Imperial IPA

[zachssoojdm]

I wanted to do a very high OG imperial IPA. I used to do simple beers but have recently been doing bigger beers. I am also usually an all-grain brewer but went back to extracts and partials due to time constraints from school and work. I am new to making my own recipes though, I usually take a recipe and tweak it to my liking. This was a twisted twist to Bell's 2 Hearted Clone Recipe that just went completely nuts. I had trouble making the IBUs needed for an imperial just using centennial so started thinking about maybe simcoe and amarillo hops, but do like the idea of a single hop but...

6lbs light dme
2lbs amber dme
2lbs American 2-row
1lb carared
8oz carapils
5oz crystal 10

4oz Centennial @ 60mins
2oz Centennial @ 30mins
4oz Centennial @ 15mins
2oz Centennial @ Flame out (possibly 15min hop stand)
2oz Centennial @ 2 week dry hop

Undecided Yeast Strain

Beersmith calculated:
1089 OG
78 IBUs
11.7 SRM
9.1%


I want to make at least 8.5% or higher and have a fairly simple hopping schedule. Ideas on yeast strains that will be fine fermenting this?

 

[Odin_Brews]

Something seems amiss with your IBU's, 4 oz at 60 minutes and another 2 at 30 has got to be way over 100 unless your centennial is very low AA%.

Any american ale yeast will do well with this, US-05, Wyeast 1056 or 1272, or wlp equivalents.

 

[loucurr]

Something seems amiss with your IBU's, 4 oz at 60 minutes and another 2 at 30 has got to be way over 100 unless your centennial is very low AA%. Any american ale yeast will do well with this, US-05, Wyeast 1056 or 1272, or wlp equivalents.

I agree! With that hop bill the IBUs should be off the chart.

 

[spark_plug]

Hilarious, I just plugged those numbers into brew mate and it calculated it at 223 IBU.

I cant imagine beersmith rating it at 78 IBU, usually that software is bang on for me, it most of the time accurately predicts my post boil gravity right on the money.

 

[zachssoojdm]

Hmmm thats what I was thinking but beer smith said otherwise

 

[zachssoojdm]

Yeah I restarted beer smith and put up the recipe and it is still calculating the same ibus

 

[zachssoojdm]

I was also thinking of using wyeast 1217, something new.

 

[Yooper]

Maybe you have the boil size set wrong or something, as Beersmith is usually dead-on for me. Change the boil size to something like 5 gallons and see what happens. What size boil are you doing, by the way?

In any case, if you want some help with the recipe I think I'd change the grainbill a lot.

It's WAY too much crystal malt, as amber DME has crystal in it plus you've added nearly two pounds with the carapils. I'd also use one pound of corn sugar instead of one of the pounds of amber DME, to lighten the body and make sure the yeast attenuates. I'd go with something more like:

2 pounds two-row
1 pound carared (or whatever crystal you choose)
3 pounds light or extra light DME-
1 pound corn sugar with 5 minutes left
3 pounds light or extra light DME (at flame out)

Keeping 1/2 of the DME at flame out and adding the corn sugar at flame out or with 5 minutes left will make a nicer, less "cooked extract" taste and allow a larger sized boil of wort since the DME does take up a lot of room in the kettle. Plus, change it in Beersmith to boil for 0 minutes and the IBUs would probably be more accurate.

For hops:
1 oz centennial FWH
2 oz centennial 20 minutes
2 oz centennial 10 minutes
2 oz centennial 5 minutes
2 oz centennial dryhop

That would be a crazy hoppy Two-Hearted on steroids, and I think it would be really great!

 

[loucurr]

Hilarious, I just plugged those numbers into brew mate and it calculated it at 223 IBU. I cant imagine beersmith rating it at 78 IBU, usually that software is bang on for me, it most of the time accurately predicts my post boil gravity right on the money.

Ok. I just plugged the recipient in beer smith and here are the numbers;

1.079 SG
207.7 IBU
10.4 SRM

 

[zachssoojdm]

Thank you yooper I will defiantly go with your plan and there was my problem haha that boil kettle size! It was still on 3 gallons, oops. It should be a 6 gal boil