What would you call this? Style?

[LouT]

I can't figure out what style this fits into. Maybe an ESB that's americanized? Or is it an APA? Here's what I've put together for a recipe, haven't brewed it yet:

For a 5.5 gallon batch, will do 2.5 gallon boil:
0.25 lb Briess Special Roast
0.5 lb Simpson Medium Crystal
0.5 lb Briess 20L Caramel
0.5 lb Briess 40L Caramel
5 lb Extra Light DME
14 oz. Corn Sugar
0.5 lb Brown Sugar

0.5 oz Chinook pellet 45 minutes
0.5 oz Cascade whole leaf 45 min.
0.25 Cascade whole leaf 30 min
0.25 oz Chinook pellet 15 minutes
0.5 oz Cascade whole leaf 15 min.
1.0 oz Cascade whole leaf at flame-out
1.0 oz Chinook pellet at flame-out
0.75 oz Cascade whole leaf in secondary (dry hop)
0.25 oz Chinook pellet in secondary (dry hop)

Will use WLP004 Irish Ale Yeast -- approx 72% attenuation
Calculated O.G. = 1.056 F.G. = 1.016
IBU = 44 SRM = 10 ABV = 5.2%

Too hoppy? Suggestions?

 

[Gabe]

Chinook is a (usually) high AA% hop. I would try and only use chinook around for your bittering. The cascade is worthy of all the other additions. I would check on those IBU # again b 4 I brew that, seems like 5 oz of hops would get u pass that mark, especially with those 2 oz of chinook. Other than that I would probably put this in the ESB or APA style depending on the yeast u use.
Cheers good luck.

 

[FlyingHorse]

I would try and only use chinook around for your bittering.

Agreed. As written, the recipe falls into IPA range:

07. India Pale Ale, India Pale Ale
OG 1.050 1.056 1.075
FG 1.012 1.016 1.016
IBU 40 44 60+
SRM 8 10 14
ABV 5 5.2 7.8

I'd lengthen the boil to 60 min, rearrange the hops to get the Chinook all in at the beginning, reducing the amt of hops as needed to maintain your IBUs. If you're intent on using all these hops, maybe:

0.5 oz Chinook @ 60 min
0.5 oz Chinook @ 45
0.5 oz Cascade @ 20 min
0.5 oz Cascade @ 10 min
0.5 oz Cascade @ flameout
1.0 oz Cascade @ DH

Should keep you around 45-50 IBUs, depending on your AA%

Good luck!

 

[CBBaron]

Don't let the naysayers stop you from using Chinook for late hop additions. I have an all Chinook beer fermenting right now that I am very excited about. The taste out of the primary was very promising.
As for style, does it matter? I mean it looks like an ESB or IPA but if its good it doesn't really matter unless you submit it to be judged. My most recent beer is much to brown to be an IPA but too hoppy to be anything else. Then I fermented with WLP002 English Ale which should have left it sweet, except I got 80% attenuation. At this point I don't think I can recreate this beer if I try.
Craig

 

[FlyingHorse]

As for style, does it matter? I mean it looks like an ESB or IPA but if its good it doesn't really matter unless you submit it to be judged.

I think it does matter to the OP, since he asked. I agree the "title" on the beer is irrevelevant to your enjoyment of it, but the style is a helpful shorthand when describing the beer to others -- whether sharing recipes and such with aficionados on boards like these, or particularly when talking to those who may not be so well-versed in the intricacies of specialty malts or hop varieties. Much easier to say "my favorite beer's this IPA I made" than "I like beers with an OG around 60 and 50 IBUs..."

 

[LouT]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Yes, I have been wondering about the late addition of Chinook - if you have bad experience with doing that, please let me know. Likewise, if it worked out well, please share. I'm hoping for a hoppiness that isn't over the top, but that gives distinct grapefruit in the flavor/aroma. I think it'll be a nice balance to the sweetness of this brew.

 

[david_42]

I don't see any problem with the late adds for Chinook, but I suspect this will be over the top even without the dry hopping. That's a lot of hops for the ABV. Definitely hold off on dry hopping until it's cleared.

 

[gERgMan]

So, I may have inadvertenly stumbled on a way to achieve a distinct "grapefruit" taste, aside from the addition of the mentioned hops. Try using White Labs California "V" Ale yeast, not California Ale - WLP0001. I made a Dogfish clone with more or less the same hops everybody is mentioning with this yeast instead, and viola, very grapefruit-like overtones. Unique and great!

 

[abt]

Yeah, that's a cool yeast. I get a mandarin orange aroma off it. Great with Amarillo in a subtle APA.

 

[LouT]

So the yeast is part of the grapefruit flavor equation, very interesting! Still trying to find out exactly which hop combo is right for that flavor profile.

 

[gERgMan]

So the yeast is part of the grapefruit flavor equation, very interesting! Still trying to find out exactly which hop combo is right for that flavor profile.

As I am by no means a professional at homebrewing, I can't say for sure that it is "yeast" that is part of the equation. I have never used this yeast before, and to be honest, I am not sure why I grabbed it when at the LHBS. I had set out originally for a DogFish IPA clone, but that quickly changed when I started looking at what was available. I was hoping to recreate the 90 minute IPA, but ended up adding different hops and when adding the hot wort to the Ale Pail, I added a half-gallon too much of water. This ended up bringing my OG down to 1.060 or so, more in line with their 60 minute IPA. This may have toned down the hops a slight bit, accentuating their citrusy, grapefruit like character. I saved this yeast for a future batch, so I may try it on a different IPA and with different hops and see what happens.

 

[LouT]

I just put a 1.060 beer into primary on Saturday. Not quite an IPA, though, the IBU should be about 25. I used Chinook and Cascade. I don't really get a grapefruity flavor, was hoping I could and still stay near 25 IBU. Will dry hop with 1/2 oz cacade whole and 1/4 oz chinook crushed pellets, but I am not expecting that will change the perception of the hop flavor. I do think it will be malty and tasty.

What you areee brewing now sounds pretty good. If your IPA comes out decent in the end, please post it up in the recipe database (and under your Recipe dropdown, however that works). DogfishHead can be over the top sometimes -- but I guess I'm also amazed at how good over the top can taste! Just not a "have a six" beer whatsoever.