What is your Favorite IPA recipe?

[bigdaddybrew]

It's really citrusy. A lot of grapefruit. The bitterness balances it out well. I've never picked up "cat pee." People say the same about simcoe hops too and I've never experienced "cat pee" with them either.

I agree about Simcoe hops. I have used them and I have not noticed the cat pee aroma. I have used Citra for aroma and don't pick it up there either. Maybe we are just not sensitive to it or we like the smell of cat pee? :cross: Hahaha I hope not!

 

[bigdaddybrew]

I like citrusy American IPAs with a ton of hops but not tongue-numbing bitterness so my tastes are probably different than others.

I agree with you Yooper. I'm also from Michigan (troll). Bell's Two Hearted and Darkhorse Crooked Tree are so good up front but make me cringe when I swallow the bittering but I want to impress my IPA addicted Homebrew friends so I'm up to it.

They are pungent and dank. Some people love that. Some hate it.

Hate it personally but is the Columbus dankness essential right now?

 

[bigdaddybrew]

I'm not an IPA pro, but what I have learned is that you want a simple grain bill. You want to mash low. You want to add a lot of hops late...whirlpool, dry hop, keg hop. I'm a fan of First wort hopping in general. While this might not give the bitter punch "hop heads" are looking for, it tastes damn good. Smooth, rounded, firm... (I promise I'm not talking about ****s)

Next thing, if you want to blow the minds of your fellow club members, is to serve it super fresh. I'd say this is set your CO2 to 30PSI and shake the hell out of it 3 days before bottling and serving territory. The amazing in you face aroma goes away REALLY fast.

So, of course, fermentation needs to be super clean. You can't have stuff that needs to be "conditioned out" because your hop flavor and aroma will condition out right along with the rest of it. Being a delicate beer guy I'll assume you're good on this point.

I agree. I'm going to time it so it's ready just before the next meeting.

 

[bigdaddybrew]

I see Columbus hops in many of the popular American IPA recipes. I was drinking some IPAs at the local brew pubs and started noticing that flavor and couldn't put my finger on it and somebody said "dank". Yeah a little earthy/musty to me.

Is that dank flavor important to an excellent American IPA right now?
What is your favorite American IPA recipe?

 

[mhot55]

Just recently made my take on zombie dust. Did a little research. Made a few changes. It is awesome. Great tropical fruity citrus mango flavor from hops. Surprisingly malt keeps it steady. And not a palate bruiser either. Only 6% abv and IBUs are nice and easy. Although beersmith calculates over 70 IBUs after whirlpool hops- it's more like a 50 IBUs feel. Going off by memory right now:

OG- 1.065
FG- 1.015

80% pale malt
8-9% munich
3-4% carafoam/ Carapils
3-4% crystal 60L
3-4% melanoiden

columbus and Simcoe - FWH- 35-40 IBUs
.5 oz citra-15 min-7-8 IBUs
.5 oz citra-10 min-5 IBUs
.75 oz Citra-5 min-5 IBUs
.75 oz citra- 1 min
.25 oz Amarillo and simcoe-1 min

Simcoe- .25 oz, Amarillo- 1 oz, Citra- 1.75 oz @ flameout- whirlpool/hop stand for 20 minutes

Dry hop- 2.5 oz citra, .5 oz Amarillo, .25 oz simcoe for 5-7 days

WLP007 ( dry English)

Mashed at 152

Minor water treatment- calcium- 75, SO4- 160, Cl-30, Mg-5, Na-12

Ferment 62-65 for first 2 says, climbed to 67-68 afterwards

 

[bigdaddybrew]

Just recently made my take on zombie dust. Did a little research. Made a few changes. It is awesome. Great tropical fruity citrus mango flavor from hops. Surprisingly malt keeps it steady. And not a palate bruiser either. Only 6% abv and IBUs are nice and easy. Although beersmith calculates over 70 IBUs after whirlpool hops- it's more like a 50 IBUs feel. Going off by memory right now:

OG- 1.065
FG- 1.015

80% pale malt
8-9% munich
3-4% carafoam/ Carapils
3-4% crystal 60L
3-4% melanoiden

columbus and Simcoe - FWH- 35-40 IBUs
.5 oz citra-15 min-7-8 IBUs
.5 oz citra-10 min-5 IBUs
.75 oz Citra-5 min-5 IBUs
.75 oz citra- 1 min
.25 oz Amarillo and simcoe-1 min

Simcoe- .25 oz, Amarillo- 1 oz, Citra- 1.75 oz @ flameout- whirlpool/hop stand for 20 minutes

Dry hop- 2.5 oz citra, .5 oz Amarillo, .25 oz simcoe for 5-7 days

WLP007 ( dry English)

Mashed at 152

Minor water treatment- calcium- 75, SO4- 160, Cl-30, Mg-5, Na-12

Ferment 62-65 for first 2 says, climbed to 67-68 afterwards

Thanks for the recipe. Simcoe, Amarillo and Citra. I like your hop combinations. There's that Columbus again. As a bittering addition do you think it add any dankness?

 

[Pour_Man]

Yes, it adds a level of dankness. This has been established. If you are a clean beer guy who isn't into the dank, earthy hop funk, I'd say stay away from it. I like some bottom end on my IPAs, so I brew doubles and use funky hops for some backbone. I'll bet you make some really clean beers. You might use that skill set to make a great, light IPA. Something along the lines of Firestone Walker Easy Jack.

 

[m00ps]

Not claiming this to be anythign close to the "best" IPA recipe floating around here, but here is one I've been tweaking. I really like the hop pairing of Belma and Huell Melon. Amazing strawberry, cantaloupe, and blueberry flavors that I've never tasted in a beer before. Still looking for the best 3rd hop to compliment. This weekend Ill be trying it out with Pacific Gem. its blackberry flavor should meld well I'm hoping...the golden naked oats are key IMO

5 gal batch OG/FG: 1.070/1.014 (assuming 80%AA)
yeast: Conan

7 lb 2 row
2.5 lb wheat
1 lb vienna
6 oz Golden Naked Oats
1 lb cane sugar

@60min: 1 oz of.....whatever high alpha hop you have lying aroung
@15min: 1 oz Belma / 1 oz Huell Melon
@0min: 2 oz Belma / 2 oz Huell Melon / 2 oz Pacific Gem / 1 oz Citra
*hopstand for 45 min or so
@20min into hopstand: 1 oz Belma / 1 oz Huell Melon / 2 oz Pacific Gem
@dry: 2 oz Citra
@keg: 1 oz Citra

Mash low 148-150
Pitch at low 60s, ferment at mid 60s, keg after 2 weeks

 

[ChelisHubby]

I am not A IPA fan but I brewed a Bells 2 Hearted for a friend it came out nice and was a easy drinker,

 

[hanuswalrus]

I am not A IPA fan but I brewed a Bells 2 Hearted for a friend it came out nice and was a easy drinker,

+1 on the above.. I would say if you're not a big IPA fan, but want to brew an IPA, a Two Hearted clone might be a good choice. Lots of people that love and drink Two Hearted don't even know it's an IPA

 

[te-wa]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=470557
close as i can get to the real thing. this is in all forms of the imagination, a "clone" of Fresh Squeezed IPA. for those who don't get Deschutes where they live, you don't need a side-by-side, just take it for what it is.

then again.... ipa recipes are easy to make. simple grain bills, lots of late additions, and some dry hopping. here is an example of an ipa that i just pulled out of thin air:

12 lbs american 2 row
12 oz munich 10L
8 oz carapils
8 oz caramel 40

1oz summit fwh
1oz amarillo @ 60
.5 oz cascade, .5 amarillo @ 10
.5 oz cascade, .5 amarillo @ 0
1oz cascade, 1oz amarillo DH for 5 days

american yeast. mash at 151, ferm at 67

 

[m00ps]

I would change those 10min and 0min additions by an entire order of magnitude for an IPA...

 

[bigdaddybrew]

Thanks for the link te-wa
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=470557
Fresh Squeezed IPA (Deschutes Inspired)
Nugget, Citra, Mosaic...looks like a nice blend.

 

[te-wa]

I would change those 10min and 0min additions by an entire order of magnitude for an IPA...

that's ok. i thought 80 ibu's was fine for a 6.3% beer. some like more i see..

 

[AK7007]

I really like the hop pairing of Belma and Huell Melon. Amazing strawberry, cantaloupe, and blueberry flavors that I've never tasted in a beer before. Still looking for the best 3rd hop to compliment. This weekend Ill be trying it out with Pacific Gem. its blackberry flavor should meld well I'm hoping...the golden naked oats are key IMO

Awesome! I make something like this too! Mine is Belma/Huell/Gem/Mosaic, 50% MO/40% Wheat/ 10% Flaked Oats. (are golden naked oats different?) - amazing/not not amazing at the same time that two people are coming up with similar things, but I guess it makes sense. I started with a Belma single hop, and got strawberry/melon out of it, saw Huell and said "must have!" - and then went for the blueberry of Mosaic and more strawberry/blackberry from Gem.

Ok, this is the problem I have with what the OP is asking for - IPA is too large a category at this point in time. What is the hop objective? Bitter? Tropical? Citrus? Dank? Berry? Melon? Pine? Candy? Floral? White Wine? - and you can combine those depending on what you want.

What is the malt objective? IPAs range from American light lager territory to black. You can add oats, rye, wheat, whatever depending on what you are trying to compliment.

What is the yeast objective? Clean? Hop-enhancing? (Conan) Tropical? (Trois)

Impossible question to answer without information on preferences.

 

[bigdaddybrew]

I didn't ask what you think my favorite IPA recipe might be. I was asking what the IPA brewers were enjoying.This way I can browse the current trends and pick one to brew based on how much you enjoy it and why. So far I have some good ones to choose from. The berry melon hop IPA sounds delicious. Keep em coming...

What is YOUR favorite American IPA recipe you've brewed and why was it so good?

 

[Bramstoker17]

Here's my DIPA recipe that I've put together through much trial and error. It's a "Northeastern/Vermont" style IPA based off what The Alchemist, Hill Farmstead, Trillium, Treehouse, and other breweries like those seem to be doing. ABV should be around 8% so its a double, but not a huge beer. If you can't get Conan yeast, I'd sub Wyeast 1318. I'd sub a bit more sugar for the two row to help the yeast attenuate since the 1318 will leave a bit more sweetness if you can't get Conan.

I love this recipe, its my favorite beer I brew. It should be bitter, but smooth. There should be a ton of hop aroma and flavor and it should be a mix of citrusy and topical fruit with a healthy amount of earthy dankness as well. This one should have a smooth creamy body, but still finish dry enough to let the hops shine.



Recipe Specifications
————————–
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.25 gal
Estimated OG: 1.075 SG
Estimated FG: 1.015 FG
Estimated Color: 5.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 95.1 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 73.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
————
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
6 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 39.8 %
6 lbs Pale Malt, Golden Promise (Thomas Fawcet Grain 2 39.8 %
1 lbs White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 3 6.6 %
12.0 oz Carapils (Briess) (1.5 SRM) Grain 4 5.0 %
8.0 oz Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 5 3.3 %
5.0 oz Acid Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 6 2.1 %
8.0 oz Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 7 3.3 %

1.50 oz Columbus/Tomahawk/Zeus (CTZ) [15.50 %] – Boil 60 min Hop 8 70.1 IBUs
2.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] – Boil 5.0 min Hop 9 15.6 IBUs
1.00 oz Columbus/Tomahawk/Zeus (CTZ) [15.50 %] – Boil 5 min Hop 10 9.3 IBUs
2.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] – Steep/Whirlpool 0.0 Hop 11 0.0 IBUs
1.50 oz Columbus/Tomahawk/Zeus (CTZ) [15.50 %] – Hop 12 0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Mosaic (HBC 369) [12.25 %] – Steep/Whirl Hop 13 0.0 IBUs
0.50 oz Citra [12.00 %] – Steep/Whirlpool 0.0 m Hop 14 0.0 IBUs

1.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] – Dry Hop 1
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] – Dry Hop 1
0.5 oz Mosaic (HBC 369) [12.25 %] – Dry Hop 1

0.50 oz Citra [12.00 %] – Dry Hop 2
0.50 oz Mosaic -Dry Hop 2
1.00 oz Simcoe – Dry Hop 2
1.00 oz Columbus – Dry Hop 2

2.0 pkg DIPA Ale (Omega Yeast Labs #OYL-052) Yeast (Conan)

Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 15 lbs 1.0 oz
—————————-
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 18.20 qt of water at 163.7 F 152.0 F 60 min

 

[Bramstoker17]

Here's my water profile if you're looking to go that in depth with it as well. I realize the chloride to sulfate ratio leans towards the malty side, but there's enough hops in this beast that it doesn't finish sweet. The chloride adds a really nice roundness to the flavors so the bitterness isn't too sharp

Ca+2 -------- Mg+2-------Na+------Cl- --------SO4-2 --------HCO
153.6 --------0.0 ----------0.0------194.9-------104.0---------0.000

 

[hanuswalrus]

12 lbs american 2 row
12 oz munich 10L
8 oz carapils
8 oz caramel 40

1oz summit fwh
1oz amarillo @ 60
.5 oz cascade, .5 amarillo @ 10
.5 oz cascade, .5 amarillo @ 0
1oz cascade, 1oz amarillo DH for 5 days

If you ask me, it's a sin to use any Amarillo earlier that 15min left in the boil. To each their own, though. As for OP's question, the best IPA I've ever made was something like this:

90% 2 Row
5% Aromatic
5% Carapils

1 oz Simcoe at 60
1 oz Amarillo at 15
1 oz Amarillo at 10
1 oz Amarillo at 5
1 oz Amarillo at 0

Dry hopped with 1 oz each Amarillo and Citra
Fermented with 1056 in the mid 60s

This was a few months ago, and I'm thinking of trying this one again to see if I can recreate it. This was also before I started trying hop stands and large flameout additions. I have 1 batch carbing up in bottles and another being dry hopped using this method so I'm excited to see which method gives a better hop presence: hop bursting or large flameout/hop stand.

 

[m00ps]

Awesome! I make something like this too! Mine is Belma/Huell/Gem/Mosaic, 50% MO/40% Wheat/ 10% Flaked Oats. (are golden naked oats different?) - amazing/not not amazing at the same time that two people are coming up with similar things, but I guess it makes sense. I started with a Belma single hop, and got strawberry/melon out of it, saw Huell and said "must have!" - and then went for the blueberry of Mosaic and more strawberry/blackberry from Gem.

The Golden naked oats are exclusively made by Simpsons in the UK as far as I know. They are by far the best tasting grain I've ever tried a few bits of raw. I could easily pour some into a bowl with milk and cereal. They give a sweet nut and berry flavor that seems to work well with the newer non-citrus hop varieties. Add a careful choice of yeast on top of that and you can make an IPA that doesnt taste like anything else

I also like a large % of wheat in my IPAs. It seems to make fruity hops stand out more. Im glad it looks like Pacific Gem will do well with Belma and Huell

 

[mhot55]

Thanks for the recipe. Simcoe, Amarillo and Citra. I like your hop combinations. There's that Columbus again. As a bittering addition do you think it add any dankness?

I researched hop combos. Amarillo & simcoe were great together. Citra and Amarillo also. And then Columbus and either simcoe or Amarillo. So I figured they all could play nice in the sand box. Plus Columbus just gives something that the others don't. I really wanted a tropical fruity, good citrus and slight floral hop presence but not seem like juicy fruit- just some edginess and "dankness" to balance it out. But only just a little. U can see all my Columbus additions are relatively small and I use it for a bittering charge but it's FWH and with another hop

 

[bigdaddybrew]

Yes, it adds a level of dankness. This has been established. If you are a clean beer guy who isn't into the dank, earthy hop funk, I'd say stay away from it. I like some bottom end on my IPAs, so I brew doubles and use funky hops for some backbone. I'll bet you make some really clean beers. You might use that skill set to make a great, light IPA. Something along the lines of Firestone Walker Easy Jack.

Clean beers are my specialty. Simple grist, single hops, subtle flavors. But every few batches I brew something different. Last year it was an Arrogant bastard inspired beer...dark roasty and bitter with piney hop aroma. My beer club loved it...me not so much. I gave out bombers to those that liked it most and I enjoyed that. This year I want to surprise them with an American IPA. So far I see some good recipes. I must admit I don't like the Columbus dankness. I see the trend is hoppy funk with unusual flavors although I notice the grists have become simpler with less crystal malt and much drier, often using some simple sugar. This is the information I was looking for...what the hop heads are into.

 

[bigdaddybrew]

...Columbus just gives something that the others don't. I really wanted a tropical fruity, good citrus and slight floral hop presence but not seem like juicy fruit- just some edginess and "dankness" to balance it out.

That makes sense...hop flavor balance.

 

[bigdaddybrew]

....I'm excited to see which method gives a better hop presence: hop bursting or large flameout/hop stand.

This is information I'm looking for. Let me know how it comes out.

 

[bigdaddybrew]

I love this recipe, its my favorite beer I brew. It should be bitter, but smooth. There should be a ton of hop aroma and flavor and it should be a mix of citrusy and topical fruit with a healthy amount of earthy dankness as well. This one should have a smooth creamy body, but still finish dry enough to let the hops shine.

Estimated IBU: 95.1 IBUs
1.50 oz Columbus/Tomahawk/Zeus (CTZ) [15.50 %] – Boil 60 min Hop 8 70.1 IBUs
2.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] – Boil 5.0 min Hop 9 15.6 IBUs
1.00 oz Columbus/Tomahawk/Zeus (CTZ) [15.50 %] – Boil 5 min Hop 10 9.3 IBUs
2.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] – Steep/Whirlpool 0.0 Hop 11 0.0 IBUs
1.50 oz Columbus/Tomahawk/Zeus (CTZ) [15.50 %] – Hop 12 0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Mosaic (HBC 369) [12.25 %] – Steep/Whirl Hop 13 0.0 IBUs
0.50 oz Citra [12.00 %] – Steep/Whirlpool 0.0 m Hop 14 0.0 IBUs

1.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] – Dry Hop 1
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] – Dry Hop 1
0.5 oz Mosaic (HBC 369) [12.25 %] – Dry Hop 1

0.50 oz Citra [12.00 %] – Dry Hop 2
0.50 oz Mosaic -Dry Hop 2
1.00 oz Simcoe – Dry Hop 2
1.00 oz Columbus – Dry Hop 2

Mosaic is one I'm seeing more and more. What do you think it brings to your IPA?

 

[m00ps]

Mosaic is a great IPA hop either by itself or paired with similar ones. Its got some tropical flavors but ends with a piney earthy edge to it. Ive found it goes great with citra and the like, but what I really liked it in was my lastest black IPA. I fine piney hops to work best for black IPAs. Its hard to find good hops to pair with the roast character. I steer clear of anythign floral. Mosaic went very well with Simcoe and Chinook in my latest black IPA

 

[Bramstoker17]

I agree with what m00ps said. Mosaic has a tropical fruit and almost berry fruit kind of flavor and aroma to it, but also some pine and earthiness. I really like it and use it in a lot of my hoppy beers.

 

[douglasbarbin]

Mosaic is my favorite hop at the moment. The best way I've heard it described is "Citra and Simcoe had sex in a blueberry field". Mosaic would be that love-child.

 

[Balloonknot]

I had made a Rebel IPA clone in January and it turned out amazing. Father in law ended up drinking it all on me from all the times he visited. I dont have the recipe to share :/