Recipe Critique: Res Ipsa IPA

[PrimaFacie]

Hoping to get a critique of an aroma-forward IPA recipe I've been thinking about. Main question: am I getting too cute with the hop blending? Any other suggestions welcome. Thanks!

RES IPSA IPA
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5.5 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 6.37 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.052
Efficiency: 70%

Original Gravity: 1.061
Final Gravity: 1.013
ABV (standard): 6.26%
IBU (tinseth): 71.46
SRM (morey): 5.99

GRAIN BILL:
11 lb - American - Pale 2-Row (84.6%)
1 lb - American - Caramel / Crystal 10L (7.7%)
0.5 lb - American - Carapils (Dextrine Malt) (3.8%)
0.5 lb - Belgian - Cara 20L (3.8%)

HOP SCHEDULE:
Mash - 1 oz - Amarillo, Type: Pellet, AA: 8.6
60 min. - 1 oz - Mosaic, Type: Pellet, AA: 12.5
15 min. - 0.5 oz - Mosaic, Type: Pellet, AA: 12.5
5 min. - 0.5 oz - Centennial, Type: Pellet, AA: 10
5 min. - 0.5 oz - Chinook, Type: Pellet, AA: 13
5 min. - 0.5 oz - Columbus, Type: Pellet, AA: 15
Dry hop - 1 oz - Amarillo, Type: Pellet, AA: 8.6
Dry hop - 0.5 oz - Centennial, Type: Pellet, AA: 10
Dry hop - 0.5 oz - Chinook, Type: Pellet, AA: 13
Dry hop - 0.5 oz - Columbus, Type: Pellet, AA: 15
Dry hop - 0.5 oz - Mosaic, Type: Pellet, AA: 12.5

MASH:
Singe-step Infusion @ 149 F for 60 min
Sparge @ 170 F

YEAST:
White Labs - California Ale Yeast WLP001

 

[JonM]

Looks good to me - but I don't think that 15 min addition will do a whole lot. Maybe add that 0.5 oz to the bittering?

So ... Lawyer/law student?

 

[PrimaFacie]

Looks good to me - but I don't think that 15 min addition will do a whole lot. Maybe add that 0.5 oz to the bittering?

So ... Lawyer/law student?

Agreed as to the 15 minute addition. Was wondering if that might be too late to get much bitterness, too early for flavor/aroma (though I have noticed some Sculpin and Pliny clones use additions at 15 or 20 minutes).

And yes - lawyer by day, homebrewer also by day

 

[JonM]

Same here. I was trying to think of other legalese names but all I got is "Ipse Dixit Ale - it's awesome because I said so!"

 

[Hujo]

With all those late hops, the mash addition is a total waste, IME. Add it at the end instead. I'd also move the 15 to 5, and the 60 to 15, and adjust for IBUs to stay the same

 

[PrimaFacie]

With all those late hops, the mash addition is a total waste, IME. Add it at the end instead. I'd also move the 15 to 5, and the 60 to 15, and adjust for IBUs to stay the same

I've never done a mash addition before, but reading up on it a bit more I think you're right that it's wasted hops. I also agree that the 15 minute addition is probably not useful.

Why move 60 minute addition to 15 min?

One thought I've been having is just move the 60 min to a FWH. Updated hop schedule would look something like this:

FWH (2.67 oz)
0.67 oz - Amarillo
0.67 oz - Citra
1.33 oz - Mosaic

Flameout/whirlpool (2 oz)
0.67 oz - Centennial
0.67 oz - Chinook
0.67 oz - Columbus

Dry hop 21 days (1 oz)
0.33 oz - Centennial
0.33 oz - Chinook
0.33 oz - Columbus

Dry hop 14 days (1.33 oz)
0.33 oz - Amarillo
0.33 oz - Citra
.67 oz - Mosaic

That gets me to about 59 IBUs. Maybe a bit lower than I was hoping for, but probably would be sufficient.

 

[Hujo]

It's called hopbursting, in which you only hop during the last 20 minutes or so. To get the same IBUs you have to use more hops. More hops - more flavour. I prefer this technique over FWH, which is not very useful in beers with late additions. If the FWH is the ONLY hop addition you do, like in a light crisp lager, then you may notice a difference compared to a normal 60 minute addition, but in a beer where you use late hopping, the flavour of the late hops will cover that up so there's really no point IMO.

I don't really understand the timings of the dry hops? If I do a double dry hop i do the first one right after the most vigorous fermentation is over, then add the next one four to five days later, then package four or five days after that.

Other than that, I'd probably use more hops in general, especially in the dry hop.

 

[PrimaFacie]

It's called hopbursting, in which you only hop during the last 20 minutes or so. To get the same IBUs you have to use more hops. More hops - more flavour. I prefer this technique over FWH, which is not very useful in beers with late additions. If the FWH is the ONLY hop addition you do, like in a light crisp lager, then you may notice a difference compared to a normal 60 minute addition, but in a beer where you use late hopping, the flavour of the late hops will cover that up so there's really no point IMO.

I don't really understand the timings of the dry hops? If I do a double dry hop i do the first one right after the most vigorous fermentation is over, then add the next one four to five days later, then package four or five days after that.

Other than that, I'd probably use more hops in general, especially in the dry hop.

Okay good advice. Will do some more tweaking and probably give it a try this weekend. Thanks!