New guy. 1st recipe

[scmurray]

New guy here for my first post.

Been homebrewing on and off over the years. Mostly extract kits but recently moved into a BIAB method. Starting to work my own recipes rather then follow kits so would love some input from you vets. I like to make small batches for the sake of not having to bottle nearly 50 beers and i like variety in the fridge. Used brewersfriend to calculate a this IIPA recipe:

2.5 gallon recipe
74 IBU
8% abv

6lbs Pale 2-r0w
1lb Crystal 40L
.375 lbs Carapils

60 minute mash/60 minute boil

.50 Centennial @ 60 mins
.50 Centennial @15 mins
.50 Amarillo @ 15 mins
.25 Centennial @ 5 mins
.25 Amarillo @ 5 mins

Dry hop on day 7??
.75 Centennial
.75 Amarillo

US-05 yeast


Any inputs or recommendations on the hop schedule etc.

Looking forward to learning more from this forum

 

[mschieve]

I also like the idea of smaller batches.

regarding the yeast, do you plan to hydrate or build a starter?

 

[Professor Frink]

Looks good, but I might cut the crystal to 0.5 lb. You're at almost 15% now, it might get a little cloying. One packet of US-05 will be plenty. Just rehydrate it.

 

[Coastalbrew]

What efficiency do you get on your system? 8% abv with 7.375# of grain seems a little of to me but maybe your getting better efficiency on your system than I'm getting on mine. I hey about 70%.

I'm getting ready to brew a 6.5% abv pale ale tomorrow and I have a little over 8# of grain in my recipe.

Otherwise looks good. Cheers!

 

[RPh_Guy]

What efficiency do you get on your system? 8% abv with 7.375# of grain seems a little of to me but maybe your getting better efficiency on your system than I'm getting on mine. I hey about 70%.

I'm getting ready to brew a 6.5% abv pale ale tomorrow and I have a little over 8# of grain in my recipe.

Otherwise looks good. Cheers!

 

[Coastalbrew]

@RPh_Guy lol. No I saw his batch size was 2.5 gallons. My pale ale is a 3 gallon batch. That's why I asked

 

[RPh_Guy]

2.5 gal with 70% BH efficiency, that grist, and 81% attenuation (US-05 average) yields ~8% ABV.

@scmurray -- Welcome to HBT! Sorry I can't really contribute because I don't brew hoppy beers.

 

[Coastalbrew]

2.5 gal with 70% BH efficiency, that grist, and 81% attenuation (US-05 average) yields ~8% ABV.

@scmurray -- Welcome to HBT! Sorry I can't really contribute because I don't brew hoppy beers.

Doh! I forgot to account for the attenuation. My bad.

 

[scmurray]

I also like the idea of smaller batches.

regarding the yeast, do you plan to hydrate or build a starter?

I typically just pitch the dry pack but consensus here seem to be rehydrate so maybe ill give it a shot

What efficiency do you get on your system? 8% abv with 7.375# of grain seems a little of to me but maybe your getting better efficiency on your system than I'm getting on mine. I hey about 70%.

I'm getting ready to brew a 6.5% abv pale ale tomorrow and I have a little over 8# of grain in my recipe.

Otherwise looks good. Cheers!

I typically get about 70%

 

[RM-MN]

I typically just pitch the dry pack but consensus here seem to be rehydrate so maybe ill give it a shot

The latest from at least one of the manufacturers says don't bother. My experience is that if I pitch dry I get beer. If I rehydrate I also get beer. If I put the yeast in the bottom of the fermenter and pour in the wort I get beer. If I sprinkle the dry yeast on top of the foam after pouring the wort into the fermenter I get beer. None seem to make enough difference in the beer for my taster to notice.

 

[kh54s10]

I too would drop the crystal some and maybe even eliminate the Carapils. You really don't need it and the crystal. Then I would rework the hop schedule for later additions and a little bigger dry hop. But that is my way, yours will make a nice beer also.

 

[scmurray]

I too would drop the crystal some and maybe even eliminate the Carapils. You really don't need it and the crystal. Then I would rework the hop schedule for later additions and a little bigger dry hop. But that is my way, yours will make a nice beer also.

How would a 7lb 2-row and .5lb crystal sound? Was also thinking to add .5oz Amarillo at flame out since it will be on hand

 

[scmurray]

Any recommendations on fermentation time and temp??

I don't have a great way to maintain temps. I usually keep my bucket in a spare bedroom near the heat with blankets and able to keep it around 66-67 degrees.

Was thinking id leave it in my bucket (don't have a secondary fermenter) for 2 weeks before bottling

 

[NewJersey]

Looks good, but I might cut the crystal to 0.5 lb. You're at almost 15% now, it might get a little cloying. One packet of US-05 will be plenty. Just rehydrate it.

I have NEVER rehydrated and have NEVER had an issue.
Skip the rehydration. It's pointless

 

[wilserbrewer]

Any recommendations on fermentation time and temp??

I don't have a great way to maintain temps. I usually keep my bucket in a spare bedroom near the heat with blankets and able to keep it around 66-67 degrees.

Was thinking id leave it in my bucket (don't have a secondary fermenter) for 2 weeks before bottling

Mid sixties is a good temp...I would be cautious adding heat or blankets as the fermentation will produce heat and the actual beer may climb approx 10 degrees above ambient temp.

With blankets perhaps even higher.

 

[kh54s10]

How would a 7lb 2-row and .5lb crystal sound? Was also thinking to add .5oz Amarillo at flame out since it will be on hand

As I said your original recipe would be good. This version as well. I lean toward the latter.

Any recommendations on fermentation time and temp??

I don't have a great way to maintain temps. I usually keep my bucket in a spare bedroom near the heat with blankets and able to keep it around 66-67 degrees.

Was thinking id leave it in my bucket (don't have a secondary fermenter) for 2 weeks before bottling

Control the temperature of the wort itself. I go with mid sixties for most ale yeasts. Look up the ideal temperature range and stay close to the middle and you can't go wrong.

2 weeks should be find. I never secondary, it is more of a risk than reward. Infection and oxidation in trade for a possibly slightly more clear beer.

2 gravity samples at least 36 hours apart will tell you if it is finished and safe to bottle. Same numbers.

 

[scmurray]

Im going to bump this since I've brewed in and would like some input.

Ill first start by saying it was a slight off flavor and Im pretty sure its at my own expense. I tried to filter from my primary to bottling bucket using a hop bag and there was a lot of splashing and i guess I injected too much oxygen into the beer before bottle.

So onto the beer. I followed my recipe pretty close. I dropped my crystal 40L to 12oz, added .25 oz Amarillo at flameout. All my numbers were nearly spot on. 8.1 ABV. Smelt fantastic with the dry hop coming out of the air lock. Cracked open my first one and this beer is bland and lacks aroma. Its boring. Slightly bitter, dry and lighter mouthfeel but this thing is boring. Not really sure where I went wrong. Maybe its just the way i transferred but its disappointing compared to the way this seemed on my sample out of the fermenter. Any input/advise, maybe i should adjust my late additions in the boil?

 

[RPh_Guy]

Cracked open my first one and this beer is bland and lacks aroma. Its boring. Slightly bitter, dry and lighter mouthfeel but this thing is boring. Not really sure where I went wrong.

It's been thoroughly oxidized.

Preventing oxygen/air exposure is one of the most important aspects of brewing.

 

[Zemillard90]

Im going to bump this since I've brewed in and would like some input.

Ill first start by saying it was a slight off flavor and Im pretty sure its at my own expense. I tried to filter from my primary to bottling bucket using a hop bag and there was a lot of splashing and i guess I injected too much oxygen into the beer before bottle.

So onto the beer. I followed my recipe pretty close. I dropped my crystal 40L to 12oz, added .25 oz Amarillo at flameout. All my numbers were nearly spot on. 8.1 ABV. Smelt fantastic with the dry hop coming out of the air lock. Cracked open my first one and this beer is bland and lacks aroma. Its boring. Slightly bitter, dry and lighter mouthfeel but this thing is boring. Not really sure where I went wrong. Maybe its just the way i transferred but its disappointing compared to the way this seemed on my sample out of the fermenter. Any input/advise, maybe i should adjust my late additions in the boil?

First, I think your hop combo is a good one! Been there though when you are expecting this great aroma and it falls short
I would forget your 5 min additions and make them a WP addition (steep for 15 min). Also maybe try increasing the dry hop amount at least 50%, this should get you closer to the aroma you are looking for.

How are you dry-hopping? I use a paint strainer bag (santized) for 4 days prior to kegging.

 

[scmurray]

First, I think your hop combo is a good one! Been there though when you are expecting this great aroma and it falls short
I would forget your 5 min additions and make them a WP addition (steep for 15 min). Also maybe try increasing the dry hop amount at least 50%, this should get you closer to the aroma you are looking for.

How are you dry-hopping? I use a paint strainer bag (santized) for 4 days prior to kegging.

I added my dry hop additions on day 7, left them another 7 days then bottled. I added them naked but also have hop bags and have used them for dry hoping in the past but just went naked this time around.

Whirlpool at 180 degrees for 15 minutes?

 

[Zemillard90]

I added my dry hop additions on day 7, left them another 7 days then bottled. I added them naked but also have hop bags and have used them for dry hoping in the past but just went naked this time around.

Whirlpool at 180 degrees for 15 minutes?

I think you may be dry hopping a bit too long. I have read that 4 days (or less) prior to keg (or bottle) is the sweet spot. Coupled with how you mentioned you had transferred (and likely lost some of those volatiles), this may be a reason your aroma was lacking.

And yes on the WP. There is some good info on here about whirlpool additions as well. I use a pump to whirlpool so add the addition to the hop spider and let it go with lid on the kettle for 15 min.

I'm sure I am doing something wrong but this has yielded nice aroma for a house IPA recipe I have been working on for the past two batches after struggling to get a nice aroma for several batches prior.

 

[Zemillard90]

Here is an experiment brulosophy did on dry hop length a while back. Shorter (2 days) had much more aroma than the 11 day dry hop.

Cheers!

 

[scmurray]

I think you may be dry hopping a bit too long. I have read that 4 days (or less) prior to keg (or bottle) is the sweet spot. Coupled with how you mentioned you had transferred (and likely lost some of those volatiles), this may be a reason your aroma was lacking.

And yes on the WP. There is some good info on here about whirlpool additions as well. I use a pump to whirlpool so add the addition to the hop spider and let it go with lid on the kettle for 15 min.

I'm sure I am doing something wrong but this has yielded nice aroma for a house IPA recipe I have been working on for the past two batches after struggling to get a nice aroma for several batches prior.

Here is an experiment brulosophy did on dry hop length a while back. Shorter (2 days) had much more aroma than the 11 day dry hop.

Cheers!

Appreciate all the input.

 

[Zemillard90]

Appreciate all the input.

Of course, welcome! Let us know how it turns out if you are brewing it again!

 

[scmurray]

Going to bump this.
Covid-19 delayed my brewing but i did this again. Modified the recipe. Dropped carapils for munich and lowered the crystal some. Skipped the 5 minute addition and moved it to a whirlpool @ 180. Just bottled 2 days ago. Looked and smelled great.
Target OG was 1.080, i only hit 1.071. Guess i cut my boil short without noticing. Target FG was 1.015, i hit 1.016 so happy with that.
Looking forward to cracking it open. Will keep the thread updated

 

[VikeMan]

Target OG was 1.080, i only hit 1.071. Guess i cut my boil short without noticing. Target FG was 1.015, i hit 1.016 so happy with that.

A couple things about gravity...

- Yes, you can certainly end up with a lower OG by not boiling off the expected amount of water. But you can also have a low OG for other reasons, like a lower than expected mash efficiency. Did you have more finished volume than expected? I ask because for a lower than expected boil off to cause OG to miss 1.080 and hit 1.071 would require about 13% more post-boil volume than expected, which should be pretty noticeable.

- When you got the OG of 1.071 instead of 1.080, did you adjust the expected FG? IOW, if the expected gravities were 1.080/1.015 (apparent attenuation* of 81.25%), and you got 1.071 OG, you'd expect an FG** of ~ 1.013.

*Apparent Attenuation = (OG - FG) / (OG - 1)

**Expected FG = (OG - 1) - ((OG - 1) x Expected Apparent Attenuation)

 

[scmurray]

A couple things about gravity...

- Yes, you can certainly end up with a lower OG by not boiling off the expected amount of water. But you can also have a low OG for other reasons, like a lower than expected mash efficiency. Did you have more finished volume than expected? I ask because for a lower than expected boil off to cause OG to miss 1.080 and hit 1.071 would require about 13% more post-boil volume than expected, which should be pretty noticeable.

- When you got the OG of 1.071 instead of 1.080, did you adjust the expected FG? IOW, if the expected gravities were 1.080/1.015 (apparent attenuation* of 81.25%), and you got 1.071 OG, you'd expect an FG** of ~ 1.013.

*Apparent Attenuation = (OG - FG) / (OG - 1)

**Expected FG = (OG - 1) - ((OG - 1) x Expected Apparent Attenuation)

I finished with the expected 2.5 gallons. Certainly possible my efficiency was off. Im usally around 70% and now that i think about it, i did not take a pre-boil gravity reading

 

[VikeMan]

I finished with the expected 2.5 gallons. Certainly possible my efficiency was off. Im usally around 70% and now that i think about it, i did not take a pre-boil gravity reading

Do you usually make lower gravity beers than this one? Mash efficiency is a function of (among other things) grain bill size. "All other things being equal," a bigger grain bill will result in a lower efficiency.

 

[scmurray]

Do you usually make lower gravity beers than this one? Mash efficiency is a function of (among other things) grain bill size. "All other things being equal," a bigger grain bill will result in a lower efficiency.

Still pretty new to this but made a Hazy that was 1.064

 

[VikeMan]

Still pretty new to this but made a Hazy that was 1.064

Yeah, so assuming the same batch size and lauter/sparge strategy, you can expect a lower mash efficiency with the bigger beer. How much difference to expect depends on your particular setup, but I just ran some numbers (yours, more or less) through BrewCipher's Mash Efficiency Predictor. With my setup, and with single batch sparge (and a couple of other assumptions), it predicts 70% mash efficiency to drop to ~65.5% with the larger grain bill. That alone would explain over half of your mash efficiency drop.

 

[scmurray]

Yeah, so assuming the same batch size and lauter/sparge strategy, you can expect a lower mash efficiency with the bigger beer. How much difference to expect depends on your particular setup, but I just ran some numbers (yours, more or less) through BrewCipher's Mash Efficiency Predictor. With my setup, and with single batch sparge (and a couple of other assumptions), it predicts 70% mash efficiency to drop to ~65.5% with the larger grain bill. That alone would explain over half of your mash efficiency drop.

Thanks for the explanation