Need a good English IPA recipe for local competition

[StarCityBrewMaster]

My local club is holding an English IPA competition in March and the rules are simple - only ingredients from the UK are allowed + crystal grains. I don't know much about UK brews but would like to at least turn some heads even if I don't come close to placing.



I can't think of a whole lot for the grain bill:

10lbs marris otter
4 oz of biscuit
4 crystal 40

Then I was thinking of possibly using only EK Goldings throughout, nothing overwhelming maybe 40-50 IBUs, but again I don't really know a whole lot about English grain and/or hops.

Yeast is also a head scratcher for me as I have never used yeasts from the UK.

Obviously, as you can see, any help is much appreciated!

 

[Nateo]

I like to take a few quarts of the first running and caramelize them in a separate pot as I'm doing the main boil. Watch it carefully though, it's easy to boil over.

I also like using a decoction mash on my British beers to make them extra malty. Not really true-to-style, but still good.

S-04 is a solid and cheap British yeast. It's not the most British-y, I believe a lot of American breweries use it as their 'house' strain, but it's nicely fruity without being Belgian-y.

 

[peregrinebio]

I have the ingredients for this one as my next brew session. Haven't tried it yet, but it should turn some heads based on its success. 48 points! 4th post down.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/anyone-brewed-ipa-ekg-140192/

Cheers!

 

[CaptYesterday]

Look up the CYBI Firestone Walker Union Jack recipe. As British IPAs go, it can't be beat.

 

[Yooper]

Here's mine:

10 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 81.63 %
1 lbs Wheat, Torrified (1.7 SRM) Grain 8.16 %
12.0 oz Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 6.12 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 4.08 %

1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [6.20 %] (60 min) Hops 21.8 IBU
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [6.20 %] (30 min) Hops 16.7 IBU
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [6.20 %] (15 min) Hops 10.8 IBU
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [6.20 %] (5 min) Hops 4.3 IBU

1 Pkgs London ESB Ale (Wyeast Labs #1968) [Starter 1000 ml] Yeast-Ale

 

[peregrinebio]

Look up the CYBI Firestone Walker Union Jack recipe. As British IPAs go, it can't be beat.

Union Jack is a great IPA, but wouldn't it be considered an American IPA? It only uses American hops and lacks that English hop flavor.

 

[bierhaus15]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/anyone-brewed-ipa-ekg-140192/

Seriously, just brew this recipe (mrbowenz). I've brewed it three times now for competition and it's got me a medal every time - though I sub the dry hop for EKG. The grist, however, is pretty much as good as you can get.

Union Jack is nowhere near an English IPA, just like Mirror Pond is not an ESB. I have yet to have a truly authentic commercial English IPA or bitter here in the states.

 

[motobrewer]

i've been wanting to brew that ekg ipa for a long time now.

bout time i do it.

 

[peregrinebio]

Hey Bierhaus15,

When do you add the 30 and 10 min EKG additions, at knockout or in the boil like normal? mrbowenz only lists 33 IBUs which would indicate the 30 and 10 minute additions aren't in the boil??? He does have those additions labeled as (Aroma Hop-Steep).

 

[bierhaus15]

Hey Bierhaus15, When do you add the 30 and 10 min EKG additions, at knockout or in the boil like normal?

Boil as normal, the 30 and 10 min additions are added right at those times - he just meant they are for aroma/flavor more so than bittering or so I think. I add them as normal and have no issues.

The only things I have changed in the recipe are the hops and yeast. The malt bill is about as perfect as you can get for English IPA. I don't use chinook for dryhopping and add a 1.5 oz flameout addition for a bit more hop aroma. This was done because the judges always wanted more hop aroma... not that it really needs it. Dryhopping is done with EKG for 7 days. And I up the bitterness to 60 IBU with an O.G of 1.060 (again to please the judges). For yeast I use Ringwood, as I can ferment it cleanly and it really lets the malt and hops shine. I find thames valley too minerally and it never drops really clear for me.

Kudo's to mrbowenz for sharing this with community and his success with it. Excellent recipe!