Recipe Critique - DIPA

[Invertalon]

So this weekend, I think I am going to brew another DIPA… I am really after something similar to like Fat Head’s Head Hunter and Hop JuJu… The resinous, bitter and in-your-face west coast style IPA. When building this recipe, I looked at what these two beers used in terms of hops from the website, along with referencing some other stuff around the web (including their IPA water profile, which has a pretty significant sulfate/chloride ratio… Something like 18:1 if I recall off the top of my head).

So I tried to come up with something close, but with a few tweaks of course… Mainly, the addition of the wheat malt for a flavor I really enjoy in IPA’s… Also, using the English yeast strain vs. the typical chico strain… I have used S-04 in the past with great results with IPA’s (I ferment in the low 60’s, so it’s quite clean there and flocculates really nicely).

The recipe:

Batch Size: 5.75 gallon (to account for dry hop loss and such)
Efficiency: 70%
Boil time: 90min
Yeast: S-04 fermented at approx. 62F

Malt Bill:
75% Rahr 2-Row
9% Red Wheat Malt
3% Cara-Pils
3% Munich
2.3% Crystal 40L
0.6% Crystal 60L (mainly just to use up the last bit I have in “stock”).
1.1% Acid Malt
4.5% Corn Sugar

Hopping:
2oz Columbus (First Wort, 90min boil)
1oz Columbus – 60min boil
1oz Centennial – 20min boil
2.5oz Simcoe – 10min boil
1.5oz Citra – 10min boil

2oz Centennial – <170F whirlpool for 45min
2oz Simcoe - <170F whirlpool for 45min

2oz Columbus – Dry Hop
2oz Simcoe – Dry Hop
1.5oz Centennial – Dry Hop
1.5oz Citra – Dry Hop

Estimated Stats:
OG: 1.075
FG: 1.014
ABV: 8.1%
SRM: 6.3
IBU: 200 (theoretical)

 

[tsp247]

Was not a fan of their water profile. I would dial their numbers down quite a bit

 

[Invertalon]

What didn't you like about it?

 

[theheroguy]

Why are you using carapils and corn sugar? I don't think the 3%munich malt will contribute much so I would cut it.

 

[m00ps]

That malt bill is a mess, especially for a DIPA. Ditch one of the crystals, and keep the corn sugar in spite of the advice above me. You definitely want 5-10% to get it dry and drinkable. I cant count how many homebreweed and commercial DIPAs Ive poured down the drain because they were a mess that was basically a hoppy barleywine.

The hop bill looks fine I think. You could definitely shift or increase it more towards flameout though. Like 3oz bittering additions seems pointless to me. Try 1-2oz and do some flameout hopstand additions

 

[theheroguy]

That malt bill is a mess, especially for a DIPA. Ditch one of the crystals, and keep the corn sugar in spite of the advice above me. You definitely want 5-10% to get it dry and drinkable. I cant count how many homebreweed and commercial DIPAs Ive poured down the drain because they were a mess that was basically a hoppy barleywine.

The hop bill looks fine I think. You could definitely shift or increase it more towards flameout though. Like 3oz bittering additions seems pointless to me. Try 1-2oz and do some flameout hopstand additions

I didn't tell him to ditch the corn sugar. I asked him why he was using both. I think it makes sense to lose the carapils considering with the other crystal malts + wheat head retention and formation won't be an issue.

 

[CUrchin]

I'm with m00ps--> +1 for getting rid of at least one if not both of the Crystals, and personally I don't care much for Munich in my IPA's. Not sure why you would need 3 oz of Columbus for bittering. 1 oz would be plenty. And I would personally up the corn sugar to 8-10%.

 

[Invertalon]

I have used Munich in a few of my past IPA's and liked the flavor, but with the wheat in this one I could cut it out to simplify. I was debating on that anyway, so it's worth going without. I will also cut the cara-pils, originally I didn't plan to use it with the wheat.

For the crystal malt, it's basically just the 40L... The 60L is just to use up a tiny bit I have left... I mean honestly, it's like 0.6oz and is really insignificant by all means.

Appreciate the feedback!

 

[tsp247]

What didn't you like about it?

Over the top bitterness even for a west coast style ipa. I'd maybe chop the additions in half and go from there

 

[tsp247]

Double post

 

[m00ps]

Over the top bitterness even for a west coast style ipa. I'd maybe chop the additions in half and go from there

Just shift them to concentrate more at flameout. I have an article further down on the front page that talk a lot about post-boil hop additions

 

[tsp247]

Just shift them to concentrate more at flameout. I have an article further down on the front page that talk a lot about post-boil hop additions

He was asking about their water profile in Steele's IPA book

 

[tsp247]

Water targets from the IPA book
Ca-163
Mg-8.5
Na-21
So4-365
Cl-23.5
Hco3-104

Maybe the Ca and CL should be reversed?

 

[tsp247]

Swapping the CA and CL numbers get you down to 2.2:1 ratio compared to 15:1 just an idea. Possible typo in the book?