Trying my hand a building my first recipe

[sd_brewbie]

Looking at putting together an IPA as my first shot a trying my hand a putting together something from scratch and looking for feedback. I am looking for a good clean IPA with lots of good citrus taste (so my wife will like it) but not over the top might as well be drinking juice.

12 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US
8.0 oz Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM)
4.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM)
4.0 oz Carapils
1.00 oz Chinook [13.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min
1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 30.0 min
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min
0.50 oz Amarillo [9.20 %] - Boil 5.0 min
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min
0.50 oz Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min
0.50 oz Amarillo [9.20 %] - Boil 0.0 min
0.50 oz Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast 13 -
1.00 oz Amarillo [9.20 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days
1.00 oz Citra [12.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days

Mash at 150o

Est Original Gravity: 1.066 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.013 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 7.0 %
Bitterness: 68.8 IBUs
Est Color: 6.5 SRM

I have the Chinook, Centennial and Cascade in the freezer and was going to pick up the Amarillo and Citra. Also questioning if I should go for more of a lighter crystal?

Thanks for the input

 

[ZebulonBrewer]

Amarillo Citra is a popular combo, and it should treat you well, and the recipe looks good. You don't have the regular mistake (I made it) of making your 'first recipe' overly complicated.

The one thing that sticks out to me, though, is the one ounce of Centennial at 30 minutes. Is that to use up some hops that you have left? If it isn't I would try to make up the IBU's (if you want) using more of the amarillo/citra at the 5 minute or 15 minute mark. Just my thoughts and $0.02, feel free to disregard as everything looks alright.

 

[sd_brewbie]

Yes trying to use hops in my freezer also my LHBS sells hops in 2oz packets and I am already a full 2oz packet of both amarillo and citra

 

[fsh_bstrd]

Very similar to my ipa's. Though I would drop the crystal completely or go down to 40 or 20. Keep the crystal malts to 5% or less of the grist. Also you may consider upping flameout hops and dry hops. Sounds good!

 

[sd_brewbie]

OK...
Replacing the 4oz of Crystal 120 with with 6oz of Crystal 60 and Bumping Vienna to 10oz (I still want some color, this puts me at 6.0 SRM)
Dropping the centennial
Adding 1oz of amarillo at 15min
Bumping the 15 min cascade to 3/4oz.
Bumping the amarillo flameout to a full ounce
Bumping the amarillo dry hop to 1.5oz

How does that sound?

 

[Brewenstein]

OK...
Replacing the 4oz of Crystal 120 with with 6oz of Crystal 60 and Bumping Vienna to 10oz (I still want some color, this puts me at 6.0 SRM)
Dropping the centennial
Adding 1oz of amarillo at 15min
Bumping the 15 min cascade to 3/4oz.
Bumping the amarillo flameout to a full ounce
Bumping the amarillo dry hop to 1.5oz

How does that sound?

Most of my pales and IPAs have 2 pounds of Vienna (and subsequently less 2-row). Got this from Ed Wort's Haus Pale Ale - I liked the combo and have never bothered to change it. (In fact, that is my base for ambers also.)

Otherwise, I would bump up the FO addition by at least an ounce or two, or three. Those hops are more for flavor. My pale ales have 6-8 ounces of hops, with most going in at 15 minutes left in the boil, and 2 of those are FO additions.

But overall, your recipe looks good for a first time recipe. Don't think you will go wrong with any of the suggestions. Just be sure to keep good notes, so that if you change something the next time (like more FO hops) you will be able to repeat your success.

Happy brewing! And be sure to update us on how it turns out.

 

[sd_brewbie]

If I were to put more FO hops do you think just pushing the amarillo up is good? Or maybe up the citra and/or add cascade, or something entirely different?

My take your advice and bump the vienna for less crystal. Will be sure to post updates. Heading to LHBS soon to pick up ingredients and will brew it today

 

[Brewenstein]

If I were to put more FO hops do you think just pushing the amarillo up is good? Or maybe up the citra and/or add cascade, or something entirely different?

My take your advice and bump the vienna for less crystal. Will be sure to post updates. Heading to LHBS soon to pick up ingredients and will brew it today

Adding an ounce of Citra at FO sound yummy to me. And I don't think that the 6 oz. of C-60 is a problem. It will go nice with the citrus flavors from the hops, IMO.

Enjoy the brew day !

 

[sd_brewbie]

Missed my numbers by a lot... Long story... Gonna be a session IPA around 5%abv, got me some hoppy wort... Excited to see how it turns out.

 

[olotti]

If u missed your og you'll prob have a pretty hoppy pale ale, done it myself when I first started, it happens and always ends up in a nice drinkable beer but not what you planned for. Me personally I'd drop all crystal as my preference is for low malt but just enough to let the hops just shine but you may like more sweetness so go with c20 next time and just 2 row and look into getting your system right so you hit your numbers. It's best to brew low gravity beers first before getting into the high gravity stuff since efficiency will suffer as you see.

 

[sd_brewbie]

It was my fault, I let the sparge run way too fast and my efficiency paid for it

 

[sd_brewbie]

My last batch (APA) I hit my pre-boil gravity on the dot but boiled off more wort than I expected (i let the boil get too hot)... Still learning my system, this is only my second batch on it.

I am sure my hoppy pale ale will be great.

 

[sd_brewbie]

Kegged the beer up last night and snuck a taster out today... It is smooth with good strong citrus hop flavor without being overly bitter. Really happy with how this turned out. I now feel more confident and excited to make my own recipes. Brewed another today, a saison with honey, and hopped with mosaic and citra hops. Really looking forward to this new one.

 

[mrdail87]

Glad to hear it went well. For next time, if you really come in short on your target og. You can add honey to the primary, to bump up your og. Honey is naturally anti-microbial and won't infect your brew.

You can also try a method called back-sweetening. Basically you make a super concentrated wort, and add it to the primary. Some math is required with this method though =P

 

[55x11]

Glad to hear it went well. For next time, if you really come in short on your target og. You can add honey to the primary, to bump up your og. Honey is naturally anti-microbial and won't infect your brew.

You can also try a method called back-sweetening. Basically you make a super concentrated wort, and add it to the primary. Some math is required with this method though =P

Use BeerSmith to project how much back-sweetening you may need. For example, 5 gallon batch with 3 lbs of dried extract should add about 18 points.