perfect.

 

[mkade]

I prefer little to no crystal in my IPAs. If I were you, I'd consider just using MO as a base malt and that alone will give you a nice base malt backbone. I think you'll do really nicely with Centennial and Cascade.

 

[McKBrew]

One thing to consider is that my cascades are homegrown (got a buttload last year from an ex-homebrewer who still grew hops). They are not really citrusy, but have more of the mango flavor sometimes associated with cascades. While this might sound good, I have used these numerous times and they are really lacking citrus character.

 

[BrewBrain]

Love me the Centennial/Armadillo combo in an IPA. Great spice and mucho grapefruit. good good good.

My best IPA to date used Chinook at 60 minutes and the above combo with several additions at and past the 30 minute mark. I don't have the recipe with me here, but the SRM was around 7 with a good malt/light caramel backbone. I used 2-row, Vienna and caramel malts only.

 

[the_bird]

The best beer I've made is my Murder In The Red Barn. Lots of Munich for backbone, not too much crystal, and Cascade/Centennial/Amarillo for hop flavor and aroma. A little too dark to technically be an IPA, I wouldn't it in competition for that reason. Might be in the vein of what you're looking for.

 

[BierMuncher]

This takes the basic approach to Pliny The Elder (an IIPA) and dials it down a bit to fit into the IPA range (except the IBU’s )

I love pliny because it is a lighter colored beer and not so caramelly. A big gravity beer with a natural sweetness, firm bittering and a lingering hop aroma/flavor from a ton of dry hopping. It uses some simple corn sugar to effect a better attenuation.


Batch Size: 6.50 gal
Boil Size: 8.54 gal
Estimated OG: 1.075 SG
Estimated Color: 8.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 75.4 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

17.00 lb Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 87.2 %
0.75 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 3.8 %
0.75 lb Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 3.8 %
0.50 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 2.6 %
0.50 lb Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 2.6 %

1.00 oz Centennial [9.50%] (60 min)
0.50 oz Cascade [6.10%] (50 min)
0.50 oz Amarillo Gold [9.00%] (40 min)
0.50 oz Centennial [9.50%] (30 min)
0.50 oz Summit [16.50%] (15 min)
1.00 oz Centennial [9.50%] (10 min)
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.90%] (10 min)

1.25 oz Amarillo Gold [8.90%] (Dry Hop 14 days)
1.25 oz Cascade [6.10%] (Dry Hop 14 days)
1.25 oz Centennial [9.50%] (Dry Hop 14 days)

1 Pkgs Kolsch Yeast (Wyeast Labs #2565) Yeast-Ale

 

[McKBrew]

Thanks BM.

It sounds like Pliney is my IPA just by the recipe. I've passed it up a few times and maybe I should grab a bottle just to see it it is what I am looking for.

 

[BierMuncher]

...maybe I should grab a bottle (Pliny) just to see it it is what I am looking for.

Strongly recommended.

 

[flyangler18]

Strongly recommended.

Wiser words were never spoken. Pliny is the ultimate IIPA for me.

 

[ohiobrewtus]

Wiser words were never spoken. Pliny is the penultimate IIPA for me.

I keep hearing people say this, but I found it to be substantially more malty sweet than I was anticipating. It's not malty like DFH90 malty, but I was expecting the epitome of IIPA's. Ultimatley I was a bit disappointed in it based on my initial expectations set by others here. It's still a damn fine beer, but I'll take HopSlam over it every time.

McKBrew, do you like you're IPA's to be malty and closer to balanced with a semi-sweet finish? Or do you lean towards strong bitterness with just enough malt to take the edge off and a dry, clean finish?

 

[flyangler18]

Do you like you're IPA's to be malty and closer to balanced with a semi-sweet finish?

This is exactly how I like them - lots of big juicy hop character and flavor without being just bitter.

 

[McKBrew]

This is exactly how I like them - lots of big juicy hop character and flavor without being just bitter.

Definitely more along those lines. I have nothing against a bitter IPA, but they tend to be the norm for commercial. I like that a slight bit of sweetness from the higher FG, seems to blend well with the citrus flavors.

 

[ohiobrewtus]

This is exactly how I like them - lots of big juicy hop character and flavor without being just bitter.

I can appreciate both, but I think that the IPA/IIPA styles lend themselves perfectly to a bone-dry finish. It cleans the palate on the way down after the bitterness (which is balanced out slightly with a nice malt presence) hits the tongue.

Most IPA's that finish on the sweet side seem cloying to me, and almost like an APA.

I'm not talking about some of the hop monsters that I brew either... I'm talking normal, every day 1.060, 65 IBU IPA's.

 

[BierMuncher]

Initial sweetness...immediate bite...then a finishing "WHOOSH" of citrus and spice....slowly fades...then you're ready for another.

Now THAT is drinkability.

 

[mkade]

Wiser words were never spoken. Pliny is the penultimate IIPA for me.

Since penultimate means next to last, I think I'm confused by this sentence. Did you mean "ultimate"?

 

[flyangler18]

Since penultimate means next to last, I think I'm confused by this sentence. Did you mean "ultimate"?

D'oh! *sheepishly slinks off into the corner*



I made a Dogberryism.

I can appreciate both, but I think that the IPA/IIPA styles lend themselves perfectly to a bone-dry finish. It cleans the palate on the way down after the bitterness (which is balanced out slightly with a nice malt presence) hits the tongue.

It amazes how similar and dissimilar our palates are all at once.

 

[the_bird]

I keep hearing people say this, but I found it to be substantially more malty sweet than I was anticipating. It's not malty like DFH90 malty, but I was expecting the epitome of IIPA's. Ultimatley I was a bit disappointed in it based on my initial expectations set by others here. It's still a damn fine beer, but I'll take HopSlam over it every time.

McKBrew, do you like you're IPA's to be malty and closer to balanced with a semi-sweet finish? Or do you lean towards strong bitterness with just enough malt to take the edge off and a dry, clean finish?

See, this is why I love the Munich malt, you get that warm malt flavor without necessarily adding extra sweetness. You can have a beer that's got a great malt profile that's not cloying.

 

[McKBrew]

Initial sweetness...immediate bite...then a finishing "WHOOSH" of citrus and spice....slowly fades...then you're ready for another.

Now THAT is drinkability.

YES. Finishing with a hop orgasm in the mouth. That's what I'm talking about.

 

[Lou]

Initial sweetness...immediate bite...then a finishing "WHOOSH" of citrus and spice....slowly fades...then you're ready for another.

Now THAT is drinkability.

i suggest adding the hops at 3 different times during the brewing process.

that triple-hop brewed flavor coupled with drinkability is sure to please everyone!

 

[Belmont]

YES. Finishing with a hop orgasm in the mouth. That's what I'm talking about.

I am soooooooo reusing that one very soon. Reminds me of...

"I love beer so much I wanna take it out behind the middle school and get it pregnant."

 

[the_bird]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70Ak4nW1Rg8]YouTube - Beerfest Clip[/ame]

 

[Yankeehillbrewer]

i suggest adding the hops at 3 different times during the brewing process.

that triple-hop brewed flavor coupled with drinkability is sure to please everyone!

ROLMAO!!!

Miller Lite, what a load of S**T

 

[janzik]

I'm starting to have some naughty feelings for the IPA I did with Columbus. It uses a little bit of Munich (it's Ed's IPA, but with Columbus and Cali yeast).

I think the next batch I do is just going to keep tweaking the 11.5 pale, 12oz 60L, 1lb Munich. Maybe a little more of the secondary grains and trying Vienna instead of Munich. It depends what I have on hand at the time.