How much hops in IPA?

[SamInNJ]

I'm trying to put together a recipe for an IPA for my third brew batch.

I did an APA for my first and a northern English brown for my second.

BJCP style guidelines say an IPA should be between 40 and 70 IBU.

To achieve this and get a high amount of hop flavor I designed a recipe that added all hop additions late - 2 oz of citra, centenniel and cascade all at 10 minutes for a total of 6oz hops.

This puts my recipe on the high end of IBU's for the style. When looking at other recipes and talk about ipa's though I keep seeing way higher levels of hops and advice that keeps saying to add more hops. Other than dry hopping I'm not sure how to Pack much more hops into my recipe.

Are people frequently exceeding the typical style guide now or am I misunderstanding people's recipes and additions?

I'm brewing with extract and a 5.5 gal target. I feel like I'm missing something.

 

[A2HB]

Style guide schmyle guide, brew what you think tastes best. Homebrewing is an art

 

[iijakii]

Almost certainly more than the amount you put in. Even if you do a pound. More hops = better good, afterall.

What's some commercial examples you like? If you like the west-coast dry, bitter hop-bombs then definitely go way more. What I like doing is using my 60mins additions to get all of the IBU I want, then use many, many ounces as a whirlpool for flavor/aroma. Then a couple few more for dryhops.

 

[BigRedBrewer]

I find that you can way over calculate your ibu and bitterness won't be as high as you think. Remember some of those ibus will be lost during fermentation.

A 6oz late hop addition is pretty solid. For 5 gallons I typically use around 6oz for dry hopping as well. That should be enough aroma/flavor. The rest is just getting the right amount of bitterness from your 60 minute addition. Warrior and magnum hops are great for that, or even hop extract to cut down on green matter in your kettle.

 

[moreb33rplz]

I thought my IPA's were extreme but sounds like they are tame in comparison to some of these fellers. I use .5-1 oz at 60, 4-6 oz at flameout, and 2-4 oz for dryhop. The ranges go up or down depending on how high the OG. More booze = more hops.

 

[paperairplane]

Sharp bitter flavor comes from big 60 min additions. If you keep the ibu to style with your 60 minute addition, You can pound in flameout / whirlpool hops all day long. You'll get more flavor and aroma, but very slight increases in bitterness. Don't be afraid to add 4 -8 oz at flameout and then dryhop on top of that.

 

[paperairplane]

I find that you can way over calculate your ibu and bitterness won't be as high as you think. Remember some of those ibus will be lost during fermentation.

A 6oz late hop addition is pretty solid. For 5 gallons I typically use around 6oz for dry hopping as well. That should be enough aroma/flavor. The rest is just getting the right amount of bitterness from your 60 minute addition. Warrior and magnum hops are great for that, or even hop extract to cut down on green matter in your kettle.

I would take some care in hop choice for big dry hops - I did a blonde that I did a 4oz saaz / tettnang dry hop. Tasted like straight hay. Never had that issue with cascade, amarillo, citra, or other high AA hops.

 

[charliethebum]

+1 for mostly whirlpool/ Hop stand additions. Good rule of thumb for ipa bittering is shoot for 1 ibu per OG point (OG of 1.070 shoot for 70 ibu, 1.065= 65 ibu etc)

 

[Owly055]

I'm a moderate IPA type. Nearly all my beers run in the mid 50's as far as IBUs. It's what I like. I also really pound the hops to the brews near end of boil. I want intense hop flavors more than the bitterness. One ounce per gallon of flavor and aroma hops is about my bottom line.

That said, you can brew an IPA that is malt flavor dominant instead of hop flavor dominant, or highlight the yeast flavors. "American IPA" is a category where anything goes, it would seem. I like to use Magnum or Summit for bittering, then do my thing for flavor late in the boil. The original IPAs used hops like EKG or Fuggles, and IBUs that were in the 40's or 50's, not the 80's to low 100's .

What do YOU want?

I don't call my beers IPAs......... though technically most of them are. I'm not interested in "pucker power".




H.W.

 

[Singletrack]

Pound, defined: The weight of hops needed to make a Singletrack IPA. (Adjusted to a 5 gal batch size.)

That's why they sell them by the pound.

 

[jfrank85]

Very relative in terms of how you want your IPA to taste. You can get 70 ibu from 2oz of hops added at 60 minutes or you can get 70 ibu from 1lb added at 1 minute. I'm a fan of FWH for initial bitterness and 10-0 minute additions for flavor and aroma.

 

[m00ps]

Almost certainly more than the amount you put in. Even if you do a pound. More hops = better good, afterall.

What's some commercial examples you like? If you like the west-coast dry, bitter hop-bombs then definitely go way more. What I like doing is using my 60mins additions to get all of the IBU I want, then use many, many ounces as a whirlpool for flavor/aroma. Then a couple few more for dryhops.

and a few more.

IMO not worth going through all the trouble of home brewing your own IPA if it isnt at least as good as what you can buy pretty cheap at the store. This may not be exactly where you want to start for your first IPA, But I guarantee it will create something magical

 

[jleiii]

My last (D)IPA came in at about 80 IBU, and had amazing hop flavor, far exceeding anything I've done before. I don't have the details handy, but it was 1 oz each at 60, 30?, 15, 5, flameout, then dry hop 4 & 7 days. Poured at 12 days and holy lupinoly. Had I used 6 oz in the dry hop as has been mentioned here it might have been too much for me.
The choices of what hops you use will make a HUGE difference given the same quantity.

 

[jfrank85]

and a few more.

IMO not worth going through all the trouble of home brewing your own IPA if it isnt at least as good as what you can buy pretty cheap at the store. This may not be exactly where you want to start for your first IPA, But I guarantee it will create something magical

I disagree. Home brewers can do what commercial craft brewers cannot. Unlike the comm's, we don't have to worry about overhead and profit margins. We can pack as much flavor and aroma into a beer as we want and we dont have to worry about how to keep our business afloat. We also have another advantage, and that is freshness. Our homebrews can be enjoyed at peak freshness right as the carb lvl is perfect and the hops are at their best. We also get to test and experiment with all the exciting and new hop varieties and experimental types before they are used to make a mass appeal beer.

 

[iijakii]

I disagree. Home brewers can do what commercial craft brewers cannot. Unlike the comm's, we don't have to worry about overhead and profit margins. We can pack as much flavor and aroma into a beer as we want and we dont have to worry about how to keep our business afloat. We also have another advantage, and that is freshness. Our homebrews can be enjoyed at peak freshness right as the carb lvl is perfect and the hops are at their best. We also get to test and experiment with all the exciting and new hop varieties and experimental types before they are used to make a mass appeal beer.

You disagree and then state pros to the exact things he is saying to do.

 

[iijakii]

If you aren't a fan of just huge hop bombs then by all means, don't let us tell you what to do. But most people clearly love those as the market is always going bigger and bolder. Put a stupid amounts of hops in if you want a fantastic over the top IPA. If you are happy with pales or sierra nevada or something then go for it. I make session pales all the time with 6 or so ounces of hops. But when I want a good IPA it's a solid pound minimum.

 

[schematix]

*MINIMUM* 12oz for 5 gal (~2oz at 60, ~5 @ flameout, ~5 @ dry hop). 1lb would be better. Anything less will just taste like a pale ale.

 

[jfrank85]

Correction, my phone didn't show the post you had quoted before. I thought you were stating that he shouldn't brew IPA's...well I'm retarded.

 

[iijakii]

Hey it's Friday, we're all a few IPAs deep.

 

[Singletrack]

Plus, it's a lot more fun to disagree. Sheesh, we all agree it's a pound. Now where's the fun in that?

 

[jfrank85]

Hey it's Friday, we're all a few IPAs deep.

True, plus the holidays suck when you work at a package delivery company lol. I got poo brain.

 

[filthyastronaut]

A pound minimum is absurd. Not absurd to add a pound or more into a five gallon batch, but as minimum? That's just silly. You can make a nice IPA with 6 oz. of hops, that's a fact. To a large extent, the variations and interpretations of IPAs as a style is what makes me love them. I love more malt-forward IPAs, I love hopbombs, but what I like most tends to be in the middle. Interpretations of the style on both ends of the spectrum are both valid and delicious. For your recipe, I'd add a decent bittering addition and throw those 6 oz. at flameout, and definitely add at least 2 oz. of dry hops. You'd be fine stealing a couple from the whirlpool addition in my opinion. Your malt will influence how it turns out, too. For you first IPA, I think it's a good idea to start off restrained and push your boundaries from there, batch to batch. I think 8-9 oz. of hops is a sweet spot for me, but I will brew a huge Double IPA with a pound soon.

 

[Redlantern]

I'm trying to put together a recipe for an IPA for my third brew batch.

I did an APA for my first and a northern English brown for my second.

BJCP style guidelines say an IPA should be between 40 and 70 IBU.

To achieve this and get a high amount of hop flavor I designed a recipe that added all hop additions late - 2 oz of citra, centenniel and cascade all at 10 minutes for a total of 6oz hops.

This puts my recipe on the high end of IBU's for the style. When looking at other recipes and talk about ipa's though I keep seeing way higher levels of hops and advice that keeps saying to add more hops. Other than dry hopping I'm not sure how to Pack much more hops into my recipe.

Are people frequently exceeding the typical style guide now or am I misunderstanding people's recipes and additions?

I'm brewing with extract and a 5.5 gal target. I feel like I'm missing something.

I just got going on this topic and for me anyway - this seems to be working:

1) initial bittering at 60 min(high alpha) and late boil addition of 1 to 2 oz
2) steep/whirlpool 3 oz
3) Dry Hop 4 oz

(2-3-4 schedule)

Winds up with 9-10 oz and puts a lot of flavor in.

Likely better ways, but at the moment, it is an easy formula. Also make it easy to target about 60 IBU

 

[SamInNJ]

Thanks for all the replies. Really gives me a lot of insight.

One thing that I don't quite get is all the talk of hopping at flameout. Currently I'm brewing with extract and from everything give read you're supposed to cool the wort as fast as possible to get a good cold break. If you add hops at flameout and stir aren't you going to mess with that cold break?

 

[moreb33rplz]

Thanks for all the replies. Really gives me a lot of insight.

One thing that I don't quite get is all the talk of hopping at flameout. Currently I'm brewing with extract and from everything give read you're supposed to cool the wort as fast as possible to get a good cold break. If you add hops at flameout and stir aren't you going to mess with that cold break?

I usually turn off the burner, add the hops, and let it steep 15 minutes before cooling. I'm not sure how to measure how much it affects my cold break.

 

[jleiii]

Thanks for all the replies. Really gives me a lot of insight.

One thing that I don't quite get is all the talk of hopping at flameout. Currently I'm brewing with extract and from everything give read you're supposed to cool the wort as fast as possible to get a good cold break. If you add hops at flameout and stir aren't you going to mess with that cold break?

There are a lot of opinions on cold break. From important to no concern. There is even a no chill following. And another discussion on at what temps are ideal for post boil additions. There is no 'right' method, but what works for you.

 

[slym2none]

I personally have seen no difference in my beers that I chill right away v/s the ones I hopstand with, and I am running 45 minute to 1 hour hopstands.