Need a tried & true West Coast IPA recipe

[knollybru]

After 10 yrs of brewing, I am starting over with this style. Not sure why I can’t land on something I really like. Maybe I m over thinking my recipes and straying further away from the style.

My main underlying issue is that some of my hoppy beers turn out too full/sweet and kind of flabby. Then the next batch is too thin and ends up with a harshness I don’t like. I can’t seem to find a happy medium.

I am after something light in color, dry with a nice hoppy punch.

Any suggestions are welcomed. I want it all. Grain bill, water, hop schedule etc.

Thanks all.

 

[Jag75]

Your gonna have 100 different recipes . Have you tried any from the recipe section? From what you've stated I'm gonna guess you were using crystal and probably a tad too much . What IBU and ABV do you like ? Have you tried making one without crystal and using wheat instead? As for water I think it's best to use RO then build unless you have great water for this style.

 

[knollybru]

Good tip on the RO water. I will give that a try. My water is pretty neutral with not much going on. Maybe a little on the soft side.

I don’t typically use crystal malts. If I did it would by under 3%. I’ve used Munich or a little honey malt at times. Maybe a tad too much Munich at times.

I usually shoot for a 1.060 beer at about 60-70 IBU.

 

[friarsmith]

90% 2-Row (I really like Great Western's High Color Pale in IPA's fwiw)
5% each Malted Wheat & Light Munich
WLP007 Dry English Ale or WY1450. Different yeasts but both make great IPA's
Mash at 148-150* for 60-90 mins
Shoot for 200-250 ppm sulfate in your water
50 IBU Warrior hops at 60 min
10 IBU Chinook at 30 min
10 IBU Simcoe at 15 mins
A few oz Chinook & Simcoe in the kettle after flameout @ ~150-180*
Dry hop w/ Simcoe

1 down, 99 to go

 

[skleice]

http://scottjanish.com/west-coast-ipa-recipe-2/

 

[knollybru]

90% 2-Row (I really like Great Western's High Color Pale in IPA's fwiw)
5% each Malted Wheat & Light Munich
WLP007 Dry English Ale or WY1450. Different yeasts but both make great IPA's
Mash at 148-150* for 60-90 mins
Shoot for 200-250 ppm sulfate in your water
50 IBU Warrior hops at 60 min
10 IBU Chinook at 30 min
10 IBU Simcoe at 15 mins
A few oz Chinook & Simcoe in the kettle after flameout @ ~150-180*
Dry hop w/ Simcoe

1 down, 99 to go

That looks great. I’ll probably stick with American ale yeast this time around. I’ve tried numerous English yeast in the past. Some work out and some don’t.

I go back and forth on heavy handed additions at 60 min. I never know what I should be doing. Your recipe makes me want to go back to my roots.

I am definitely not doing 200-250 ppm sulphates. More like 150 ish.

 

[knollybru]

http://scottjanish.com/west-coast-ipa-recipe-2/

Thanks for the reminder on this one. I’ve seen it before. I like the hop schedule. Have you made it before?

 

[anteater8]

Thanks for the reminder on this one. I’ve seen it before. I like the hop schedule. Have you made it before?

I just brewed this recipe and have it carbing now. I've brewed the Mad Fermentationist west coast IPA (https://www.themadfermentationist.com/2012/12/west-coast-ipa-recipe-hop-oil-analysis.html) which is a very similar recipe and it took 1st place out of 40 IPAs. The main difference I see between the two recipes is the IBUs. 71 on Scott's recipe and 133 on the Mad Fermentationist. I've found that if I don't brew the MF version perfectly the IBU can be way too intense and throw things out of balance, very excited to see how Scott's turns out.

 

[Clyde McCoy]

After 10 yrs of brewing, I am starting over with this style. Not sure why I can’t land on something I really like. Maybe I m over thinking my recipes and straying further away from the style.

My main underlying issue is that some of my hoppy beers turn out too full/sweet and kind of flabby. Then the next batch is too thin and ends up with a harshness I don’t like. I can’t seem to find a happy medium.

I am after something light in color, dry with a nice hoppy punch.

Any suggestions are welcomed. I want it all. Grain bill, water, hop schedule etc.

Thanks all.

You might like this. Should be Pliny-like.


Water:
SO4: 210 Cl: 50

Grains (145°F 60’):
Target mash pH: 5.3-5.5
Rahr 2-Row (92%): 11.5 lbs
Crystal 40L (4%): 0.5 lbs
Briess Carapils (4%): 0.5 lbs

Hops (212°F 60’):
Target pre-boil pH: 5.2-5.4
CO2 hop extract: 4 ml, boil 60’
Whirlfloc: boil 10’
Yeast Nutrient: boil 10’
Cascade: 0.5 oz, 180°F
Centennial: 0.5 oz, 180°F
Amarillo: 0.5 oz, 180°F
Simcoe: 0.5 oz, 180°F
Columbus: 0.75 oz, 3 days
Amarillo: 0.75 oz, 3 days
Cascade: 1.5 oz, 3 days
Simcoe: 2.25 oz, 3 days

Yeast:
Target pitch pH: 5.0
Yeast: US-05
Fermentation: 64-68°F, 14 days

 

[Bassman2003]

I am upping my Gypsum after reading this thread. Thanks.

 

[bkboiler]

Having brewed this style a bunch...I noticed a lot of value in the BYO clones guide...lots of good clone recipes to commercial examples there and the price isn't unreasonable...
No I am not employed by them at all.. I plan to buy the guide for myself for the English ales part when my brew rig is done!