Critique my IPA recipe please

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RUNningonbrew

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I orginaly used 2 pounds of vienna but wanted to try something different, so i thought of putting 2 pounds of wheat malt instead,
thoughts? I am also dry hopping with an ounce of simcoe and citra, and i'm thinking about changing the first wort hop to columbus or magnum

Grains & Adjuncts
Amount Percentage Name Time Gravity
0.50 lbs 3.57 % Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L 60 mins 1.035
2.00 lbs 14.29 % Briess White Malt Wheat 60 mins 1.039
11.00 lbs 78.57 % Briess 2-Row Brewers Malt 60 mins 1.037
0.50 lbs 3.57 % Honey Malt 60 mins 1.037

Hops
Amount IBU's Name Time AA %
1.00 ozs 26.72 Cascade First Wort 7.30
0.25 ozs 10.77 Simcoe 45 mins 14.10
0.50 ozs 13.69 Amarillo Gold 30 mins 10.70
0.50 ozs 14.01 Citra 20 mins 13.90
0.25 ozs 3.23 Amarillo Gold 10 mins 10.70
0.25 ozs 4.19 Citra 10 mins 13.90
0.25 ozs 2.34 Simcoe 5 mins 14.10
 
I'd go with the Columbus FWH. I've done FWH with Columbus many times and love what it does for my beers. Make sure to add a couple of OZ of hops for dry hopping to give it that IPA aroma... maybe another OZ of Amarillo and Simcoe each.

And move the 30 And 20 Minute additions closer to 10 minutes. Make all the hop additions at 10 minutes and under (except for the bittering hops of course)

It seems that you don't have enough late addition hops for an IPA. IBUs doesn't tell the whole story by itself. I'd suggest to double those amounts after moving them to 10 minutes and less.

I'm not sure that wheat is a good malt for an IPA. I'd suggest either stick with the Vienna or maybe reduce the amount a little and go with biscuit malt, if you want some nice toasty malt flavor in your IPA. Its not exactly IPA 'style' but I like some malt backbone in my iPAs too.
 
Thank for the input. I really like laganitas lil sumpin sumpin, and I know they use at least 50% wheat malt in that one, so I didn't know if you would even notice 2 lbs of wheat malt. I'm not looking for too much of a malt backbone in this one, I want the hops to dominate. I will go with columbus for FWH and move the hops around. Thanks!
 
We really need to know your batch size and OG to get into specifics. But I would skip the FWH and go with a traditional bitter. If bitterness bothers you, simply use less for your first addition. FWH takes away from the AIPA style IMO. Columbus is great as an early addition with other American hops later in the boil. I would not use Cascade to bitter because it's lower alpha % doesn't make sense as a bittering charge in an AIPA.

First off, using only 3 oz. total hops for an assumed 5 gallon batch size is extremely weak. You need like 7 oz. or more for something even in IPA territory, flavorwise/aromawise. Secondly, there are too many pre 15 minute hop additions here. Simplify your schedule a bit more, but don't be afraid to actually use your hops instead of sprinking in 0.25 oz. additions throughout the boil. The recipe would strongly benefit with more late hops, and especially dryhops. These additions are the heart of any good IPA.

Lastly, the grist looks like it would work well for IPA. I frequently use wheat malt instead of carapils for head retention. This recipe has a little more wheat than I usually use, but 14% isn't too high. Personally, I would cut it to 4-6% or boost it to 40-50%. You get the benefits of head retention at the lower %'s and the higher %'s will reduce the polyphenols, but increase the protein levels at low percentages in your grain bill. As the level reaches 40%, the amount of polyphenols are reduced to such a low percentage that the proteins have nothing to link with and the beers are very clear. An IPA in the 10-30% wheat range should be quite cloudy... and the perception of the wheat will not be as strong as you think.
 
Personally, I'd cut the honey malt to 2%, it is very sweet.

Edit: Meant honey malt.
 
bobbrews said:
We really need to know your batch size and OG to get into specifics. But I would skip the FWH and go with a traditional bitter. If bitterness bothers you, simply use less for your first addition. FWH takes away from the AIPA style IMO. Columbus is great as an early addition with other American hops later in the boil. I would not use Cascade to bitter because it's lower alpha % doesn't make sense as a bittering charge in an AIPA.

First off, using only 3 oz. total hops for an assumed 5 gallon batch size is extremely weak. You need like 7 oz. or more for something even in IPA territory, flavorwise/aromawise. Secondly, there are too many pre 15 minute hop additions here. Simplify your schedule a bit more, but don't be afraid to actually use your hops instead of sprinking in 0.25 oz. additions throughout the boil. The recipe would strongly benefit with more late hops, and especially dryhops. These additions are the heart of any good IPA.

Lastly, the grist looks like it would work well for IPA. I frequently use wheat malt instead of carapils for head retention. This recipe has a little more wheat than I usually use, but 14% isn't too high. Personally, I would cut it to 4-6% or boost it to 40-50%. You get the benefits of head retention at the lower %'s and the higher %'s will reduce the polyphenols, but increase the protein levels at low percentages in your grain bill. As the level reaches 40%, the amount of polyphenols are reduced to such a low percentage that the proteins have nothing to link with and the beers are very clear. An IPA in the 10-30% wheat range should be quite cloudy... and the perception of the wheat will not be as strong as you think.
Click to expand...


If i cut it down to 4-6% will i still get a pretty clear beer? I think i will cut it down to 4% for head retention and add back in 2 lbs of vienna malt.
 
Here is my updated recipe....i've made a similar recipe before using 1 pound of honey malt, and I didn't find it too sweet, but i did cut it back for this recipe.

The Flying Pig

Style: American IPA
Type: All Grain Calories: 214
Rating: 0.0 Boil Size: 6.73 Gal
IBU's: 95.35 Batch Size: 5.00 Gal
Color: 6.3 SRM Boil Time: 60 minutes
Preboil OG: 1.054
Estimated Actual
Brew Date: - 05/01/2013
OG: 1.066 1.066
FG: 1.014 1.014
ABV: 6.81 % 6.81 %
Efficiency: 70 % 70 %
Serve Date: 05/15/2013 / /

Fermentation Steps
Name Days / Temp Estimated Actual
Primary 7 days @ 68.0°F 05/01/2013 05/01/2013
Secondary 7 days @ 72.0°F 05/08/2013 -

Grains & Adjuncts
Amount Percentage Name Time Gravity
0.50 lbs 3.57 % Briess White Malt Wheat 60 mins 1.039
2.00 lbs 14.29 % Briess Vienna Malt 60 mins 1.036
11.00 lbs 78.57 % Briess 2-Row Brewers Malt 60 mins 1.037
0.50 lbs 3.57 % Honey Malt 60 mins 1.037

Hops
Amount IBU's Name Time AA %
1.00 ozs 46.77 Columbus (Tomahawk) 60 mins 14.00
0.50 ozs 11.69 Simcoe 15 mins 14.10
0.50 ozs 8.87 Amarillo Gold 15 mins 10.70
0.50 ozs 8.42 Citra 10 mins 13.90
0.50 ozs 6.48 Amarillo Gold 10 mins 10.70
0.50 ozs 8.42 Citra 10 mins 13.90
0.50 ozs 4.70 Simcoe 5 mins 14.10
1.00 ozs Citra 7 days 13.20
1.00 ozs Amarillo Gold 7 days 8.50

Yeasts
Amount Name Laboratory / ID
1.00 pkg California Ale White Labs 0001

Additions
(none)

Mash Profile
Light Body Infusion 60 min @ 150.0°F
Add 17.50 qt ( 1.25 qt/lb ) water @ 167.3°F
 
I'd remove honey malt and crystal. Add victory or biscuit, flaked barley, and 1/4 pound special roast. I find bitterness from cascade to be harsh even in a FWH addition. I'd replace it with Columbus or Citra. If you want more IBUs then use a clean bittering hop like Magnum at 60. Move cascade to knock out. Reduce middle hop additions and use 3-5oz of hops at each addition 5, knock out, and dry hop.
 
I'd remove honey malt and crystal. Add victory or biscuit, flaked barley, and 1/4 pound special roast. I find bitterness from cascade to be harsh even in a FWH addition. I'd replace it with Columbus or Citra. If you want more IBUs then use a clean bittering hop like Magnum at 60. Move cascade to knock out. Reduce middle hop additions and use 3-5oz of hops at each addition 5, knock out, and dry hop.
Click to expand...

Replacing the honey malt and crystal with biscuit, flaked barley and special roast will give him quite different beer.
I would stick with the Honey malt a wheat. Maybe not so much wheat and keep the honey malt to a half pound or less.
 

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