IIPA Recipe (Big With Lactose)

[Kidagora]

Looking for something big in ABV and very hoppy with some body to it (hence the lactose). Along the lines of a Three Floyd's Apocolypse Cow. Played with the calculator till I got OG/IBU where I wanted. Thoughts? Critiques? Don't hold back.

Recipe Type: Partial
Yeast: White Labs California ale (2xpacks)
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter: Starter
Batch Size (Gallons): 5.5
Original Gravity: 1.104
Final Gravity: 1.028
IBU: ~96.4
Boiling Time (Minutes): 90

Fermentables
------------------
1lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine
1lb Caramel/Crystal Malt
6lb 10oz Light LME
3.3lb Sparkling Amber DME
1lb Lactose


Hops
---------------------
1oz Amarillo (9.3%) at 90min - 21.5IBU
1oz Centennial (9.9%) at 70min - 20.2IBU
1oz Cascade (5%) at 70 min - 11.2IBU
1oz Amarillo (9.3%) at 45 min - 17.2IBU
1oz Centennial (9.9%) at 30 min - 15.8IBU
0.5 Amarillo (9.3%) at 20 min - 6.2IBU
0.5 Cascade (5%) at 10 min - 2.3IBU
1oz Saaz (3%) at 5 min - 2.2IBU

Dry Hop Secondary
1oz Saaz
1oz Hallertauer

 

[Xpertskir]

1. With big extract beers body is typically never a problem(actually the opposite happens, too high of a FG), as extract already contains a good amount of unfermentable sugars.


I could say a lot about the recipe, but my bottom line advice is

Wait to attempt a beer like this until you have moved to AG, brewed a bunch of other peoples recipes well, and gotten a handle for what ingredients do.

Not to be a debbie downer, but there is a great chance, especially in its current form that this would turn out to be an unpleasant beverage.

 

[inhousebrew]

Lactose seems like an odd addition for a IIPA to me. Maybe people do it and I just don't know about it. But with two pounds of crystal malt already?

Hops also seem a bit off. I personally wouldn't use amarillo before the 15 minute mark left in the boil. Most, if not all, flavor and aroma will be boiled off before 20 minutes so I would do a big bittering charge at 60 with centennial, and then blast it at the end (15,10,5,0) with Amarillo, centennial, and cascade. Not sure about the saaz?

 

[inhousebrew]

Not to be a debbie downer, but there is a great chance, especially in its current form that this would turn out to be an unpleasant beverage.

Lol, sorry, but you are way more direct to the point than I. However, I still think you could do something like this, just don't do this.

 

[Xpertskir]

BTW, I have had apocolypse cow and its pretty good. I personally have enjoyed IIPAs using oats for body more than ones using lactose.

If you want to use lactose do it, but with the caveats I listed above.

 

[WesleyS]

I agree with the above replies. I don't think this will turn out to be a pleasant beer. Between the extract, crystal malt and lactose you will likely end up with something too sweet. I would cut the lactose and most if not all the crystal. The saaz seems out of place, and the choice of dry hops seems odd, especially since your using Amarillo in the recipe, which would be in my opinion a better choice for dry hopping.

 

[Kidagora]

Understood. I don't feel i quite have the time/equipment for AG so I figured I'd throw this out there based on previous recipes I've seen, Apocolypse Cow, and ingredients on hand. Thanks for the critique. I'll abstain

 

[Jayhem]

Agree with other replies.

Keep the Amarillo hops till late in the boil and dry hop, you waste them adding them before the last 20 minutes. Use Centennial for bittering additions.

I make a black IPA that has a lb of Munich malt and 1 lb of Crystal 80 in 10 gallons and uses Carafa III for color. It has a huge malty feel with body and hop bitterness at the finish.

 

[WesleyS]

Understood. I don't feel i quite have the time/equipment for AG so I figured I'd throw this out there based on previous recipes I've seen, Apocolypse Cow, and ingredients on hand. Thanks for the critique. I'll abstain

I don't think it's a lost cause. If those are ingredients you have on hand, you can certainly make something decent out of them. You just have to rework the recipe a little bit using some of the suggestions given by those who replied, like take the lactose out and rework the hop schedule. There's no reason to scrap the idea all together.

 

[Xpertskir]

I don't think it's a lost cause. If those are ingredients you have on hand, you can certainly make something decent out of them. You just have to rework the recipe a little bit using some of the suggestions given by those who replied, like take the lactose out and rework the hop schedule. There's no reason to scrap the idea all together.

This is very true

Ammarillo, Centennial and cascade would make a fine IPA.

Id use .5lb crystal 60 or less, and .5 cara malt

7 or so lbs of LME shoot for 1060s


bitter with whatever you have laying around to 40 or 50 ibus

do an equal split of cascade, amarillo, centenial.

1 oz total at 15, 10, 5, 0 and an ounce of each for dry hop.


that would be a tasty beer.

 

[Kidagora]

I see where/how the hop schedule is off, now. I'll tweak in the following days and repost.

I think because I prefer a more malty, thicker, sweeter beer, (porters/stouts/tripels) I was hoping I could venture into something hoppier while still retaining the essential qualities I like. Hence, the lactose carried over. But....I think I'm a little too wide-eyed and eager to see the future I like few IPA's and find many are too dry for me but I've slowly come around. I'll convert this to an IPA/IIPA and take it slow. I also prefer big beer with high ABV%. I'm 6'11" 270lbs. Anything that keeps me from drinking too many bottles is a good thing.

 

[RainyDay]

Also, 9oz of hops is barely an IPA, let alone a IIPA.

 

[Kidagora]

I was under the impression IPA's were 40-65 IBU with 5%-7.5% ABV and IIPA's were >65 IBU and etoh>7.5%. IBU's and OG were a target while gathering ingredients.

Is it based on ounces of hops?

I thought I recalled seeing a 90Min Dogfish Head Recipe that called for total of 6oz of hops and is still classified as a IIPA. I'm confused.

 

[inhousebrew]

You can make a more than perfectly good IPA with nine ounces of hops. I think some people go overboard into the territory of being unnecessary when it comes to hopping. I like that you're back on board with this idea. Don't give up just because it was a bit off at first.

 

[RainyDay]

Dont let me dissuade you. Im just saying 9oz might leave you underwhelmed. Its not about 'going overboard', but if you really enjoy hop flavor/aroma as American IPAs have, you may want to have more. Totally a personal preference thing, and I really DFH IPAs are less hop forward than others (and stronger in the malt area). Again, preference.

 

[Kidagora]

Dont let me dissuade you. Im just saying 9oz might leave you underwhelmed. Its not about 'going overboard', but if you really enjoy hop flavor/aroma as American IPAs have, you may want to have more. Totally a personal preference thing, and I really DFH IPAs are less hop forward than others (and stronger in the malt area). Again, preference.

I think that may be why I enjoy DFH so much! How do you determine your hops schedule/bill then? Is it more AAU/oz/IBU or some combination? Do the IBU's not give a good indication?

 

[RainyDay]

I think that may be why I enjoy DFH so much! How do you determine your hops schedule/bill then? Is it more AAU/oz/IBU or some combination? Do the IBU's not give a good indication?

Totally man, different strokes

I base mine off of experience really. At some point it was based off clones, what 'mentors' had as advice, etc, but at this point it's just understanding what hops do at different addition times, what I want out of the hop i'm adding, and so on. I rarely put the hops in a calculator (more of an art guy, less of a science guy), but they're typically all around 70-100 IBU. I also LOVE hops and love NW IPAs, so I dont do any less than 1oz per addition, so my IPAs tend to be very hopppy, and less malty; my ideal IPAs. I use more hops, but I'm satisfied with my results (the ONLY thing that matters in homebrew I think).