Hop schedule for Jamil's West Coast Blaster

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broadbill

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I'm planning on making Jamil's West Coast Blaster recipe and have a quick question regarding its hop schedule using the same hop varieties, but they have different % alpha acid from what the recipe calls for:

The recipe calls for 66IBUs using:

1.1 oz horizon (13%)-60min
1 oz Cascade 6% -10min
1 oz Centennial 9% -10min
1 oz Cascade 6%-0min
1oz Centennial 9% -0min

I can get horizons (plugs) at 11.9%, Cascades at 5.4%, Centennials at 8%

I can get to 66 IBUs if I increase the Horizons to 2oz but leaving all other additions the same.

My question is: will this throw off the hop profile?

Thanks!
 
I can get to 66 IBUs if I increase the Horizons to 2oz but leaving all other additions the same.

My question is: will this throw off the hop profile?

That is exactly what I would do. And this should not make any noticeable difference in the hop profile.
 
I'm planning on making Jamil's West Coast Blaster recipe and have a quick question regarding its hop schedule using the same hop varieties, but they have different % alpha acid from what the recipe calls for:

The recipe calls for 66IBUs using:

1.1 oz horizon (13%)-60min
1 oz Cascade 6% -10min
1 oz Centennial 9% -10min
1 oz Cascade 6%-0min
1oz Centennial 9% -0min

I can get horizons (plugs) at 11.9%, Cascades at 5.4%, Centennials at 8%

I can get to 66 IBUs if I increase the Horizons to 2oz but leaving all other additions the same.

My question is: will this throw off the hop profile?

Thanks!

Doubling the Horizon seems drastic, but it may be right. Make sure you're really matching up the bitterness. That is to say, Jamil's calculation for 66 IBU may not be the same as yours (he uses the Rager formula and a 6 gallon batch). Given the solidity of his recipe, there's no need to doubt that it will make a good beer. I'd plug it in to my software (or a brewing website), and then use that IBU number as my target with my own hops, so I know that I'm accurately matching the bitterness of the recipe.

I only suggest this because it sounds like nearly doubling the horizon may really ratchet up the bitterness of your beer more than you want. If you can run Jamil's recipe through your software and then match the IBU's you get there with your hops, you could proceed with confidence.

Apologies in advance if that's what you did.

Edit: I just ran those numbers through Beersmith, and I'm getting 1.4 oz of Horizon as your bittering addition to keep the IBU's the same. YMMV.
 
Doubling the Horizon seems drastic, but it may be right. Make sure you're really matching up the bitterness. That is to say, Jamil's calculation for 66 IBU may not be the same as yours (he uses the Rager formula and a 6 gallon batch). Given the solidity of his recipe, there's no need to doubt that it will make a good beer. I'd plug it in to my software (or a brewing website), and then use that IBU number as my target with my own hops, so I know that I'm accurately matching the bitterness of the recipe.

I only suggest this because it sounds like nearly doubling the horizon may really ratchet up the bitterness of your beer more than you want. If you can run Jamil's recipe through your software and then match the IBU's you get there with your hops, you could proceed with confidence.

Apologies in advance if that's what you did.


No apologies necessary....doubling the horizon did seem a bit drastic to me too and that is why I posted.

Few things at work here off the top of my head:

1. Jamils recipe calls for horizon hops at 13%AA pellets whereas the horizon I can find are only 11.9% plugs. In playing with some calculators, there is a 20IBU difference between using pellets vs whole hop/plug.

2. Jamil's calculated hop bill comes out at 66IBU via Rager. My modified hop bill (i.e. doubling the horizon) is 66IBU via Tinseth. I've found that Rager tends to give higher numbers than Tinseth, so I'm tempted to rachet down the the horizon to give me 66IBU via Rager as not to overshoot of the bittering.
 
Hi Elkdog...thanks for running the numbers through beersmith....I had done the same and came up with 1.5 oz...close enough for gov. work.
 
Hi Elkdog...thanks for running the numbers through beersmith....I had done the same and came up with 1.5 oz...close enough for gov. work.

Yep. I've been eyeing that recipe, and was going to brew it soon, but then BYO posted a clone of the Dragon's Milk I used to drink at Triple Rock in Berkeley, and I feel morally obligated to brew it for the colder months. If that West Coast Blaster is really like the Red Rocket Ale, I've got to brew it sometime. Let us know how it turns out.
 
I'd go with Elkdog's numbers. Switch to Rager, do the calculations for the 60 min addition only, and then you can switch back to Tinseth if you want. Once you've made the adjustment under Rager don't touch the amounts though. Whatever IBUs Tinseth claims is just fine. Don't adjust it a second time.

Should turn out great.
 
Yep. I've been eyeing that recipe, and was going to brew it soon, but then BYO posted a clone of the Dragon's Milk I used to drink at Triple Rock in Berkeley, and I feel morally obligated to brew it for the colder months. If that West Coast Blaster is really like the Red Rocket Ale, I've got to brew it sometime. Let us know how it turns out.

Thanks again for your help, I also heard Blaster was formulated to be very much in the style of Red Rocket ale. I haven't had Red Rocket (has not made it to Maine yet), but based on what I've heard about it, I can't wait to try Blaster!
 
I'd go with Elkdog's numbers. Switch to Rager, do the calculations for the 60 min addition only, and then you can switch back to Tinseth if you want. Once you've made the adjustment under Rager don't touch the amounts though. Whatever IBUs Tinseth claims is just fine. Don't adjust it a second time.

Should turn out great.

Hi Jamil,

Thanks for checking in-I really enjoy your book!

I'll go ahead with Elkdog's # and with the Rager formula-can't wait to brew this and try the finished product...
 
Thanks again for your help, I also heard Blaster was formulated to be very much in the style of Red Rocket ale. I haven't had Red Rocket (has not made it to Maine yet), but based on what I've heard about it, I can't wait to try Blaster!

I brewed Jamil's Midwest Blaster last fall and I thought it came out really well. I was lucky enough to have some actual Red Rocket at the time and the MWB is indeed very similar. I think you'll like it.
 
I brewed the West Coast Blaster using live Cascade (OK - it was fresh) and it's a pretty darn good brew. I have 4 bottles left and it was brewer 10/7/08.

Very good brew for an aggressive Amber. One of the brews where I can actually pitcher the taste. I could draw the flavor it with crayons. Very yummy!
 
Midwest Blaster? Did I miss that page of BCS?:cross:

Well, they reprinted the book for those of us in Indiana and called it "Midwest Blaster." :rolleyes:

Yeah OK. That's about the 5th time I've called it Midwest Blaster. I have no idea what possess me to do that. Perhaps SWMBO is right and I really am an idiot.
 
I hate to screw around with Jamils awesome recipe but here goes. I've made this a ton of times. It is single-handedly the best Amber I have ever had and others who have tried it attest to that as well. Thanks for that Jamil. I however find that my favorite version (since I like to screw with the hops) Is bittering with Columbus and then going with the hop bill like Jamil lays it out. And on occasion I have been known to kick it up even a little more by adding an extra ounce or 2 of centennial in the end. But try to make it as is at least once as it was intended then if you are like me, you can screw with it later.

FWIW I have used Chinook in this instead of Horizon. It is still very good and at 60min in this beer I get none of the Chinook harshness that some describe. use it late in the bol then perhaps but at 60min you will be fine.
 
The first time I made this recipe, I didn't have any C40, so I subbed Melanoidin for it. Man, thats one great improvement! I've since made several versions of it, including the original version, but I still prefer it with Melanoidin. Oh, and it's really nice when you mix in CZT for aroma too. And if you go with an English ale yeast, it really starts to drift towards something 3 Floyds does.
 
I brewed this beer a few weeks back and it had almost no hop flavor at all ? It tasted like a decent Amber Ale someone suggested that maybe my hop bags were to stuffed limiting the hop any ideas I followed the recipe exactly Also was a little under carbonated Thanks
 
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