Simple DME IPA

[Tarkin]

Hello Brewheads,

I'm looking to make a simple American IPA. Any recommendations based on the following recipe? I was thinking of replacing 3lbs of DME with 2lbs corn sugar - would this lighten the body of the beer? Also, any yeast recommendations - I wanted to use liquid.

Fermentable
6 lbs - Extra Light Dry Extract

Steeping
8.0 oz/.5lbs Carapils/dextrin lightest
8.0 oz/.5lbs caramel/crystal

Boil
1.5oz Cascade 60min
1.5 oz Cascade 20min
1oz Citra 20min
1oz Cascade 15min
Irish moss – 15min
1oz Citra 10min

1oz cascade whole leaf dry hopping
Wyeast 1217 West Coast IPA Yeast

 

[Gnomebrewer]

That's a good place to start, but a couple of issues.

Firstly, by rough calculations that looks like about 100IBUs in a mid 1.050's beer, which is VERY bitter. Either push the 20/15/10 minute hop additions back to 10/0 minutes, or increase the DME by quite a bit.

Replacing 3lbs of DME with 2lbs of corn sugar is (IMO) too much sugar. I'm not averse to using a bit of sugar in a brew, but that much in an IPA would make a really thin beer. Maybe add up to 10-15% corn sugar to thin the body a bit if that's what you want to do.

For yeast, it depends what you want. A clean/dry yeast, or an estery/fruity/slightly sweet yeast.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

Maybe try:

Fermentable
7 lbs - Extra Light Dry Extract (replace up to 1lb with corn sugar if you want to thin it out a bit)

Steeping
8.0 oz/.5lbs Carapils/dextrin
8.0 oz/.5lbs caramel/crystal

Boil
1.5oz Cascade 60min
Irish moss – 15min
1.5 oz Cascade 10min
1oz Citra 10min
1oz Cascade @ flameout
1oz Citra @ flameout

1oz cascade whole leaf dry hopping
1oz Citra dry hop

 

[Tarkin]

Thanks Gnomebrewer. I'll push up the hop additions. I do want a thinner body but I've never used sugar in the boil so I'm not sure on proper amounts. So, maybe I'll do 5lbs of DME and 1lb sugar.

I've used dry safale in my past couple ales but I feel like they all get this same semi-yeasty aroma. I really want the hops to shine. Yet, the hop profile here lends itself to citrus and grapefruit anyway.

I also would love to get a really booming head on this one. Think I could up the carapils or do anything to make it really amped?

Thanks again

 

[Gnomebrewer]

I do want a thinner body

Aye. So do I. But I also like to drink beer

but I've never used sugar in the boil so I'm not sure on proper amounts. So, maybe I'll do 5lbs of DME and 1lb sugar.

That's still in the mid to high 1.050's - more APA territory than IPA.

I've used dry safale in my past couple ales but I feel like they all get this same semi-yeasty aroma.

I get what you're talking about - I only like US-05 once it is well aged (6+ weeks). I prefer English yeasts though (WLP007 for an IPA).

I also would love to get a really booming head on this one. Think I could up the carapils or do anything to make it really amped?

There's some doubt about whether carapils really helps with head. I find my beers (all grain) with vienna or munich always have good heads (I could be biased though) - could you move up to a partial mash with a bit of vienna (it's great in an IPA)?