Smash IPA that is crisp

[Pecotj]

Looking for some advice on this recipe and water. I am after a fairly simple IPA, hop forward and a crisp finish. All my beers to this point (about 8 months in) have had a fuller mouth feel with lots of malt or sugar.

Columbus Smash IPA - a version of an extract Northern Brewer kit I did
3 gallon batch
BIAB

RO water starting with 4.5 gallons: 3g gypsum, 2g CaCl, 3G Lactic acid -> 5.3ph (though I have no way to measure it)

7 pounds Pale 2-row
14 oz Crystal 15L
.5oz Columbus at 60
.5oz Columbus at 5
.5oz Columbus at flameout (maybe at 170)
2oz at 4 days for 7 days.


Mash at 149, 90 minutes
Squeeze, no sparge (maybe a dunk below 170 if efficiency is low)
Boil 60min

US-05 with a starter. Pitch at 62 and let rise to 65, after fermentation up to 68.

Two weeks on the yeast, cold crash, gelatin, bottle, 68 degree for a week and then sit in the garage for a bit (California)

 

[casualbrewer]

Ditch the crystal malt all together, verify your mash temp is accurate, and maybe use a lager yeast at proper temps. Should make for a crisper beer.

 

[tooldudetool]

I'd cut the crystal in half and use 5% table sugar, it helps dry the beer out which I think is essential for a crisp finish. Maybe up the gypsum as well..

 

[schematix]

I find it takes about 2.5-3 hours of mashing to get a dry finish. Can you step mash?

 

[tooldudetool]

I find it takes about 2.5-3 hours of mashing to get a dry finish. Can you step mash?

Would you care to expand on this? I completely disagree, when conversion is done it's done, I've dropped my single infusion mash time from an hour to 45 minutes and have had zero problems with mash efficiency and finishing gravity. Modern malts have made step mashes a thing of the past (I know alot of people have trouble letting go if the past, especially if they've invested in fancy brewing equipment). A crisp finish is going to be affected by grain bill, finishing gravity, ibu's and sulphate to chloride ratio...

 

[schematix]

Would you care to expand on this? I completely disagree, when conversion is done it's done, I've dropped my single infusion mash time from an hour to 45 minutes and have had zero problems with mash efficiency and finishing gravity. Modern malts have made step mashes a thing of the past (I know alot of people have trouble letting go if the past, especially if they've invested in fancy brewing equipment). A crisp finish is going to be affected by grain bill, finishing gravity, ibu's and sulphate to chloride ratio...

You may have conversion from starch to sugar, but you'll have a higher proportion of higher weight sugars.

I'll grant you that under many circumstances, after 45 minutes at 149 you're going to see most of your conversion. And you'll probably get 70-75% attenuation providing you have good fermentation practices. However, if you want something drier/crisper, you'll need to be more on the order of 85% attenuation.

The best mash i've used to date is:
131 for 0 (dough in then ramp immediately)
144 for 20min
148 for 20min
153 for 20 min
162 for 30 min
172 for 10 min

This promotes full conversion from starch, very good breakdown of those sugars to simple sugars that yeast prefer, creation of foam positive glycoproteins and a mash out.

 

[plazola86]

Don't use crystal
Use up to 10% table sugar as grain bill
Shoot for 300ppm or higher sulfate, chloride 50ppm (cant wait for everyone to start saying that's too much)
Mash at 148

 

[jjw5015]

FYI it's not a smash if you're using crystal

 

[iijakii]

I mean the main thing is youre brewing an IPA with a pathetic amount of hops -- not even four oz? My sensibilities are offended by the thought.

A big one people forget about with IPAs is just... stick to the lower end of the ABV scale. I'm too lazy to look up what your OG comes out to, but a 6% IPA is going to be more crisp than a near deepah by nature.

I still havent tried it myself for some reason, but a lot of my favorite commercial IPAs are using a pretty significant amount of flaked corn. It really helps lighten the body a bit. I think Ill brew an IPA with that in the coming month.

 

[thehaze]

Pilsner Malt
Sugar 5-10% ( not neccessary by all means, but it sounds like you want a very dry variation of beer, with lots of hops in your face...? So sugar will help a lot...)
Mash temp. 148-149F
OG: 1.050-1.051
FG: 1.008-1.009
ABV: 5.5%
IBUs: 40ish

Your dry hopping is weak. I would say you need 2 oz at whirlpool ( drop flameout ) and at least 5 oz for dry hopping.

I know you are doing a 3 gallons batch, but 2 oz will not get you nothing close to a " hop forward and a crisp finish ".

CaCl2:MgSO4 / 75:150 or more sulphate, if you have ever tried it.

 

[Pecotj]

Lots of good ideas here. Clearly, not enough hops. I'm not sure I can add nearly a pound of sulfate (slight exaggeration?). Yeah, it isn't a smash with the crystal, but.... yeah. A bit of sugar is a great idea. I like Pilsner malt!! Step mash is not something I have done.

"I would say you need 2 oz at whirlpool ( drop flameout ) and at least 5 oz for dry hopping." ... No whirlpool, so a hop stand. 170 degrees?

 

[thehaze]

Lots of good ideas here. Clearly, not enough hops. I'm not sure I can add nearly a pound of sulfate (slight exaggeration?). Yeah, it isn't a smash with the crystal, but.... yeah. A bit of sugar is a great idea. I like Pilsner malt!! Step mash is not something I have done.

"I would say you need 2 oz at whirlpool ( drop flameout ) and at least 5 oz for dry hopping." ... No whirlpool, so a hop stand. 170 degrees?

A hopstand will also do, but drop the temp. a bit. Maybe 150-160F, if you can. There is no need for so much heat, when you are trying to retain aromas and flavours.

 

[plazola86]

Lots of good ideas here. Clearly, not enough hops. I'm not sure I can add nearly a pound of sulfate (slight exaggeration?). Yeah, it isn't a smash with the crystal, but.... yeah. A bit of sugar is a great idea. I like Pilsner malt!! Step mash is not something I have done.

"I would say you need 2 oz at whirlpool ( drop flameout ) and at least 5 oz for dry hopping." ... No whirlpool, so a hop stand. 170 degrees?

Half pound of sulfate? PPM = parts per million nothing to do with pounds. We're talking grams not even ounces here. My total water volume varies from 7.5 to 8 gallons and when I shoot for 300 PPM or higher of sulfate I usually end up using 12 - 14 grams of gypsum (just a guess of the top of my head).

 

[z-bob]

Use Munich malt instead of crystal; maybe half a pound. If that's not crisp enough, maybe substitute a little rice or flaked corn for some of the pale malt. Are you sure you really want an IPA?