I sent my water off to Ward Labs to be tested a while back and I've been using the old version of Bru N' Water with the numbers from that report plugged in. Sometimes I use just tap water and sometimes I dilute it with distilled water. Mostly I'm just playing around, trial and error, trying to see what works and what doesn't.Are you sure you need to add chalk and baking soda? I almost never have to raise the pH unless I'm brewing a dark beer
Yeah - I rarely (if ever) use Crystal malts. Not for any good reason - I just never use them just because. I decided to add 8 oz of Crystal to this recipe just for the hell of it. It's a very light (in color) beer without the Crystal, so I ended up bumping it up to the 120L and 12 oz just to boost the SRM to 10. Other than that there's not much thought in why I used it other than to try something different.... Are you sure you want to use Crystal 120 in an IPA? Its fairly uncommon but not completely unheard of. If it was me I'd use a lighter crystal malt like 40L and I'd probably use less - maybe 4oz or so. A west coast IPA is about the hops, not the malt
I'm lazier than that. I picked an ounce of something commonly found in a west coast IPA and split it four ways; .25 oz at 60 minutes, .25 oz at 15 minutes, .25 oz at flame-out, and .25 oz for dry hopping. Then I picked another hop commonly used in west coast IPAs and split it up the exact same way - hardly required any thinking at all. Then anuther'n, and anuther'n, and anuther'n . . . When I got to around 60 IBU's I stopped. And that's the "science" behind that hop schedule.... I would pick one bittering hop that is high alpha and use that to hit your IBU. Either Chinook or Columbus most likely
I'm starting with 100% RO water. I'm just obviously doing something wrong with the new version of Bru N' Water. It's not a water issue - it's a trying to figure out the software issue. I'll get it eventually.If your water is that rough, you might consider using some bottled drinking or distilled water to cut it.
So I've learned, (which is exactly why I posted it here - to get feedback). I don't think I've ever brewed an IPA and I haven't really drank many the past few years. I like them okay - I just got bored with "IPA ONLY" hype.... Crystal malt, in general, is frowned upon in west coast ipas. 120L stuff is way out of the norm.
I wasn't adding a bunch of different varieties at 60 minutes for any reason or because I thought there might be "a point" to it. I chose a bunch of hop varieties I wanted to use. Since they come in 1 oz packages I decided to split them all into four 1/4 ounce increments - just to give myself four times the options with the later additions. Doing it that way, it just worked out easier to combine the 1/4 ounce increments for the 60 minute bittering addition as well. So you're absolutely right, there's "no point" to adding a bunch of different varieties at 60 minutes. There's also no reason not to if that's how the math works out.... No point to all those 60 minute hops. Pick one and shoot for 25-30 ibus there. Id use columbus
... Live and learn. I added some more hops. I don't know if it's still hoppy enough to qualify as a west coast IPA, the OG is estimated at 1.061 and the IBUs are estimated at 68.5. That's probably not as "unbalanced" as a lot of west coast IPAs, but I'm not looking for a face puckering hop bomb.... Youre only using 1.25 oz of hops at flameout and dry hop. Thats pretty low. Id bump up the amarillo at least to a full ounce. Ill use 2 ounces in a 3 gallon batch..
I wasn't adding a bunch of different varieties at 60 minutes for any reason or because I thought there might be "a point" to it. I chose a bunch of hop varieties I wanted to use. Since they come in 1 oz packages I decided to split them all into four 1/4 ounce increments - just to give myself four times the options with the later additions. Doing it that way, it just worked out easier to combine the 1/4 ounce increments for the 60 minute bittering addition as well. So you're absolutely right, there's "no point" to adding a bunch of different varieties at 60 minutes. There's also no reason not to if that's how the math works out.
... Live and learn. I added some more hops. I don't know if it's still hoppy enough to qualify as a west coast IPA, the OG is estimated at 1.061 and the IBUs are estimated at 68.5. That's probably not as "unbalanced" as a lot of west coast IPAs, but I'm not looking for a face puckering hop bomb.
If anything maybe I need to change the label to just IPA and leave the west coast off. I don't know.
I'd say you'll be better off if you use only one of your 4 varieties for bittering and get to your desired initial IBUs (I'd chose Columbus)...
you won't be able to distinguish between Amarillo and Columbus at a 60 minute bittering addition...
After playing around with the Bru N' Water spreadsheet I think I got the water profile I'm going with, (I probably shouldn't have said that )This is my RO water additions for my last 5.5 gallon batch of IPA with a similar grain bill. The ph was 5.29.
Strike Water additions:
1.44 gr Gypsum,
1.73 gr Calcium Chloride,
1.73 gr salt
Sparge Additions:
.75 gr Gypsum
.9 gr Calcium chloride
.9 gr Salt
I was obsessed with Belgian ales so for the last 2 years that's all I've brewed; 750ml bottles, cork & cage, the whole "Belgian" experience. Now that I have effectively burned myself out on brewing (and drinking) Belgian ales, I decided to brew some lighter stuff for a change.
It's almost like going back to square one and starting over. I have to actually start thinking again Before, getting crazy with hops meant two hop additions instead of one. Everyone else seems to have been obsessed with IPAs so most home brewers and craft beer drinkers I talk to are way ahead of me there. I know IPAs are supposed to be "hoppy" . . . That's pretty much the extent of my IPA knowledge.
At the risk of beating a dead horse - I get it. I know the 60 minute addition is for bittering only. I know that. I got it. Brewing 101, first day of class. "You won't be able to distinguish between Amarillo and Columbus at a 60 minute bittering addition."
So everyone is pointing out that "What kind of hops you add at 60 minutes doesn't matter" and I agree. Then you say, "so you should just add one kind." In other words, it doesn't matter what kind of hops you use at 60 minutes as long as it's all the same variety . . . which translated means it does actually matter what kind of hops you use for the 60 minute addition.
I buy 4 oz of hops for $2.00 an ounce; 1 oz of W, 1 oz of X, 1 oz of Y and 1 oz of Z. Four varieties for $8.00. I split them all up into 1/4 oz portions, and then I take 1/4 oz of each variety to add at 60 minutes for bittering. I won't be able to distinguish between them and it doesn't matter, but I do that anyway. That leaves me with 3 oz of all four varieties to use for later additions, (where it does matter). $8.00 for a true 4 hop beer.
OR
I add the entire 1 oz of W in at 60 minutes for bittering, (because it's just for bittering and you won't taste or smell it anyway). I still have 3 oz to add later, but only three varieties rather than four. $8.00 for a 3 hop beer that I bought 4 hops for.
Anyway, that was my only point there. I get that the 60 minute addition is just for bittering. No worries.
After playing around with the Bru N' Water spreadsheet I think I got the water profile I'm going with, (I probably shouldn't have said that )
My final numbers for the mash are:
Ca - 117
Mg - 0
Na - 8
SO2 - 222
Cl - 46
HCO3 - 16
with a pH of 5.4, and the only additions are gypsum and calcium chloride.
It's looking good on paper - time will tell how it turns out in the glass. I predict it will either be good or it won't.
Cheers guys
Yeah, not a big deal. I don't have a problem with constructive criticism or positive feedback. I responded only because the comments were prefaced with "There's no point in doing it that way..." It's fine that it doesn't fit into their broad view of how things need to be done - but that doesn't necessarily mean there's "no point" in my doing it that way.I think you've got a point about the bittering addition, but I believe most are just question why the extra work.
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