What would you consider to be a clean grain bill?

[Silentdrinker]

If you want an ipa where the hop is the main player in the game, what sort of grain bill would you recommend to get a really clean flavor from the Grains?

 

[theonetrueruss]

When I go for that I use 2-row, a little C60 (some will tell me I am wrong for that) and a little carapils. Then I use corn sugar to up my abv. Works great for a ipa.

 

[Mike_kever_kombi]

As noted above, just 2 row. I have 3 versions I brew all the time. One uses a little c20 for some residual sweetness. And munich in another. Both use around 15% sugar so I can get them as dry as reasonable.

The other is a "Midwest" IPA, and uses higher amounts of crystal malts and oats.

 

[jnacey]

The crystal debate always go back and forth. A little can be nice, as russ mentioned above.

I think a blend of base malts can help a lot. Here's what I do for most of my hop-forward beers, scaled accordingly for the gravity you're looking for...

32% Pilsner Malt
32% 2-Row Malt
25% Wheat Malt
4% Carapils
7% Corn Sugar (added at the end of the boil)

Also, you didn't ask this, but a water profile high in sulfates, a low mash temperature, a low finishing gravity and an attenuative American yeast like WLP090 (these last 3 are related) will all help in accentuating a hoppy beer.

 

[titansvol]

95% 2 row and 5% honey malt, thank use what ever hop schedule you like. My preference is all late hops to about 60-70 IBU.

 

[chickypad]

I've become fond of the grainbill from Jukas's Row2 Hill 56 clone as a base for hoppy beers to let the hops shine:
60% pilsner
32% MO
7% C-20
(I also use 1% acid malt)

You could sub some sugar in if you want, though for regular gravity IPA's with attenuative yeast I haven't needed it. That's more crystal than I usually include putting together my own recipes but with good attenuation I don't really get any sweetness from this grainbill (mash around 150*).

 

[fastengine]

If you want it really clean sub a pound or 2 minute rice in the grain bill, might even be too clean for some people.
I sub rice or flaked corn in lots of my pale ales to lighten them up. I havn't done it with a true IPA though.
8 lbs pale 2-row
1.5 minute rice
.5 lb carapils

 

[jnacey]

One other thing I should toss in...if you've ever been to San Diego, their IPAs are really amazing when you can get them fresh. I've talked to a brewer at Societe when I stopped by there and he said the key was to dry the beer out as far as possible. He offered up using corn sugar on a homebrew level coupled with the attenuation seen by the usual cali yeasts.

 

[norcalhomebrewer]

12# 2 row
.5 lbs of crystal 40

That's it, mash at 152, pitch healthy yeast.