Getting a IIPA to finish dry

[g-star]

In my mind, what really makes an IIPA is a dry finish (a la Pliny). I have too many that are what I would call "syrupy", and they just don't cut it for me.

So I set out to make one that will finish dry. My OG was 1.075, and I only used about 7% crystal malts with about 5% dextrose (in the boil). I mashed at 150 for an hour. I pitched plenty of healthy, re-hydrated S-05 (16g). It took off in 8hrs and is now fermenting (day 3) at about 65-68F.

I'd like it to finish in the 1.011 - 1.013 range. I'm debating on letting the temp rise to 70F+ now that I'm about 72hrs in. Didn't want to start that high to keep the fruit and/or fusel/solvent character down. I guess my question is does anyone have experience following this kind of schedule? If not, does this seem like sound reasoning? I'm hoping the temp boost as fermentation activity has just passed its peak will help nudge the FG down to where I want it to be.

Many thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[thegerm]

Recently did the single IPA from brewing classic styles that started at 1.070 for me and ended at 1.009. Fermented at 67ish for a week then allowed it to free rise (took it out of the temp controlled keezer).

I think the key, though, was the 90 minute mash at 148.

 

[Reelale]

In my mind, what really makes an IIPA is a dry finish (a la Pliny). I have too many that are what I would call "syrupy", and they just don't cut it for me.

So I set out to make one that will finish dry. My OG was 1.075, and I only used about 7% crystal malts with about 5% dextrose (in the boil). I mashed at 150 for an hour. I pitched plenty of healthy, re-hydrated S-05 (16g). It took off in 8hrs and is now fermenting (day 3) at about 65-68F.

I'd like it to finish in the 1.011 - 1.013 range. I'm debating on letting the temp rise to 70F+ now that I'm about 72hrs in. Didn't want to start that high to keep the fruit and/or fusel/solvent character down. I guess my question is does anyone have experience following this kind of schedule? If not, does this seem like sound reasoning? I'm hoping the temp boost as fermentation activity has just passed its peak will help nudge the FG down to where I want it to be.

Many thanks in advance for any advice.

Your schedule is exactly what Jamil and John Palmer advocate for Belgian dubbels, trippels, and golden strongs in Brewing Classic Styles. And for exactly the same reasons you describe. Pitch low to avoid fusels and let it rise to aid attenuation. I have a dubbel now in the fermenter that I let rise from 64 to 70 over the course of a week. This is the first time I've tried it, so I don't have any information on the results yet. I think you'll be fine.

 

[strat_thru_marshall]

It sounds like you're on the right track.

If it doesnt dry out enough this time, you may try a stepped mash. I've been having good luck getting beers to dry out without being too thin by mashing at 146-148 for 45 minutes, then ramping it up to 156 for 15-20 minutes. Gives both alpha and beta amylase enzymes a chance to work in their sweet spot.

 

[dale1038]

I'm debating on letting the temp rise to 70F+ now that I'm about 72hrs in. Didn't want to start that high to keep the fruit and/or fusel/solvent character down. I guess my question is does anyone have experience following this kind of schedule? If not, does this seem like sound reasoning? I'm hoping the temp boost as fermentation activity has just passed its peak will help nudge the FG down to where I want it to be.

This is how I started to get my FG down. I move mine to 70+ as soon as the krausen even looks like it wants to start dropping. It takes the beer quite a while to heat up. Usually it's a feel thing, but at about 36-48 hours mine get taken upstairs. The other thing that really helped me was an o2 infusion stone. When I bring them upstairs I'll blow 60 seconds straight o2 into the headspace.

 

[g-star]

Thanks for the replies gents. I forgot to mention that I did aerate for 30min with a electric pump/2um stone before pitching.

I think I will move it to a warmer room to get the temp up past 70F when I get home today. It was around 68F this morning and still chugging along steadily...I would imagine I am at or just past high krausen at this point (its in a bucket, so hard to tell for sure).

I will report back with results in a few weeks.

 

[g-star]

Well its been 72hrs since I pitched, and the temp is about 71-72F. Airlock activity had slowed from it's peak, buy still bubbling every few seconds. Hoping to keep it no higher than 72F to finish near 1.012. First 3 days was able to keep it in the 66-68F range.

 

[PaulHilgeman]

For a non-floculant yeast like US-05, keeping it warm at the end will not really change the attenuation, they will eat all of the available sugars regardless. The key to getting a IIPA dry is the restrained use of Crystal malts, mash temperature and even sugar.

Most of my IIPAs, I dont go past 5% on the crystal malts, any more and it wont dry out enough. The 5% dextrose will help too, but again, I usually go more like 8-9% of total gravity points (this equates to roughly 5% by weight) So depending on how your are spec.ing your ingredients above, we might have nearly the same IIPA recipe.

I would say that you are on the right track, mine always finishes between 1.010 and 1.012, so worse case, you are looking at maybe 1.014 at the highest if you used something like a C60 (less fermentable than say a C20) and only 5% of your gravity points came from the dextrose.

BTW, I always ferment my IIPAs at 62, locked in for the duration of the ferment, and with US-05, 1056 etc, they always finish up just fine in about 10 days. I pitch LOTS of yeast too, and oxygenate like crazy.

If it is as good as it should/can be, you wont be able to keep your hands off it.

 

[moti_mo]

A couple of other things you could consider if its not finishing low enough for you:

1. incorporate a little simple sugar into your recipe. Replace 10 - 15% of the malt with corn sugar or cane sugar. This is what Vinnie Cilurzo does to get a dry finish on Pliny, and I've used the method successfully for many IIPA's and big Belgians.

2. mash lower and longer. For my last saison, I mashed at 145 for 90 minutes. It went from 1.067 to 1.004 in one week. If you want to make sure you maintain enough body, mash around 148 or so. This one also incorporated some simple sugar - 2 pounds of raw cane sugar for an 11 gallon batch.

 

[MNDan]

Read up on WLP007 - it might be what u are looking for.

 

[terrapinj]

Read up on WLP007 - it might be what u are looking for.

+1

took what was supposed to be a barleywine from 1.094 to 1.008 with a bunch of washed slurry

will instead be consumed young as a 11.4% IIIPA - just started the 1st dry hop addition last night

 

[g-star]

Thanks to everyone for thoughtful replies. I've got a batch fermenting right now that used 7% crystal malt and 5% dextrose. Pitched at 65F and let it rise to 72F by day 4. Holding now at 72F. Will see how a healthy pitch of S-05 does with this one.

 

[EricCSU]

WLP007 is a fantastic yeast. Great for big beers. Mows through the sugars and flocculates very well. I had an IPA that went from 1068 to 1010 when I mashed at 147F.

Eric

 

[g-star]

Well I checked the gravity after 7 days, and it was down to 1.012, which is right in my target range of 1.011 - 1.013. Big improvement over my last attempt when I ended up at 1.017.

I think the mash temp (150F) and percentages of crystal malt (7%) and simple sugar (5%) were the key. Now onto the dry-hopping!