Low ABV Sessionable IPA for July 6th (4th)

[Genuine]

In keeping up with the tradition of July 6th Celebrations (July 4th), I'm looking to brew a sessionable low ABV IPA for the Cookout and Party. Here's what I've come up with in iBrewMaster - The only thing I'm worried about are the hop additions and didn't want it to be over powering. I'd like for it to be tasty and aromatic. Here's what I have so far. Offer what changes should be made to achieve the goal!


Style: American Pale Ale
OG: 1.040
Type: All Grain

FG: 1.010
Rating: 4.0 ABV: 3.93 %

Calories: 131 IBU's: 46.01

Efficiency: 70 % Boil Size: 6.73 Gal
Color: 9.4 SRM Batch Size: 5.00 Gal
Preboil OG: 1.033 Boil Time: 60 minutes

Fermentation Steps
Name Days / Temp
Primary 7 days @ 68.0°F
Bottle/Keg 14 days @ 74.0°F

Grains & Adjuncts
Amount Percentage Name Time Gravity
8.00 lbs 88.89 % Rahr 2-Row 60 mins 1.035
1.00 lbs 11.11 % Briess 2-Row Caramel 60L 60 mins 1.034

Hops
Amount IBU's Name Time AA %
0.75 ozs 30.29 Centennial 60 mins 10.00
1.00 ozs 13.46 Cascade 20 mins 5.50
1.00 ozs 2.27 Chinook 1 mins 13.00
1.00 ozs Cascade 5 days 5.50

Yeasts
Amount Name Laboratory / ID
1.0 pkg Safale US-05 Fermentis US-05

Additions
(none)

Mash Profile
Sacch' Rest 60 min @ 152.0°F
Add 11.25 qt ( 1.25 qt/lb ) water @ 174.9°F
Mashout
Sparge 22.35 qt of 190.0°F water over 2 mins

Carbonation
Amount Type Beer Temp CO2 Vols
9.2 psi Force Carbonation 34.0°F 2.50

Notes

www.iBrewMaster.com Version: 1.534



Sent from my iPa

 

[Genuine]

Any thoughts on the hops?

 

[meltroha]

Use the centennial a fwh, move cascade to 15, and chinook to fo

 

[meltroha]

What about throwing some Vienna and victory in the malt bill for depth? Maybe 5% victory & 10% - 12% Vienna?

 

[bnilguy]

I'd drink it. Love the idea of session IPAs.

Just personal preference, but I'd probably put some Centennial to the late boil/dry hop and move some Chinook back for the bittering..but it's all about the properties you are looking for

 

[meltroha]

Chinook is a rough bittering hop, gives the impression of being highly bitter. Not good for a summer beer, where you are probably serving it to people who don't normally drink craft beer

 

[gbx]

I made this one last year and it was awesome: http://barclayperkins.blogspot.ca/2011/08/lets-brew-wednesday-1930-whitbread-ak.html

It is like the love child of a coors light and an english IPA with grainy 6row and EKG. I've thought about doing this one again and switching up the hops with some citra and cascade.

 

[phenry]

I've brewed two of these so far, one is still in the fermenter, but here's my first recipe that I really enjoy just for reference:

OG: 1.039
IBU: 56
ABV: ~3.7ish
SRM: 6.0

5.0 lb 2-row
1.0 lb Vienna
8.0 oz White wheat malt
8.0 oz Crystal 20*L
6.0 oz Crystal 40*L

0.5 oz Columbus (15.3%) - FWH
1.0 oz Centennial (9.9%) - 20 min
1.0 oz Cascade (6.4%) - 5 min
1.0 oz Simcoe (13.5%) - 5 min
1.0 oz Cascade (6.4%) - Dry hop - 5 days
1.0 oz Columbus (15.3%) - Dry hop - 5 days
1.0 oz Simcoe (13.5%) - Dry hop - 5 days

Fermented with S-04

Mash @ 155*F for 60 minutes @ 1.25 qt/lb

That considered, I'd recommend upping your mash temperature a few degrees, maybe 155-156*F.

Also, adding some depth to your grainbill wouldn't be a bad thing. While I do believe that simpler is better for most styles, using 5 different malts in this one didn't seem to muddle things up at all. Using 60*L rather than my lighter crystal malts should help, but I'd still consider throwing some Munich or Vienna into the mix if that's possible.

As far as hopping goes, what you have looks good. My only critique would be to add more late additions because I love horribly unbalanced IPAs, but since you're brewing this for a party I'd keep it as is. It's really hard to go wrong with the C hops. I used a FWH addition rather than a standard 60 minute addition for bittering because I figured anything other than the "smooth" bitterness from FWH would be too much with such a low OG. But Centennial supposedly isn't harsh like CTZ or Chinook, so I think you should be fine with that.

 

[bnilguy]

Chinook isn't low cohumulone, but neither is Centennial. Given the hops to choose from, my thought was to get some of that great Centennial flavor and aroma into the brew. Personally, I keep some Warrior around for bittering.

It depends on what kind of hop profile the OP is looking for..Centennial/Chinook are pretty much complimentary or opposites as far as profile: Chinook: Spicy Earthy Pine, Centennial: Floral Fruity Citrus. I would Do 50/50 with them just to get a nice full profile

 

[Genuine]

Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions - I wasn't too sure about the malts or hops and the suggestions are great! Really helps me understand a bit more about putting recipes together. I'll do the vienna and switch around the hops.

I want to aim for a fruity/grapefruit type flavor and/or aroma with this one. 40-50 IBU's is desired and looking for Low ABV so we all can have a few and enjoy them over the course of the day.

 

[jmich24]

Just brewed a "Micro IPA" for summer sessioning.
Two row
Marris Otter
Wheat malt
Touch of honey malt
Mashed at 158 (Helped the beer finish at 1013, leaves it with some body)

Mosiac @15
Mosiac and Citra Whirlpool additions @180 @160 and @140
Mosiac, Citra and a touch of CTZ Dry Hop

3.5 % ABV
30 IBUs

 

[gbx]

Mashed at 158 (Helped the beer finish at 1013, leaves it with some body)

I brew a lot of session beers and I find they lose their "poundability" if the FG is too high. The rich, full bodied session beers may do better in competition judged against a 2oz pour, but a 1.007 beer on the "watery" side is far more drinkable. The hardest part is finding the balance between watery and too much body for the low alcohol. See how this one turns out but on future brewings don't be afraid to dry it out more than you would for the full strength version.

 

[jmich24]

I brew a lot of session beers and I find they lose their "poundability" if the FG is too high. The rich, full bodied session beers may do better in competition judged against a 2oz pour, but a 1.007 beer on the "watery" side is far more drinkable. The hardest part is finding the balance between watery and too much body for the low alcohol. See how this one turns out but on future brewings don't be afraid to dry it out more than you would for the full strength version.

To each his own I suppose. Session or not I don't want to drink a watery beer. There is Coors Light for that. I want my session to have all the great parts of an IPA but at sub 4 AVB. Even at 1012 they do not taste full bodied, due to the lack of crystal malt.