My First Recipe (advice would help!)

[pawlow05]

I took a crack at formulating my first recipe, I am looking forward to getting the supplies and testing my recipe formulation skills (or lack thereof). I am not even sure what style it ended up being, but I was aiming at an IPA. I am anxious to hear some feedback, any would be helpful, thanks!

2 lb. Crystal (2 row 60 L)
3 lb. Dry Malt light extract (whatever local store has)
3 lb. Light Syrup extract (whatever local store has)
2 lb. Local Honey
1 oz. Fuggles or Willamette (bittering/flavoring)
1 oz. Cascade (bittering/flavoring)
1/2 oz. Northern Brewer (aroma)
1/2 oz. Fuggles or Willamette (dry hop)
1/2 oz. Cascade (dry hop)
California ale yeast (?) -not entirely sure what type of yeast I should use
1 tsp. Irish moss
1 packet gelatin
3/4 c. corn sugar

If anybody had any suggestions or advice it would help tremendously. Feel free to tweak.
-Cheers

 

[Blender]

2 pounds of crystal is to much. I normaly use not much more than 3\4 with 1\2 pound being the normal. You have a lot of different hops there and I don't think I would mix Cascades and Fuggles.I am partial to Willamette hops and make a simple ale with Willamette for flavor and aroma. I usually bitter with Magnum,Horizon or some other high alpha hop. I generally hop to a 1:1 ratio in relation to starting gravity.

When are you adding the honey?

 

[brewt00l]

If you are just doing extract and steeping specialty grains, I would consider dropping the quantity of crystal to 1lb or under and tossing in some other specialty grains for some variety. I would also go with 5Lb+ straight light/ex light DME and just get color from the crystal (and I would prb skip the honey too). The hop schedule/variety is a little all over the place but I would imagine you are shooting for something there.

 

[Edcculus]

I'm not extremely experienced, but I'd recommend skipping the honey, especially if you are shooting for an IPA style.

I just brewed an AG IPA and used crystal, Munich and Victory malt. Maybe you could add a little of one of those.

 

[FlyingHorse]

Hard to say for sure withput times and AAs on your hops, but if I take a guess at them, I think you're underhopped for an IPA...something like 35-40 IBUs in a 1.065 OG beer. The OG is fine, but as others have mentioned you're getting it in a weird way, and the beer's gonna be pretty dark for an IPA. What I'd do:

Kill the LME and the honey, and cut back on the Crystal to 3/4 lb - 1 lb.
Hop with EITHER
- N Brewer for bittering and Fuggle/Willamette for flavor/aroma OR
- all Cascade

Either way, about 1.5 oz of the bittering hop @ 60 min, 0.5 oz of flavor hops at 15 min, and 1/2 oz aroma hops @ 5 min, plus dry hop.

IMHO, this will give you a pretty decent IPA-style beer...OG around 1060-1065, ABV around 6, and about 50 IBUs.

Your current recipe will probably also make good beer, too. The problem is, if you don't like it, it will be hard to pinpoint why, because there are som many different things going on.

EDIT: this can help you figure out recipes http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/recipe.html

 

[knipknup]

I thought the honey didn't fit, but it could add some unique character. It will probably not fit into a specific official style with the honey, but that isn't a big deal if you don't plan to enter it into a competition.

The crystal is pretty high, as others have said.

I would use a relatively 'plain' yeast such as the california ale of the liquids or us-56.

I would go with willamette over fuggles, but stay with your hop plan otherwise.

Why are you going with liquid and dry extract?

What's with the gelatin? With patience, it really isn't necessary.

Regarless, it will be good so do it!

 

[MikeRLynch]

Honestly the honey will most likely ferment out completely, leaving a slight honey note in the taste, but it won't be much (in fact it might taste a little off and require a lot of aging). The one thing it will do for you is bump up your abv a nice little bit. No matter what happens, if you leave the honey in this beer will be going to your head nice and quick

mike