Wtf ipa thoughts

[Cellardwellerbrewer]

Hi I designed this recipe and wanted to get some feed back if you will.
5.5 gal batch sparge brew day

13# pale malt
1# crystal 40l
1# crystal 60l
.5 warrior 60
.5 topaz 30
1 fuggle 15
.5 warrior, topaz, 5
1 fuggle 5

Too bitter?

 

[schatzke]

If it were me,
I would drop at least half the crystal, and maybe move the 30 and 15 minute additions to 5 minutes or flameout. Are you planning to dry hop as well?

 

[day_trippr]

Do you use a recipe calculator?
Assuming 5.25g into the fermentor the pale ale malt alone gives you an OG of 1.067 and an FG of 1.017.
Not sure you want to end up much heavier than that, but the C40 and C60 will raise the FG by one point each - I get an OG of 1.075 and an FG of 1.019. Heavy-ish.

The IBUs clock in at 73. Around here, that'd be a light IPA but by conventional standards that'd be close to "balanced".
The Fuggles may be drowned out though...

Cheers!

 

[Cellardwellerbrewer]

Schatzke
Wasn't planning on dry hopping. So moving the 30 and 15 minute hops to 5 would lower ibu's?
What does cutting the crystal do for the beer? Just trying to learn from everyone

 

[Cellardwellerbrewer]

day tripper
I designed it on Beersmith. I was at 1.071 OG. Estimated ABV would be 7.4 I think Yard ipa is around 7 so its not that high, really? I had Falconer hops in it but I thought my head would explode drinking it.

Thanks

retract last statement with Falconers Flight it would only be 55 ibu's. laughable. See what happens when you start out with a name for a beer

 

[schatzke]

The less time the hops are boiled the less IBUs you will get. The less time in the boiler will also preserve more hop aroma/flavor which is what I am personally looking for in an IPA.
You ask what does cutting the crystal do for the beer but the question I ask myself when I am putting together a recipe is what does it DO for the beer. I have been removing or drastically reducing my crystal to no more than 5% of my grain bill. Maybe a little for color. I am of the opinion that simpler is better.
I dry hop all my APA/IPA because I love that fresh hop smell and taste but I am not a fan of the big bitter IPAs.
That's the beauty of recipe design and homebrewing, you get to make whatever you want to drink.

 

[Cellardwellerbrewer]

Schatzke
I was using the crystal for color I guess if it was less I'd get the same but less abv.

I like my IPAs both big bitter grape fruity bombs. I will be reading more and experimenting on brew days in the future.
Thanks again

 

[m00ps]

topaz is the only hop youve got there that can deliver the punchy hop aromas you want in an IPA. Fuggles are just not made at all for IPAs, they will just muddle the hop flavor or get drowned out by more aggressive hops. Warrior is a good bittering hop but its aroma and flavor leave a lot to be desired. I've never seen breweries trying to use it for flavor/aroma additions.

Overall, you just need a lot. A LOT. more hops

 

[NothingRhymesWithCurtiss]

I'm going to second what others have said:

• Cut the Crystal in half (maybe even down to 0.5# total).
• Increase your hops towards the end of the boil.
• Keep the Warrior at 60 and forgo the late addition.
• Skip the Fuggles altogether and pick up some more Topaz (or consider adding some Cascade or Galaxy).

 

[55x11]

Schatzke
Wasn't planning on dry hopping. So moving the 30 and 15 minute hops to 5 would lower ibu's?
What does cutting the crystal do for the beer? Just trying to learn from everyone

you should consider dry-hopping. You should also listen to m00ps advice and add more traditional IPA, aroma-strong hops to flameout/dry hopping (depends on what you like in IPAs of course). I like Amarillo, Simcoe, Citra, Centennial, Pacific Jade, Chinook, CTZ, Cascade, etc.

Cutting crystal will make your IPA more dry (lower finishing gravity/less unfermentable sugars) - which will enhance the hops. Mash low (below 150F) to get the dry finish. I wouldn't trust calculators that say your pale-malt will have FG of 1.017 - if mashed low, and use healthy yeast, you should finish well below 1.010 (the lower the better for IPAs).

I would limit crystal malts to 0.5lb, perhaps 1lb tops. They can add color and some maltiness, but you have way too much as is.

 

[frettfreak]

Everyone has given you great advice. i will put my vote in for cut the crystal. 8oz crystal 60 would still get you some nice color and by removing the rest, you will get lower FG, which IMO, is KEY in a great IPA (with a few exceptions but in general they are better drier).

I would also agree with changing the type of hops. Falconers you mentioned would work, topaz would work, but fuggles is a mild, earthy hop. If thats what your going for, you got it, but if you want citrus and great flavor, get a different hop. You cant go wrong with citra if you can get some.

more hops wouldn't hurt either, and also, move the additions like someone suggested above (ie, no 30 min)

 

[Redlantern]

I am finding more and more I am following the W.W.M.D (What would Moops Do) philosophy. Long way to go obviously, and still do a thing or two that I do even if it is not a match with his recommendations, but I have never been disappointed with following his recommendations 100%.

Listen to Moops

 

[Cellardwellerbrewer]

Thanks all, I'll be taking everyone's advice when I design and brew a IPA
Mosaic, citra, centennial, etc. and a lot of them

 

[troxerX]

Which yeast are you planning to pitch?

 

[Cellardwellerbrewer]

05 or I have a can of Heady I can try to build up from the dregs