Need Advise: Belgian-American IPA

[ncfield]

Hi All,

Brewed a Belgian-American IPA based off of Randy Mosher's recipe from Radical Brewing. After 10 days in the primary, it tastes pretty good, but I was really hoping for a better mix of a Belgian/IPA, but this beer is really more on the Belgian side. The other issue is I added some fresh grapefruit peel (Just the outer layer, no white stuff), near the end of the boil. I think I may have added it too early, because while I get a decent grapefruit taste, there's a slight bitterness at the very back of my tongue on the finish (Albeit very slight). I was debating about dry hopping this to make it "more of an IPA" & to hopefully cover up some of the bitterness. I'd like suggestions on possible hops & amounts if I do dry hop. I'm a fan of Citra, but not sure if it would work with this recipe, or if I should dry hop at all. Thanks for any suggestions! The recipe is below:

Belgian-American IPA (Extract + Steeped Grain)

6.0 LBS Pale DME
1.0 LBS Medium Crystal Malt (Dingemans Caravienna)
2.0 oz Chinook at 60 mins
2.0 oz Saaz at 30 mins
1.0 oz Saaz at 5 mins
Peel of 1/2 of a fresh grapefruit at 5 mins
Wyeast Belgian Trappist HG Yeast w/1500 ml starter
OG: 1.065
FG: 1.010 (After 10 days in primary)

 

[Chris_Primavera]

I'm drinking this now - definitely IPA territory (95 IBU). The Wyeast 3711 really dried it out:

The Grain Bill (Also includes extracts, sugars and adjuncts)

58.3% Pilsen Malt (3.5 EBC = 1.8 SRM) 3177 grams = 7 pounds
16.6% Vienna Malt (7 EBC = 3.6 SRM) 906 grams = 2 pounds
8.4% Caramunich Malt (110 EBC = 55.8 SRM) 455 grams = 1 pounds
8.4% Wheat, Torrified (3.4 EBC = 1.7 SRM) 455 grams = 1 pounds
8.4% Candi Sugar, Amber (89 EBC = 45.2 SRM) 455 grams = 1 pounds

The Hop Bill (Based on Tinseth Formula)

54.1 IBU EKG Pellets (8.9%AA) 57.7 grams = 2.034 ounces at 60 mins
10 IBU Saaz Pellets (8.9%AA) 13.8 grams = 0.487 ounces at 30 mins
6.4 IBU Saaz Pellets (8.9%AA) 13.8 grams = 0.487 ounces at 15 mins
17.3 IBU Styrian Goldings Pellets (4.5%AA) 39.7 grams = 1.399 ounces at 45 mins
7.2 IBU Styrian Goldings Pellets (4.5%AA) 19.8 grams = 0.7 ounces at 30 mins
0 IBU Strisslespalt Pellets (2.1%AA) 19.8 grams = 0.7 ounces at 0 mins

 

[ncfield]

I'm drinking this now - definitely IPA territory (95 IBU). The Wyeast 3711 really dried it out:

The Grain Bill (Also includes extracts, sugars and adjuncts)

58.3% Pilsen Malt (3.5 EBC = 1.8 SRM) 3177 grams = 7 pounds
16.6% Vienna Malt (7 EBC = 3.6 SRM) 906 grams = 2 pounds
8.4% Caramunich Malt (110 EBC = 55.8 SRM) 455 grams = 1 pounds
8.4% Wheat, Torrified (3.4 EBC = 1.7 SRM) 455 grams = 1 pounds
8.4% Candi Sugar, Amber (89 EBC = 45.2 SRM) 455 grams = 1 pounds

The Hop Bill (Based on Tinseth Formula)

54.1 IBU EKG Pellets (8.9%AA) 57.7 grams = 2.034 ounces at 60 mins
10 IBU Saaz Pellets (8.9%AA) 13.8 grams = 0.487 ounces at 30 mins
6.4 IBU Saaz Pellets (8.9%AA) 13.8 grams = 0.487 ounces at 15 mins
17.3 IBU Styrian Goldings Pellets (4.5%AA) 39.7 grams = 1.399 ounces at 45 mins
7.2 IBU Styrian Goldings Pellets (4.5%AA) 19.8 grams = 0.7 ounces at 30 mins
0 IBU Strisslespalt Pellets (2.1%AA) 19.8 grams = 0.7 ounces at 0 mins

Looks good! Any thoughts on dry hopping my version?

 

[m00ps]

If you really wanted it to be more IPA you should really be concentrating your hop additions at the end of the boil. The general consensus these days is that 30 and 45 (and some even say 20) min additions are just wasting your hops. You'd be better off adding a slight amount more to the bittering addition, and saving the rest for a hopstand or something. Once I started doing massive flameout and hopstand additions, my IPAs immediately started tasting fresher and better than anything commercial I can buy.

 

[chickypad]

If you really wanted it to be more IPA you should really be concentrating your hop additions at the end of the boil. The general consensus these days is that 30 and 45 (and some even say 20) min additions are just wasting your hops. You'd be better off adding a slight amount more to the bittering addition, and saving the rest for a hopstand or something. Once I started doing massive flameout and hopstand additions, my IPAs immediately started tasting fresher and better than anything commercial I can buy.

Agreed, looks like you've made an extremely bitter beer but almost no finishing hops. What is the batch size? For an OG of 1.065 it must be around 4 gal, in which case you appear to be in excess of 110 IBU's. With Belgian IPA's I like to go lower on the bittering than I would a regular American IPA because I don't think it plays with the yeast well. Next time I'd shoot for 40-50 IBU and load up on the late additions. Adding some dry hop will help the aroma but I doubt it would do anything to mask the bitterness.

 

[ncfield]

Agreed, looks like you've made an extremely bitter beer but almost no finishing hops. What is the batch size? For an OG of 1.065 it must be around 4 gal, in which case you appear to be in excess of 110 IBU's. With Belgian IPA's I like to go lower on the bittering than I would a regular American IPA because I don't think it plays with the yeast well. Next time I'd shoot for 40-50 IBU and load up on the late additions. Adding some dry hop will help the aroma but I doubt it would do anything to mask the bitterness.

It's a 5 gal batch. Tastes fine going in just that slight bitterness on the finish at the back of the tongue. Anyone have any crazy ideas to cover up the bitterness at time of kegging?