Suggestions - Simple AG IPA Recipe

[dogbert]

Good day,

I'm planning on carrying out a simple all grain IPA recipe another member has suggested:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/easy-ipa-recipe-398028/

• 12lbs 2-row
• 0.5lb Crystal 40L
• 1oz cascade 60m
• 2oz cascade 20m
• 2oz cascade 10m
• 2oz cascade 1m

I have a few short questions which I am really eager to figure out:

First, should I leave the first addition of hops for the whole 60 minutes, or do I take it out at the 20 minute mark enitrely, then add the hops designated for the 20 minutes mark?

Second, I use bentonite in my mead all the time. Is there any hard in adding boiled bentonite to the primary fermentor (a carboy), and then racking the beer twice?

Third, and finally, what good does Irish moss do? I've been advised to keep it in for a whole 60 minutes, in a cheesecloth bag, in the wort. Is this a good idea?

Thank you all in advance.

 

[beerandloathinginaustin]

Your recipe looks fine, although Cascade isn't the most exciting hop in the world.

You leave the 60 min hops in the entire time. The times tell you when to add more hops.

I don't know of any reason Bentonite would be harmful, but in the beer world we try to limit the number of rackings we do and use Irish moss in the boil and cold crashing, finings, or time to clarify our beer. Oxygen is not our friend so we want as little opportunity for uptake as possible. A lot of us don't even bother with a secondary.

Irish moss is a fining agent that will drop proteins etc to the bottom. It certainly does not need 60 minutes of boiling as far as I know. I throw mine in between 15 and 0 minutes left in the boil. Given that it's being used for clarification I have to think it's not a great idea to put it in a bag.

 

[Captain Damage]

I make an all-cascade IPA that's fantastic. I would move your late additions up a little bit to something like: 2oz @ 10, 2oz @ 5, 2 oz @ flameout. Also, IPAs need to be dry hopped. I'd recommend 2 oz of cascade for 5-7 days. Put the dry hops in after fermentation is complete.

 

[Bob]

I take a different approach to IPA in that I don't really do late boil additions. I first-wort-hop and dry-hop the hell out of it. I'd add 2-3 ounces of the Cascades as FWH and dry-hop the rest.

Irish Moss must be added loose to the kettle. Irish Moss - really carrageenan - is prepared from seaweed. It promotes break formation. If prepared and used properly, a few minutes after you add it to the kettle you'll see big chunks of matter swirling in the boil. That's hot break - coagulated protein. You don't want most of that to end up in your fermenter, so using a product which promotes break formation is a Good Thing. You want to leave most of the break in your kettle. When you cool your bitter wort, you'll end up with cold break, which is the same thing - coagulated proteins - except formed in a different way. Depending on how you cool your wort, you may end up with cold break in your fermenter. You will always end up with some break in the fermenter. Indeed, that's absolutely necessary to yeast metabolism. But you should make efforts to keep as much of it out of the fermenter as you can.

Bentonite is not useful in beer brewing, IMO, though widely used as a fining agent by vintners. Homebrewed beer doesn't really need fining, as patience will usually result in star-bright beer. Should you choose to fine the finished beer, there are better choices than bentonite.

Cheers,

Bob

 

[ericbw]

Good day,

I'm planning on carrying out a simple all grain IPA recipe another member has suggested:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/easy-ipa-recipe-398028/


[*]12lbs 2-row
[*]0.5lb Crystal 40L
[*]1oz cascade 60m
[*]2oz cascade 20m
[*]2oz cascade 10m
[*]2oz cascade 1m


I have a few short questions which I am really eager to figure out:

First, should I leave the first addition of hops for the whole 60 minutes, or do I take it out at the 20 minute mark enitrely, then add the hops designated for the 20 minutes mark?

Second, I use bentonite in my mead all the time. Is there any hard in adding boiled bentonite to the primary fermentor (a carboy), and then racking the beer twice?

Third, and finally, what good does Irish moss do? I've been advised to keep it in for a whole 60 minutes, in a cheesecloth bag, in the wort. Is this a good idea?

Thank you all in advance.

Irish moss will break down after 5-10-15 minutes, I think. If you boil it 60 minutes, it won't have any effect.

 

[Bob]

That's been my experience, too. And containing it in a bag will have precisely zero effect. You need it in full contact with the wort.

 

[dogbert]

Thank you all.