My first attempt at an IPA recipe - feedback welcomed!

[squeekybobo]

So, I just ordered a bunch of hops last night (after having one too many), so this morning I decided to take a stab at formulating my own recipe around the hops I bought. After I get them all, I'll brew it up. Here's what I've got (Used Brewer's Friend - was pretty simple):

Galaxy Gale IPA
Method: All Grain
Style: American IPA
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5.5 gallons
Boil Size: 7 gallons
Efficiency: 75%
Source: Aaron Johnson
OG: 1.074
FG: 1.021
ABV: 6.95%
IBU: 86.5

Fermentables
Amount Fermentable PPG °L Bill %
12 lb Pale 2-Row 37 1.8 77.4%
2 lb Vienna 35 4 12.9%
.25 lb Caramel / Crystal 10L 35 10 1.7%
0.5 lb Carapils (Dextrine Malt) 33 1.8 3.4%

Hops
Amount Variety Time AA Type Use
1 oz Columbus FWH 14 Pellet First Wort
1 oz Cascade 30 min 6 Pellet Boil
1 oz Galaxy 15 min 13 Pellet Boil
1 oz Galaxy 10 min 13 Pellet Aroma
1 oz Galaxy 5 min 13 Pellet Aroma
1 oz Cascade 7 days Pellet Dry Hop
1 oz Galaxy 7 days Pellet Dry Hop

Mash Steps
Amount Description Type Temp Time
1.25qt/gal Single Infusion Infusion 152 F 60 min
Batch sparge

Other Ingredients
Amount Name Time Type Use
1 tsp Irish Moss 15 min Fining Boil

Yeast
US-05 (2 packs)

 

[Glynn]

look really good to me. the only thing ppl might suggest is replacing some malt with sugar to dry it out. i have never tried the sugar thing yet but im sure i will at some point

 

[bobbrews]

Glynn, you mean you wouldn't just add a pound of sugar to the original recipe to dry it out??!??
Snark, snark... Grin, grin

OP, I'd make sure I had enough US-05 to get the job done; or opt for a liquid yeast starter of the appropriate size. I would use the 1.50 mash rate instead of the 1.25 rate so you get a little more out of your mash. Also, you're %'s for C10 and Carapils seem to be off.

.25 lb Crystal 10L 6.5%?
.50 lb Carapils 3.2%?

 

[squeekybobo]

edited for correct percentages. Thanks, bobbrews! I was thinking I'd probably have to pitch 2 packs of US-05. Added that to the recipe too.

 

[bobbrews]

Welcome... I'd also mash in the upper 140s for more fermentability. The Vienna and Carapils additions will offer some body. The Cascade is fine where it is, but you could also try an Aroma Steep with it at flameout. Cheers.

 

[chalkdust41485]

The recipe looks good.

With your OG that high, you can probably get away with a half a pound of sugar, if you wanted to add it. I just did a IIPA several weeks ago (1.095 OG) and used a pound of sugar in it, but it came out a little too dry...

My LHBS owner was telling me about the Galaxy hops that he just got in and was very excited about them. He got me wanting to do a brew with them. From what I hear, they should go great in your IPA...

 

[squeekybobo]

If you hurry, you can order a pound of Galaxy hops from Yakima Valley Hops for $20 + $5 shipping. They've only got around 20 lbs. left right now. They've got some awesome prices on some commonly used hops. I also ordered their current special: 1lb of Columbus and 1/2 lb of Cascades for $10. The shipping is a sweet deal. Any order 3.5 lbs or less is $5.50 or something like that.

 

[Glynn]

Glynn, you mean you wouldn't just add a pound of sugar to the original recipe to dry it out??!??
Snark, snark... Grin, grin

OP, I'd make sure I had enough US-05 to get the job done; or opt for a liquid yeast starter of the appropriate size. I would use the 1.50 mash rate instead of the 1.25 rate so you get a little more out of your mash. Also, you're %'s for C10 and Carapils seem to be off.

.25 lb Crystal 10L 6.5%?
.50 lb Carapils 3.2%?

lol im still having issues with my metal demons about adding sugar to beer. when i started brew back in the late 80s sugar was a no no. im tring not to be a purist. really i am.

 

[phenry]

For a regular IPA I really think using sugar to dry it out doesn't have much value in the grand scheme of things in my opinion. Just mash low (~150ish*F) and use a high attenuating yeast (a la S-05 like you already have) and your beer should easily finish in the low 1.01x's. I actually like using a bit more crystal malt in my IPA's than a lot of people on here will advise, but I've found if the majority of that part of the grist is pale crystal then it doesn't conflict with the hops at all. I usually shoot for 1-1.5 lbs of crystal, with at least 75% of that being crystal 20.

 

[cmybeer]

I like to go the sugar route and just used a pound of corn sugar in a Belgian IPA hopped with only New Zealand variety hops. Just make sure you don't use too much, I had a buddy make a Black IPA that called for a pound of corn sugar which he added but got terrible efficiency on his mash so missed his OG mark. He just dumped in another pound without knowing how it really worked and wound up with what we called the Black IPA "lite" because it finished very, very dry, without any body and tasted almost like a lite beer even though it was an 8.5%ABV beer. Not very good.

 

[chalkdust41485]

I too like a little more caramel malt than is in the "style" recommendation.
Of course, I haven't overdone the caramel additions in any of my beers yet. I hear that you can overdo the caramel in any beer style and can quickly learn the line of too much caramel.

 

[daksin]

I don't personally think you need sugar for a standard IPA. Your recipe looks great. I'd mash a bit lower personally, but that's preference. Let us know how it turns out!

 

[bobbrews]

I don't personally think you need sugar for a standard IPA. Your recipe looks great. I'd mash a bit lower personally, but that's preference. Let us know how it turns out!

I kind of agree with you, but this isn't exactly a standard IPA at 1.074 OG.

 

[squeekybobo]

Considering my efficiency will probably suck, it'll probably be more like 1.064 than 1.074 ;-)

 

[squeekybobo]

Well, I finally brewed this up last night. My efficiency didn't suck, like I thought it would. OG at about 65F was 1.074, right on the nuts. Pitched 2 packets of S-05. I had considered using 1 pack if I was at 1.060 or lower, but at the gravity I had, I decided 2 would be better. Mashed a little higher than I wanted to, about 152 for 75 minutes. Also used about .75 oz. Columbus (note to self- find better material for the hop spider that allows more flow) after about .25 oz. was stuck towards the top of the material and not in the wort. Made up for it by adding around .25 oz. of Galaxy (15% AA) to the 30 minute Cascade addition. Also used an extra ounce of Galaxy between 10 min. and flameout, sprinkling in a generous pinch about once a minute or so in addition to the 10 and 5 min. additions. Smelled heavenly, and really looking forward to this one.

 

[squeekybobo]

Kegged this a few weeks ago, and it's already gone, except for a couple that I bottled. My efficiency and attenuation was more than expected, and ended up with an 8.16% abv, making it almost an imperial. Buddy tried it, then wanted the recipe. It's very good! The aroma is mango/passion fruit and made me drool a little bit before tasting.