It's so easy to make killer ipas

[brewprint]

Possibly in the future I may write an article about this but I'll be brief here to help the beginner.

I currently use extract but am moving to BIAB soon. I have found though that using pilsen light LME and some steeping grains that my IPAs that I came up with are much better than the real things I was trying to clone.

I'm not really sure why but one example is Great Lakes Chillwave. It just came out and I bought a 4 pack for $10. I truly loved this beer and labeled it as my favorite IPA. However, after cracking one open I was baffled at how much I preferred my extract clone over the real deal.

My clone came in at 6.5%abv and the real thing is 9.2%. Now I wasn't really going for a similar abv but more flavor so that I could drink more without watching the room spin.

Anyway, this post is mainly for the beginner that doesn't want to make their own recipe. It's so much cheaper and easier than buying a kit it's unreal.

Now I do get LME for $2/lb so I'm not sure how much money you'll save on that. Then you'll need to buy hops by the pound and you'll save a ton of money.

The reason that I didn't do the article is lack of pictures. However I can post the recipe.

 

[brewprint]

Wyeast Scottish Ale

8oz Honey Malt (steeping)
8oz Carapils (steeping)

Steep 20-30 mins at 150-160

Fermentables:
8oz corn sugar
9 pounds pilsen light LME

Hops:
1.5 oz Nugget 60
Irish Moss 15
1oz Cascade 8
1oz Mosaic 8
1oz Cascade Flame out

Dry hop after 2.5 weeks with 2 oz cascade for 5 days

 

[Hello]

Are you saying that the post is mainly for the beginner who doesn't want to make their own recipe and that the best thing any beginner can do is brew a clone with an established recipe?

I brewed a clone, AG, and preferred it over the original actually. It is the first time I think I have been able to say that, but I do not brew clone recipes enough.

I think overall, using a base malt with a very small and light array of speciality grains is indeed a good idea. I have not used a pilsner malt in my IPAs yet as far as I can recall. I like 2-row and some maris otter tossed in for the base and then some sort of caramel and possibly a dash of honey malt if I'm doing a more fruity IPA.

What was the article going to be on? The recipe creation or adjusting a clone recipe?

 

[brewprint]

The above recipe can easily be modified.

If you don't want to use cascade use simcoe or lemon drop or citra or whatever you like.

Change the 8 minute addition to 10 or add another oz at 15.

Change the steeping grain to Crystal malt. Increase it to a pound.

Add more or less corn sugar and the same for the LME.

For dry hopping use 1oz of each cascade and mosaic or whatever you choose. Make it 4 oz of dry hops!

Whatever you want. If you use this baseline I assure you that you can make a killer IPA if you like IPAs!

 

[brewprint]

Are you saying that the post is mainly for the beginner who doesn't want to make their own recipe and that the best thing any beginner can do is brew a clone with an established recipe?

I brewed a clone, AG, and preferred it over the original actually. It is the first time I think I have been able to say that, but I do not brew clone recipes enough.

I think overall, using a base malt with a very small and light array of speciality grains is indeed a good idea. I have not used a pilsner malt in my IPAs yet as far as I can recall. I like 2-row and some maris otter tossed in for the base and then some sort of caramel and possibly a dash of honey malt if I'm doing a more fruity IPA.

What was the article going to be on? The recipe creation or adjusting a clone recipe?

This post is mainly for someone wanting to make a good IPA that doesn't know where to start. Whether cloning a beer or not. Just to make a good IPA.

 

[ncoutroulis]

Possibly in the future I may write an article about this but I'll be brief here to help the beginner.

I currently use extract but am moving to BIAB soon. I have found though that using pilsen light LME and some steeping grains that my IPAs that I came up with are much better than the real things I was trying to clone.

I'm not really sure why but one example is Great Lakes Chillwave. It just came out and I bought a 4 pack for $10. I truly loved this beer and labeled it as my favorite IPA. However, after cracking one open I was baffled at how much I preferred my extract clone over the real deal.

My clone came in at 6.5%abv and the real thing is 9.2%. Now I wasn't really going for a similar abv but more flavor so that I could drink more without watching the room spin.

Anyway, this post is mainly for the beginner that doesn't want to make their own recipe. It's so much cheaper and easier than buying a kit it's unreal.

Now I do get LME for $2/lb so I'm not sure how much money you'll save on that. Then you'll need to buy hops by the pound and you'll save a ton of money.

The reason that I didn't do the article is lack of pictures. However I can post the recipe.

I'm on to my second brew and searching for what that should be. First brew was a partial mash kit. Curious what this kit was and where you got it—you sound like you're really happy with it.

thanks

 

[brewprint]

I'm on to my second brew and searching for what that should be. First brew was a partial mash kit. Curious what this kit was and where you got it—you sound like you're really happy with it.

thanks

This wasn't a kit. It was just something that I put together. I had a little help from some members on this site.

I just went to LHBS and told them the grains that I wanted crushed and how much. They sell bulk LME so I just tell them how much I want and they put it in a plastic sealed bag.

Try the recipe I posted and I guarantee it'll be a crowd pleaser.

I made another one with around 1 pound of corn sugar and 10lbs of LME. The same steeping grains. I used 1.5oz Simcoe for bittering. I also added a 15 minute simcoe addition and used US Golding for one of the later additions. The rest was Simcoe.

Then I dry hopped with 2oz US Golding and 2oz Simcoe and that's what we're drinking now. It's also extremely good. It has more alcohol that you can definitely feel. I used Wyeast American Ale also. I don't think that yeast attenuates as well as the Scottish Ale.

It's so much cheaper to make a kit yourself. Especially if you buy hops by the pound. There is no reason to buy kits.

I also harvest yeast from starters so my costs are minimal on everything. I can brew a $10 6 pack for around $3-$5 and I guarantee it's just as good if not better. That's even using extract. I'll be curious to see how all grain is different if at all on these IPA recipes.

 

[rodwha]

After seeing a chart that shows peak hop utilization I've since changed my hop scheduling to 21 mins for flavor and 7 mins for aroma. I've read this isn't exactly accurate, that every hop is individual and may not fit precisely like this, but I haven't seen anything solid that shows that. And I'm good with ball park.

https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/data/1/medium/hop_utilization1.jpg

If you are using Briess Pilsen LME it has carapils in it. They also use it in their Golden Light LME.

 

[brewprint]

After seeing a chart that shows peak hop utilization I've since changed my hop scheduling to 21 mins for flavor and 7 mins for aroma. I've read this isn't exactly accurate, that every hop is individual and may not fit precisely like this, but I haven't seen anything solid that shows that. And I'm good with ball park.

https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/data/1/medium/hop_utilization1.jpg

If you are using Briess Pilsen LME it has carapils in it. They also use it in their Golden Light LME.

I'm not sure what brand of pilsen light they have but I was thinking that it had carapils too.

I do like that chart. The only issue that I have with extending time for flavor is that it also gives more bitterness. Of course that can all be compensated for.

 

[rodwha]

What I've been doing, as I love the West coast styled IPA's most, is to greatly reduce the bittering addition and then load up on the 21 and 7 min additions and bring my IBU's up around the 100 mark in my 5.8-6.5% ABV IPA's. I also recently tried a whirlpool too, but it's not matured yet.

This is the hop schedule I used in my 5.5 gal black IPA (5.9% ABV and 104 IBU's) recipe I made recently:

0.5 oz Columbus (14.3%) @ 70 mins
0.5 oz Columbus & 2 oz Centennial (9%) @ 21 & 14 mins
0.5 oz Columbus & 4 oz Centennial for 28 min whirlpool
2 oz Centennial for 7 day dry hop
2 oz Centennial for 3 day dry hop

My OG was higher than figured and FG was slightly lower than figured and got about 6.6% ABV instead which will drop the IBU's a bit. I'm not sure that Brewtoad is accurate concerning IBU's and adding top off water.

My whirlpool may not have been as effective as it should have as I accidentally cooled it down well below 180* (started at 152*). I used a very large tea basket I got from World Market that looks to hold about 8 oz of pellets. I put 4.5 oz in it and when I was done they had swelled to the exact dimensions of the basket so I doubt the wort flowed through it very well.

I've also tried an IPA where my bittering addition was at 30 mins. But it seemed strange in that it lacked what I felt was the proper bitter. It used equal portions of Warrior, Simcoe, and Centennial at 30, 20, 10, and 5 mins. It targeted 102 IBU's.

I shoot for 95+ IBU's as mine tend to taste more like in the 50-60 range and not quite as flavorful as many commercial varieties.

 

[brewprint]

Give that top recipe a go and it has an awesome flavor. I'm not just saying that because I made it. It really is quite the competitor to some of the best IPAs I've bought.

Maybe it's the honey malt? Possibly that other bit of carapils? Maybe I'm just thirsty

 

[rodwha]

I like to have a flavor addition, and one that's strong. My more balanced hop schedules come out more bitter than I like. I certainly prefer loaded up flavor and aroma additions.

 

[brewprint]

I like to have a flavor addition, and one that's strong. My more balanced hop schedules come out more bitter than I like. I certainly prefer loaded up flavor and aroma additions.

The sky is the limit!

I'm going to try some of those 20 minute additions to see what I get. I just need to keep one recipe and modify it instead of going with totally new stuff. It seems impossible to wreck an IPA but I see threads of people not being able to get them right.

 

[Psylocide]

I like to have a flavor addition, and one that's strong. My more balanced hop schedules come out more bitter than I like. I certainly prefer loaded up flavor and aroma additions.

I've recently had great success with hopstand/large qty of dry hops to obtain a strong hops flavor with minimal bitterness. No real "flavoring" additions required.

My thought on why this works is not only the fact that flavor compounds are undoubtedly being extracted at the hopstand temps (added at flameout) and the massive aroma imparted by using more than your "standard" amount of dry hops contributes greatly to the flavor of the beer. Remember, perceived taste is influenced by smell receptors by upwards of 75%.

This recipe I've formulated here is INSANELY hoppy/fruity with minimal bitterness. Very happy with it. *disclaimer, this is a pale ale, but I think it would carry over. I will find out soon.


6 lb White Wheat
5 lb 2-row
1 lb Caramel/crystal 40L
Mash @ 152°

OG = 1.060
FG = 1.009
ABV = ~6.7%
Est IBU = 50ish

.5 oz Columbus @ 60 mins - 15% AA = 26 ibu
1 oz Centennial @ 30 mins - 9% AA = 24 ibu
.5 oz Columbus flame-out addition
.5 oz Centennial flame-out addition
.5 oz Cascade flame-out addition
1 packet rehydrated Nottingham pitch @ 62°
1 oz Citra dry hop - 5 days
1 oz Mosaic dry hop - 5 days
.5 oz Simcoe dry hop - 5 days

 

[Queequeg]

Some of the recipes in this thread look (to me) a little light on the hop additions for an IPA. The IPA currently in my fermenter (25L batch) will have used 16.7 oz by the time its finished. Its smells amazingly hoppy, I will be dry hopping this weekend.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Well, if they can do it in Mozambique ... Oh, you meant a different kind of killer IPA.

 

[Psylocide]

Well, if they can do it in Mozambique ... Oh, you meant a different kind of killer IPA.

 

[brewprint]

Some of the recipes in this thread look (to me) a little light on the hop additions for an IPA. The IPA currently in my fermenter (25L batch) will have used 16.7 oz by the time its finished. Its smells amazingly hoppy, I will be dry hopping this weekend.

I was looking at my original recipe and it does look a little light on the hops. But totaling 6.5 ounces of hops I assure you that it's big and bold. Not crazily bitter either. I'm not into that.

It doesn't leave the nice hoppy burps like my other Simcoe/US Golding recipe I listed does though. Although those seem to be fading and may have just been from the dry hop additions.

Your recipe coming in at a pound of hops :rockin: I would love to try!

 

[wardens355]

Some of the recipes in this thread look (to me) a little light on the hop additions for an IPA. The IPA currently in my fermenter (25L batch) will have used 16.7 oz by the time its finished. Its smells amazingly hoppy, I will be dry hopping this weekend.

I don't think 5-6 gallons of IPA needs $15-$30 worth of hops in it to be appropriately hoppy. Nothing wrong with using tons of hops (and I do!), but that quantity is not really necessary for making a good IPA.

 

[Hoppity]

...The IPA currently in my fermenter (25L batch) will have used 16.7 oz by the time its finished. Its smells amazingly hoppy, I will be dry hopping this weekend.

Imagine that: over a pound of hops making a brew smell 'amazingly hoppy'.

 

[Queequeg]

I don't think 5-6 gallons of IPA needs $15-$30 worth of hops in it to be appropriately hoppy. Nothing wrong with using tons of hops (and I do!), but that quantity is not really necessary for making a good IPA.

Yep I totally agree

 

[Queequeg]

It doesn't leave the nice hoppy burps like my other Simcoe/US Golding recipe I listed does though.

I love the hop burps, best bit

Your recipe coming in at a pound of hops :rockin: I would love to try!

I feedback the taster when I do FG.