I can't make an IPA to save my life... Help!

[ArrogantDusty]

As of today, I've been brewing for two years. Happy Anniversary to me! I brew all the time (Partial mash always, but I now have the set up for all grain). Literally everything I've made this last year has been a hit. My craft beer/homebrew buddies can't wait to try my next batch every time I make something. I also make meads and Apfelwein that I can't seem to keep around because it goes so fast. My natural talent and sheer luck has turned this hobby into a lifestyle for me.

But I've been hiding something. I can't make one of my favorite styles. After 4 attempts at creating a great IPA, and making a lot of "eh" stuff, I stopped trying. I put it out of my mind for a time and brewed other great beers, but on my two year anniversary, I looked back at all I wrought and am disappointed.

I'm calling out for help to get back on this horse and brew a bad ass IPA to start my third year out right.

What my favorite IPAs have in common:

• They're fairly heavy ~ 6.5-7%.
• They're dry - My best attempt at an IPA was an all-galaxay hopped batch that was not close to dry enough (yes, I did use a yeast starter).
• I love the grapefruit flavors in IPAs - but this is not a must.

If you're willing to help, please be slightly detailed about your brew process. Cheers!

 

[ong]

You might want to try a SMaSH, since you're set up for all grain now. Something as simple as 12 lbs of 2-row, mashed a bit on the low side (say, 150 degrees). And pick a hop you like, add about 25 IBUs at 60 minutes, and another 40 or so in the last 10 minutes or as a steeping addition. Pitch a 2-liter starter of 1056, ferment in the low 60s, dry hop with another ounce and a half for the last five days in primary. There's no way that won't come out a lovely dry, crisp, hoppy IPA!

 

[schematix]

SMaSH or DMaDH would be a good route here.

I don't know your efficiency or batch size, but i'd go with something along the lines of:
~12 lbs of base malt
0.5-1lb crystal 40-80

To get the citrus flavor go with cascade and centennial, but others are possible. You'll need to adjust quantities based on alpha but approx
Add ~2oz at 60m
add ~2oz at 10
Add ~2oz at 0 and steep
Dry hop with 2-4 oz

IPAs are pretty forgiving. For what it's worth I don't show up with less than a lb of hops for one, and close to 2 for a DIPA.

EDIT:
I do 10G batches so 1lb hops for 10G, 2lb hops for 10G of DIPA.

Others have mentioned the importance of mash temps and water chemistry. I failed to mention these but these are just as important as a good recipe. Mash around 150 for an hour, get your sulfate levels up (I do 300ppm), ferment in the low to mid 60s, and you should be good to go.

 

[TopherM]

Dryness is easy. Just mash low (around 146F). Beta Amalyze enzyme is activated and maximized between 140-149F, which breaks down the starches in the grain to primarily simple sugars that the yeast can easily eat. More simple sugars = more attenuation = dryer beers!

 

[bobeer]

I've made some pretty darn good IPAs. Since others spoke about ingredients I'll talk about process.
I always mash around 150 and I always first wort hop (FWH) and do a 90 minute boil for most of my IPAs.
I usually put in a smaller 30 min hop addition too. Last, but def not least, this might be the most important part, I always do a hop stand with my flame-out hop additions. I usually cool the wort down to about 180 degrees, drop in a crap load of hops, and let it sit for anywhere from 15-30 minutes. This allows all the hop flavors and resins to get extracted into the wort but not any of the bitterness. Then dry hop with a couple ounces with whatever you like. Always use a low attenuating yeast that finishes clean and you should have yourself a nice IPA. Good luck man!

 

[RTL]

Dryness is easy. Just mash low (around 146F). Beta Amalyze enzyme is activated and maximized between 140-149F, which breaks down the starches in the grain to primarily simple sugars that the yeast can easily eat. More simple sugars = more attenuation = dryer beers!

+1 to this. If I want a dry beer I do an overnight mash with temp starting at around 148F after dough in. The overnight mash will give beta lots of time to break down starches. I have gotten 85% attenuation doing this with both ale and lager yeasts. It doesn't have to be overnight but I would shoot for a solid 2 hours, according to Brewing Science and Practice the beta conversion curve flattens out to a very low slope after about 2 hours.

I like to do a small addition of hops at 90 min for bittering then the rest of the bitterness comes from hops boiled for less than 30 min which will add a lot of that citrusy flavor. My favorite has hop additions every five minutes starting from 30min (remaining) to flameout, the flameout addition being the largest addition. And as you well know the C hops are a good bet for citrusy flavors.

As others mentioned keep the grain bill simple and ensure your specialty malts are less than 15% of the total bill. This will help keep down residual sweetness and ensure you get maximum attenuation.

Doing a yeast starter will do very little in terms of total attenuation, that is primarily controlled by beta, unless of course you are under pitching with unhealthy yeast.

I copied this from my Brewer's Friend recipe page, this is for 15 gallons with 90% brewhouse efficiency. If you have a Brewer's Friend account you can scale this to different volumes, and efficiencies in the Recipe Builder.

1.058 Final Gravity: 1.009
ABV (standard): 5.43%
IBU (tinseth): 89.33
SRM (morey): 8.4
Fermentables
Amount Fermentable PPG °L Bill %
25 lb American - Pale 2-Row 37 1.8 86.2%
2 lb American - Caramel / Crystal 20L 35 20 6.9%
2 lb American - Caramel / Crystal 60L 34 60 6.9%
29 lb Total
Hops
Amount Variety Type Time IBU
1 oz Columbus Pellet 15 Boil 90 min 18.84
2 oz Citra Pellet 11 Boil 30 min 19.86
2 oz Cluster Pellet 6.5 Boil 25 min 10.61
2 oz Centennial Pellet 10 Boil 20 min 14.22
2 oz Chinook Pellet 13 Boil 15 min 15.15
2 oz Cascade Pellet 7 Boil 10 min 5.96
2 oz Centennial Pellet 10 Boil 5 min 4.68
2 oz Crystal Pellet 4.3 Boil 0 min
2 oz Columbus Pellet 15 Boil 0 min

Mash Guidelines
Amount Description Type Temp Time
12 gal Infusion 145 F 480 min
Starting Mash Thickness: 1.3 qt/lb

Other Ingredients
Amount Name Use
5.8 tsp CaSO4 Mash --
0.5 tsp NaCl Mash --
1 tbsp Irish Moss Fining Boil 15 min
1 tbsp Yeast Energizer Fining Boil 15 min

Good luck.

 

[NathPowe]

You've told us what you like in an IPA, but unless I missed it you didn't tell us what the problems have been with the ones you brewed. What didn't you like about them?

This would help us to give the best advice possible.

Cheers and good luck on the brew.

 

[mtnagel]

For me, my IPAs have gone to the next level when I started playing with water chemistry (increasing the sulfates) and getting the whirlpool/hop stand right. For the whirlpool, I now cool to ~180F, remove the wort chiller, add the hops straight, stir every 5 mins or so and cover between stirring. I do this for 20-30 mins.

 

[Roundhouse]

I personally don't believe that anything darker than a 20L crystal should be used in an IPA and even then no more than 1/2 lb in a 5 gallon batch. Limit it to around 5% or so max of the total grain bill with American 2 Row making up the rest. Mash low and long. 149° for 90 minutes is good. I use Magnum or Warrior for all bittering so shoot for about 60+ IBU @ the 60 minute mark from these. At flameout try 2 oz of Cascades and then dry hop in the secondary with 2 more ounces of Cascades. It'll be very grapefruit like. 1 tsp or 4.2 gms of Gypsum per 5 gallons of water would also help things a bit but don't go too overboard here. Too high of an amount will result in...intestinal explosiveness!

 

[ArrogantDusty]

Thanks for all the advice - I'm positive that you guys are right about the lower mash temp. I almost certainly mashed my last one at 152-155.

 

[DocScott]

You've told us what you like in an IPA, but unless I missed it you didn't tell us what the problems have been with the ones you brewed. What didn't you like about them?

This would help us to give the best advice possible.

^^ This!^^

If you can tell us what was wrong or missing from your previous attempts, we can help you brew your next one to be more of what you're looking for.

 

[carvetop]

For me, my IPAs have gone to the next level when I started playing with water chemistry (increasing the sulfates) and getting the whirlpool/hop stand right. For the whirlpool, I now cool to ~180F, remove the wort chiller, add the hops straight, stir every 5 mins or so and cover between stirring. I do this for 20-30 mins.

+1 on all of the above. Water chemistry and hop stands have VASTLY improved my IPAs.

 

[Weezy]

Good info so far. I'll add my thoughts anyway.

• If you don't know your tap water profile, try a batch with jugs of RO water. Add 1g/gal gypsum.
  
• For dry west coast IPAs, limit crystal malts to 3% max and mash low 146-148°F.
  
• Hop at 60 min, 30 min, and flameout w/hopstand for 15-30min. Target at least half of your IBUs to come from the 60 min. addition.

And have fun! (sounds like you're having fun anyway but I like saying that)