Hoptimistic IPA - American IPA

[LJvermonster]

Good day all! First things first, I came up with this name and was really stoked because I'm pretty optimistic and I love hops. Then I found out there's already a beer named "Hoptimistic IPA". With that being said, I've tweaked this recipe a few times but would enjoy any feedback anyone else has to offer! Thanks in advance for the feedback!

Title: Hoptimistic IPA (American IPA)
Author: Goodman

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: American IPA
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5.75 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 7.3 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.052
Efficiency: 75% (brew house)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.066
Final Gravity: 1.012
ABV (standard): 7.14%
IBU (tinseth): 101.63
SRM (morey): 11.72

FERMENTABLES:
10 lb - American - Pale 2-Row (76.3%)
1 lb - American - Red Wheat (7.6%)
1 lb - Corn Sugar - Dextrose (7.6%)
1 lb - American - Caramel / Crystal 40L (7.6%)
0.1 lb - American - Midnight Wheat Malt (0.8%)

HOPS:
1 oz - Chinook, Type: Pellet, AA: 13, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 42.18
0.5 oz - Cascade, Type: Pellet, AA: 7, Use: Boil for 10 min, IBU: 4.12
0.5 oz - Galaxy, Type: Pellet, AA: 12, Use: Boil for 10 min, IBU: 7.06
0.5 oz - Simcoe, Type: Pellet, AA: 12.7, Use: Boil for 10 min, IBU: 7.47
0.5 oz - Cascade, Type: Pellet, AA: 7, Use: Boil for 1 min, IBU: 0.49
0.5 oz - Galaxy, Type: Pellet, AA: 12, Use: Boil for 1 min, IBU: 0.84
0.5 oz - Simcoe, Type: Pellet, AA: 12.7, Use: Boil for 1 min, IBU: 0.89
2 oz - Cascade, Type: Pellet, AA: 7, Use: Whirlpool for 30 min at 190 °F, IBU: 9.12
2 oz - Chinook, Type: Pellet, AA: 13, Use: Whirlpool for 30 min at 180 °F, IBU: 10.16
2 oz - Galaxy, Type: Pellet, AA: 12, Use: Whirlpool for 30 min at 180 °F, IBU: 9.38
2 oz - Simcoe, Type: Pellet, AA: 12.7, Use: Whirlpool for 30 min at 180 °F, IBU: 9.93
1 oz - Cascade, Type: Pellet, AA: 7, Use: Dry Hop for 5 days
1 oz - Chinook, Type: Pellet, AA: 13, Use: Dry Hop for 5 days
1 oz - Galaxy, Type: Pellet, AA: 12, Use: Dry Hop for 5 days
1 oz - Simcoe, Type: Pellet, AA: 12.7, Use: Dry Hop for 5 days

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Sparge, Temp: 148 F, Time: 90 min, Amount: 4.75 gal, Mash
2) Sparge, Temp: 170 F, Time: 15 min, Amount: 5.25 gal, Sparge
Starting Mash Thickness: 1.45 qt/lb

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
1 lb - Corn Sugar with 15 minutes left in boil, Time: 15 min, Type: Other, Use: Boil

YEAST:
Fermentis / Safale - American Ale Yeast US-05
Starter: No
Form: Dry
Attenuation (custom): 80%
Flocculation: Medium
Optimum Temp: 54 - 77 F
Fermentation Temp: 66 F
Pitch Rate: 1.25 (M cells / ml / deg P)

TARGET WATER PROFILE:
Profile Name: Light colored and hoppy
Ca2: 75
Mg2: 5
Na: 10
Cl: 50
SO4: 150
HCO3: 0
Water Notes:

NOTES:
Total Water Volume Needed = 10.00 gal
Mash Water = 4.75 gal @ 160 Deg
Mash Temp = 148 for 90 minutes
Sparge Water = 5.25 gal @ 170 Deg
Sparge Sit Time = 15 minutes

Add the following to each 5 gallons of water:
Gypsum - 2 tsp
Calcium Chloride - 1/2 tsp

Pre-Boil Volume = 7.35 Gallons
Add 5 drops Fermcap-S at boil
Add Corn Sugar with 15 minutes left on the boil
Add Whirlfloc tablets 15 minutes left in boil

Rehydrate US-05 prior to pitching

Filter hops by putting a 5 gallon paint strainer bag into the primary and pouring wort through the strainer before pitching yeast

 

[LazyLab]

Wow, that is a lot of hops!

I would guess you are going to get a much lower final gravity than what it's predicting. Especially if you are using a pound of corn sugar. If you want a super dry beer then that's probably okay. I use to mash my IPAs at 148 and would get final gravities in the 1.006-1.009 range, I felt like they were missing something, a little too dry or a little too much alcohol burn. I increase my mash temp to 152-153 for IPAs and I'm much more pleased with them now. Mashing a little higher put my final gravity closer to 1.014 which I think balances well with the hops.

For the grain bill I'd drop the wheat and crystal to 5% each or maybe lower.

Looks pretty tasty.

 

[atom]

for once i don't have to say "add more hops".. haha

looks good. i agree with that mash temp and 05 you'll probably hit 1.008-1.010. the midnight wheat mainly for color? i'd drop it... at almost 12 srm, it's a little darker than i like my ipas.

 

[hanuswalrus]

You need more hops.

Just kidding, I like the hop schedule and varieties. Grain bill looks good to me, though I prefer white wheat to regular old red wheat. The last couple IPAs I've done, I've used UK Pale malt and find it gives a little more character than American. I like the simplicity of this grain bill, though.

 

[LJvermonster]

Good advice on the temp as I am aiming for 1.012 to 1.016; come to think of it my last IPA finished at 1.006 so I will bring that up to 152-153.
As for the Caramel 40, I was going to for a slightly maltier sweeter IPA so I bumped that up to ~7.5% from the typical 5% (figured I'd give it a shot).
The Midnight is for color only. I wanted a slight orange/amber color to this IPA and not the lighter I've been brewing lately. Will the Caramel 40 suffice for this?
What kind of difference would 7.5% Wheat vs 5% wheat make?
Thanks guys!

 

[hanuswalrus]

Also, maybe split up the dry hop into 2 additions: .5 oz each for 5 days, and then another dry hop of .5 oz each for another 5 days.. removing the first dry hop when adding the second.

 

[LJvermonster]

Also, maybe split up the dry hop into 2 additions: .5 oz each for 5 days, and then another dry hop of .5 oz each for another 5 days.. removing the first dry hop when adding the second.

What's the best way to do this with Pellet Hops?

 

[govner1]

If you want a little more color & flavor try Pale Ale Malt instead of just Pale 2-row. 3.5 Lovibond.

 

[hanuswalrus]

What's the best way to do this with Pellet Hops?

The way I do it is I measure out my hops, then spray a hop muslin bag with some sanitizer, load the bag with the hops, tie a knot in the bag so the hops don't come pouring out.. and drop it right into the bucket/carboy/whatever your fermenting in. Some people just dump the hops right in without a bag. It's personal preference I guess.

Just make sure everything coming into contact with the bag is sanitary, like your hands, and don't go setting the bag on the counter in between sanitizing and throwing the bag into the fermenter. Try to limit the amount of time your fermenter is open to limit oxidation

 

[LJvermonster]

The way I do it is I measure out my hops, then spray a hop muslin bag with some sanitizer, load the bag with the hops, tie a knot in the bag so the hops don't come pouring out.. and drop it right into the bucket/carboy/whatever your fermenting in. Some people just dump the hops right in without a bag. It's personal preference I guess.

Just make sure everything coming into contact with the bag is sanitary, like your hands, and don't go setting the bag on the counter in between sanitizing and throwing the bag into the fermenter. Try to limit the amount of time your fermenter is open to limit oxidation

Think this would work for the hop bag? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001G8H4EA/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Also, maybe split up the dry hop into 2 additions: .5 oz each for 5 days, and then another dry hop of .5 oz each for another 5 days.. removing the first dry hop when adding the second.

I think I'll have to try this method.

If you want a little more color & flavor try Pale Ale Malt instead of just Pale 2-row. 3.5 Lovibond.

Too bad I just purchased 25 lbs of 2-row. When the runs out I'll give this a go. This is exactly what I am looking for for color addition.

 

[hanuswalrus]

Yeah those bags look good. The ones I use don't have the drawstring. I've read that you can reuse these bags as well. But they're so cheap (40 cents a bag at my LHBS) that I just use a new one for each dry hop I do. I might actually order this pack of 50 though. This comes out to 26 cents a bag. Thanks for the link.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Think this would work for the hop bag? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001G8H4EA/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
.

3" x 5" seems kinda small to me....

 

[LJvermonster]

3" x 5" seems kinda small to me....

With a 50 pack I could use one for each kind of hop. Would that be better? Or what's a good size to get to make sure the hops circulate through the beer enough?

 

[hanuswalrus]

The ones I get have a little "stretch-factor" to them. They're only about 5-6 inches long and it's always been enough for me. Never dry hopped more than 2 oz at a time, tho. That's another reason I split up my dry hops when I'm doing more than 2 oz. You wanna make sure all the pellets get exposure to the beer.

 

[LJvermonster]

The ones I get have a little "stretch-factor" to them. They're only about 5-6 inches long and it's always been enough for me. Never dry hopped more than 2 oz at a time, tho. That's another reason I split up my dry hops when I'm doing more than 2 oz. You wanna make sure all the pellets get exposure to the beer.

Solid, do you stir your dry hops around? Or do you just throw in the bag and close the lid?

 

[hanuswalrus]

Solid, do you stir your dry hops around? Or do you just throw in the bag and close the lid?

I usually hold the bag from the top, and gently swirl it around the surface for a couple seconds, kinda like a tea bag. Don't know for sure if this really does anything to add exposure of the hop oils to the beer, but I do it anyways.

Here's a bit from HBT's interview with the Brewmaster at Sierra Nevada about dry hopping:

Andrew: What about agitation during dryhopping?

Steven: I don't think that's necessary, especially when using pelletized hops - they're going to disperse really well through the beer. When we are doing our traditional dryhopping, it's just like a teabag soak. With our torpedo process, though, we do circulate the beer through the torpedo, but that's because the hops are external to the fermentor.

And the whole interview (it's a good one): https://www.homebrewtalk.com/brewmaster-interview-steven-dresler-sierra-nevada.html

I'm pretty sure he knows what he's talking about when it comes to dry hopping.