some 245 ibu ipa feedback

[tasteybeerkiller]

had a rough layout of a 245 ibu ipa...

og 1.095
fg 1.012-18
5.50 gallons
10.4%

9 lbs 2 row
9 lbs 6 row
.75 lbs crystal 20
.50 lbs crystal 40
.25 lbs crystal 60
.50 lbs carapils

@ 60 mins
.50 oz zythos
.50 oz amarillo
.50 oz columbus
.50 oz warrior

@ 30 mins
1 oz zythos
1 oz amarillo
1 oz columbus
1 oz citra

@ 15 mins
1.5 oz zythos
1.5 oz amarillo
1.5 oz columbus
1.5 oz citra

@ 5 mins
2 oz zythos
2 oz amarillo
2 oz columbus
2 oz citra

dry hop
1 oz citra
1 oz columbus
1 oz amarillo

Does this seem too insane? Yes i know this is ridiculous, the question is, is it too insane? As in not drinkable? I've never tried anything this hoppy before. Also, does anyone have any experience first wort hopping? Pros/cons? Any feedback would be helpful. Thanks

 

[lumpher]

i love hops, and i never understood why any1 wastes them in the incredible ibu beers. just to prove they can be done? we get it. when i do pale ales, i go 40-65. just a personal taste (literally)

 

[SilverZero]

First wort hopping is always a good idea vs. 60 minute additions, in my opinion. As for the insanity level: Yes, definitely. Doesn't mean you won't like it, though i can't imagine how you would.

I personally don't know how 1.5 pounds of hops is tolerable, especially since a lot of it is mid-boil. You'll have a lot of bitterness, and even that much grain is going to be hard-pressed to balance it. If you like bitter, you'll certainly be there. If you like aroma, do a FWH instead of the 60-minute set, skip the 30-minute set, and start again at 15 minutes.

Just my opinion, very limited experience, YMMV, etc.

 

[bigbeergeek]

It looks insane alright -- I have no comment on whether it's worth all those wonderful (and pricy) hops or not.

I've never tried FWH. You'll get arguments for and against around here.

 

[skeezerpleezer]

Looks like a waste of hops to me, and I usually go hop heavy on my ipas. You better plan to have a big boil, probably over 10g if you plan to get 5.5g final volume with that many hops.

If I remember right, the Pliny clone I did was well over 200 Ibus per beersmith, but supposedly the human palate can't taste over 100 or so. It was more flavorful than bitter (like the real Pliny). Mikeller's 1000 ibu ipa doesn't taste much more bitter than Ruination or hop stoopid which are ~100.

That said I would bet yours will taste and smell amazing, but could also taste and smell the same using half a pound less hops.

 

[boss429]

i'd do it if financially you can afford it or you rarely get to brew

I'd rather have hops in my beer than old hops in my fridge...

gogogo

just get ready for the sludge.....you must squeez out the hop juice out the sludge not for wort but for hop juice again..

also brew like 2 gallons over what u usually do to compensate for hop absobtion; it is a $$@(! especially if were talking whole hops.

best of luck

 

[mburnett274]

looks very drinkable to me!! i like FWH in my ipa

 

[Burgs]

needs more hops

 

[beeber]

I hope you like mango and pineapple, you'll get a lot of that from all that citra.

 

[Paul07293]

skeezer is right, tests show our tongues can't percieve much more than 100 ibu. I'd ditch the 30 minute addition and move more of your aroma and flavor hops to flameout and whirlpool. I'd also try mash hopping, it also helps with adding a smoother hop flavor.

 

[Yooper]

I'd change up the hopping a bit. I don't see any advantage to 30 minute hops- you get bittering, but not that much, but you boil too long to get much flavor out of them. I'd move those 30 minute hops. I also wonder about the 6-row? It's not that great tasting, but you may not really taste it under all those hops anyway. My preference is a strong malt backbone (plain two-row is fine) so I'd even consider a pound of Munich malt and less crystal. I'd even consider a pound of corn sugar and less grain so that this beer finishes dry enough to be quaffable. With all that crystal malt (2.25 pounds!), and that OG, you might finish way too high.

The other thing is some hops play very well together, but often they get "muddy" if you mix too many. I've never had zythos but I wouldn't use all those varieties (particularly amarillo) for bittering as it's not needed. columbus is strong and overpowering, so I'd use less (or none) for flavor/aroma.

I'd do something more like this:

16 lbs 2 row
1 pound corn sugar
1 pound Munich malt
.75 lbs carapils

@ FWH
1 oz columbus
1 oz warrior


@ 15 mins
1.5 oz zythos
1.5 oz amarillo
1.5 oz citra

10 minutes
1 ounce amarillo
1 ounce citra

@ 5 mins
1 oz zythos
1 oz amarillo
1 oz citra

Flame out
1 oz zythos
1 oz amarillo
1 oz citra

dry hop
1 oz citra
1 oz columbus
1 oz amarillo

 

[tasteybeerkiller]

I agree with moving the hops to almost all late hopping. I've also heard that FWH smooths out the hop flavor and bitterness. I'll have to keep tweaking with it. Somehow didn't realize that i put over 2 pounds of crystal in there...a little much. I didn't know that the threshold for ibu's was 100-150 or so. Interesting. The whole idea behind it was making a 245 ibu ipa named 245 trioxin...the chemical that makes people become zombies in return of the living dead. I know, I'm a dork. further research is needed for this one. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[SilverZero]

Yup, that looks more reasonable, Yooper. I'm a big fan of FWH and late hop-bursting. Still gonna cost you a bit to drop a pound of hops into your brew, but it's starting to look more drinkable now.

 

[BrewThruYou]

Why 6 row?