"Session" IPA Critique

[Craftfan]

I have read several of the threads about this, and I think this might work. (Full disclosure this is a scaled down version of the Zombie clone recipe that I believe meets the criteria for a session.) I am very new to the recipe building aspect of brewing and am hoping some of you may be able to help. Maybe mash a bit higher for better mouthfeel and add a bit of sugar to make up for the ABV? I would like this to be fairly dry. Possibly lowering the BU:GU from 1.4 to maybe 1.1? Move the 5 and 1 minute additions to whirlpool? Thanks in advance for any and all help.


Style:American IPA
Batch Size:11.00 gal
Boil Time:60 min
Mash Method:All Grain

Typical Style Characteristics
Style:American IPA
O.G.1.056 - 1.075
F.G.1.010 - 1.018
ABV5.5 - 7.5
IBU40 - 70
SRM6 - 15°L
Color

Calculated & Measured Statistics
Calculated O.G.1.047 (70% Efficiency)
Calculated F.G.1.013 (72% Yeast Attenuation)

ABV4.5%
IBU69.0
SRM7.1°L

Malt Bill
2-Row Malt - 2.0°L16.00 lbs
Munich Malt1.50 lbs
Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L0.75 lbs
Carafoam0.75 lbs
Melanoiden Malt0.75 lbs

Mash Rest Profile
Saccharification (Medium Body)152°F60 min

Hop Bill
Hop NameTime AddedWeightAA%Type
Citra60 min1.50 oz12.5%Pellet Hop
Citra15 min1.75 oz12.5%Pellet Hop
Citra10 min1.75 oz12.5%Pellet Hop
Citra5 min1.75 oz12.5%Pellet Hop
Citra1 min1.75 oz12.5%Pellet Hop
Citra (dry hop)7 days4.00 oz12.5%Pellet Hop

Safale S-04 Dry Ale

 

[rupert130]

Going for a 1.047 beer, you may want to bring down your IBUs closer to 50. You could accomplish this by moving your bittering addition to inside of 10 min most likely

 

[madscientist451]

I am very new to the recipe building aspect of brewing and am hoping some of you may be able to help. Maybe mash a bit higher for better mouthfeel and add a bit of sugar to make up for the ABV? I would like this to be fairly dry.

Recipe looks OK from here, but since you are just starting out working with your own recipes, do you want to brew 10 gallons? I've dreamed up some beers that I wished I made more of, and some that I was glad have made a small batch, so its a crap shoot the first time around.
Maybe use Warrior as 60 min/ bittering hop instead of Citra, That will kick up your IBU's a hair? I'd also add the last hop addition at flameout.

 

[radwizard]

I agree with madscientist. When I started getting into recipe development (which really has become my favorite aspect of brewing) I went down to three gallon batches for multiple reasons. Mostly, it enabled me to brew twice as much and really learn more about how ingredients work together. I was turning out tons of beer and getting a good grip on what I wanted from each style. I now have created my house recipes that do 5.5 gallon batches with, but still prefer to go small when I am doing something new. It takes a while for me to nail a recipe down and be satisfied.

Plus one, on using warrior/magnum for the bittering. And Citra at the end. Have you searched up on Flame Out additions and HopStands?

 

[Craftfan]

Recipe looks OK from here, but since you are just starting out working with your own recipes, do you want to brew 10 gallons? I've dreamed up some beers that I wished I made more of, and some that I was glad have made a small batch, so its a crap shoot the first time around.

Maybe use Warrior as 60 min/ bittering hop instead of Citra, That will kick up your IBU's a hair? I'd also add the last hop addition at flameout.

I completely agree with brewing a smaller batch the first time around. The only reason this one was 11 gallons is because the recipe I started with was this size and I scaled the ingredients for that size batch.

I agree with madscientist. When I started getting into recipe development (which really has become my favorite aspect of brewing) I went down to three gallon batches for multiple reasons. Mostly, it enabled me to brew twice as much and really learn more about how ingredients work together. I was turning out tons of beer and getting a good grip on what I wanted from each style. I now have created my house recipes that do 5.5 gallon batches with, but still prefer to go small when I am doing something new. It takes a while for me to nail a recipe down and be satisfied.

Plus one, on using warrior/magnum for the bittering. And Citra at the end. Have you searched up on Flame Out additions and HopStands?

I have been reading up on hopstands and will be doing my first recipe with one in a couple days. From my understanding, lowering the temperature from boil to ~170 and letting the hops steep for 30 minutes increases the flavor/aroma of a hop addition. Is this correct?

 

[m00ps]

I have been reading up on hopstands and will be doing my first recipe with one in a couple days. From my understanding, lowering the temperature from boil to ~170 and letting the hops steep for 30 minutes increases the flavor/aroma of a hop addition. Is this correct?

Its a bit the opposite. The hotter the steeping temp, the more flavor and aroma that will be extracted. However, its generally accepted that over 180F or so, some degree of aroma is lost due to volatile hop compounds. Obviously, these compounds dissapate very quickly during an actual rolling boil. Personally, I will add some right at flameout to steep (which I assume gives predominantly flavor), some at 170-180F (which I assume does a bit of flavor and aroma), then dry hopping is all aroma.

Just pick which hops you want to add when according to what youre shooting for. Looks like you got the "which" pretty settled already with all Citra

One thing I might recommend is to NOT bitter with citra. That is a crying shame to waste an expensive, aromatic hop like that on something that you could get done for like 1/4 of the cost with a hop like columbus or magnum. IMO, it can still be a "single hop" beer if you just are doing a bittering addition with something else. Like using a hopshot extract

 

[unviewtiful]

One thing I might recommend is to NOT bitter with citra. That is a crying shame to waste an expensive, aromatic hop like that on something that you could get done for like 1/4 of the cost with a hop like columbus or magnum. IMO, it can still be a "single hop" beer if you just are doing a bittering addition with something else. Like using a hopshot extract

I'll second this recommendation. I use Apollo for bittering on everything because I got a bunch of it for super cheap and it's 18% AA. It gives me the same IBUs with a lot less particulate to deal with (not that I try to filter it in the kettle, but it's less trub that I have to clean up when it's all said and done). And a pound of that will last me a good long while for just bittering.

 

[Craftfan]

Its a bit the opposite. The hotter the steeping temp, the more flavor and aroma that will be extracted. However, its generally accepted that over 180F or so, some degree of aroma is lost due to volatile hop compounds. Obviously, these compounds dissapate very quickly during an actual rolling boil. Personally, I will add some right at flameout to steep (which I assume gives predominantly flavor), some at 170-180F (which I assume does a bit of flavor and aroma), then dry hopping is all aroma.

Just pick which hops you want to add when according to what youre shooting for. Looks like you got the "which" pretty settled already with all Citra

One thing I might recommend is to NOT bitter with citra. That is a crying shame to waste an expensive, aromatic hop like that on something that you could get done for like 1/4 of the cost with a hop like columbus or magnum. IMO, it can still be a "single hop" beer if you just are doing a bittering addition with something else. Like using a hopshot extract

I'm glad I brought this up then! I thought that it was the heat that drove off the flavor/aroma compounds and that is why you were supposed to do a stand at less than 200. I'll do 1/2 at flame out and the other half after 15 minutes for a total of 30 minute stand. Thanks for the info.