7 hop IPA

[Raythebrewer]

Got this kit looks good but might be very hoppy. Also should I boil lme at start of boil.

Thanks for any advice

 

[yowzers]

With 3.5 ounces for 60 minutes it's going to be good and bitter. I would add all the dry malts for the last 15 minutes or so. It tends to keep things a little lighter and you don't really need to boil those the whole time.

 

[IslandLizard]

An "IPA" without dry hops...

There's no need to boil all the extract for an hour. Maybe 1 can, add the rest of the extracts right after flameout.

Are you boiling the full volume or about half and topping up in the fermenter? In that case definitely don't boil more than one can's worth.

Since this is not an all grain or partial mash brew, I'm moving it to the Extract forum.

 

[IslandLizard]

Got this kit looks good but might be very hoppy. Also should I boil lme at start of boil.

Sorry, your question didn't get answered. Got lost "behind" the recipe instructions...

Are there more instructions? Like a step-to-step?
What you posted is not saying how much and when to add which extracts after the steep.

With 3.5 ounces for 60 minutes it's going to be good and bitter. I would add all the dry malts for the last 15 minutes or so. It tends to keep things a little lighter and you don't really need to boil those the whole time.

That's definitely a good start. ^

Maybe hold off on adding the 2nd can of extract until the last 15' too.
If you're doing that, only boil for 30-40' to reduce increased bitterness due to the lower boil gravity. But stick to the rest of the hop schedule, so do your 10 minute and 5 minute additions (before flameout), per the recipe.

After flameout, chill down to 150-160F as fast as you can to preserve more aroma and stop ongoing bittering reactions.

I also expect this to be fairly bitter with 3.5 oz of 60' boil hops, have good solid, complex flavor but likely too little aroma due to the lack of dry hops.

 

[bleme]

I also see there is a grain bag and instructions say "after steeping". Is that pound of white wheat actual grains or extract? It would be very odd to just steep a base malt like that...

 

[IslandLizard]

I also see there is a grain bag and instructions say "after steeping". Is that pound of white wheat actual grains or extract? It would be very odd to just steep a base malt like that...

Whoa! Good observation! I've been reading it as wheat extract. At least 10 times

Indeed, steeping ain't gonna work well, it should be mashed instead. And best to add the cara malt to that mini mash too.
If it's indeed malt and not flaked (raw) white wheat.
Very strange.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Thanks for any advice

Is this the kit web page: https://www.northmountainsupply.com...dient-kit-with-step-by-step-instructions.html ?

There appears to be a couple of pages of "common instructions". If you are willing and able to post those, it should be helpful.

If you decide to customize the instructions, you may want to use some recipe software to estimate the impact of those changes.

 

[Raythebrewer]

Thanks for all the advice. And yes that was the kit. Looking closely at the picture I now see there is a step by step brewing instructions page missing. Most everything is “out of stock” so unlikely they have full instructions. The white wheat and caramel malts are grain and unmilled. I don’t want anything overly hoppy so I cut back on some of the hops. Thanks for all the advice.

 

[Raythebrewer]

This is what it should end up as. We will see. Thanks to all. I’m learning as I go along.

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/897367/7-hop-ipa

 

[IslandLizard]

This is what it should end up as. We will see. Thanks to all. I’m learning as I go along.

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/897367/7-hop-ipa

Did you brew this yet?

 

[IslandLizard]

Thanks for all the advice. And yes that was the kit. Looking closely at the picture I now see there is a step by step brewing instructions page missing. Most everything is “out of stock” so unlikely they have full instructions. The white wheat and caramel malts are grain and unmilled. I don’t want anything overly hoppy so I cut back on some of the hops. Thanks for all the advice.

They should have instructions in .pdf or so to send to you by email.
I looked on their site, many are Brewer's Best kits, which are generally very good. Alas, most are out of stock. This kit may be their own, it's a bit of a strange bird. I did not see any option when ordering/add to cart to mill the grains. That's weird, as most kits are bought by (beginning) brewers, who don't have a mill. That's surely curious.

How are you going to mill them?

[EDITS]
If you haven't brewed it yet, I suggest making a few more changes for the better. Although, the recipe as you have it now in Brewer's Friend is a good start, a few small tweaks can make it much better. It's an expensive kit, so it should give you the best possible beer in hand later.

The biggest issues I see:

• The partial boil, boiling with half the water, topping up in the fermenter
• In that light, still too much extract added early in the boil
• The hop schedule. You really want some 10', 5', and/or "flameout" additions instead of a single 10' one. This also depends on how fast you can chill that baby down to under 150F.

 

[Raythebrewer]

Somebody beat me to it. Must have had the full and complete recipe.
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/887644/7-hop-ipa

Does this recipe look like a good tasting beer to go with dinner?

 

[IslandLizard]

Somebody best me to it. Must have had the full and complete recipe.
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/887644/7-hop-ipa

Does this recipe look like a good tasting beer to go with dinner?

This (!) makes it pretty much unsuitable to go with dinner: IBU (Tinseth) 126.9

Much food goes really well with IPAs, especially for people who like (crave) them. But with higher bitterness (sensation) and hoppiness (flavor/aroma) good pairing becomes more of a challenge. This beer would be better savored by itself.

There are some issues with that recipe too, but more in terminology than execution. For example, "whirlpool" hops are added after flameout, usually at reduced temps and for extended times (like 15-30').

Those grains need to be crushed/milled to be usable at all. They also need to be mashed, not steeped. They're similar processes, basically soaking in hot water, but mashing has much more controlled parameters or you end up with either nothing or a big mess.

Inform yourself about those processes before jumping in with a Hail Mary!

How many brews have you done so far?
What volume is your boil kettle?
Using your kitchen stove?

 

[Raythebrewer]

IslandLizard...... I made 5 gallons of muntons hopped 3.3 lb and two pounds light dme and one oz hallertau. Tasted hoppy and really liked it. Good with food.
3.3 lb. muntons maris otter and two pounds light dme with 2 oz cascade pellets and 1 oz cascade dry hop for 5 days. Tastes malty and citrusy. Kegged both under pressure. Both better than store bought.
3 gallon boil on stove.
I could go easy on hops and do two batches with different hop flavors. Thanks

 

[IslandLizard]

with 2 oz cascade pellets and 1 oz cascade dry hop for 5 days. Tastes malty and citrusy.

So that's 2 oz in the boil. Compare that to 9 oz in your 7-hop recipe. 4 1/2 times as much hops will of course taste a lot hoppier and bitterness will be very high. Some people like high bitterness, most don't, or are not used to it.

The dry hops help a lot with bringing out the lighter, most volatile fresh hop aromas and flavors. Not much of those would be left if they were added to the boil, even during the last 10 minutes. Then it takes another 10-15 minutes to chill down below 150F, and more is driven off and converted to bitterness.

Now hoppy beers do not have to be very bitter, those are 2 different things, coming from different processes. Many modern day IPAs have better hop aroma and flavor due to more use of very late boil additions (5' to flameout), whirlpooling or hop stands, and extensive dry hopping, with much smaller amounts in the earlier boil, thus keeping bitterness restrained. NEIPAs are the ultimate in that, bursting with hop flavor and aroma with only little bitterness. Most of those are very hazy or roundout looking like orange or grapefruit juice that contains pulp.

Have you read any books on brewing, such as John Palmer's How to Brew? Even the free online version is still very valid on the basic processes, such as bitterness vs. flavor/aroma due to boil times (and gravity).

Since you're boiling roughly only half the wort, don't add more than 1/3 of your total malt extracts to your kettle at the beginning. Add the rest (2/3) right after flameout. As long as the wort stays above 150F for 10' it's all pasteurized. It makes the beer taste better too.

Have you had IPAs from craft breweries? Which ones? That would be a guide as to what you like and what's over the top for you, at least at this time. People are known getting more used to increasing bitterness (sensation) and hoppiness (flavor/aroma) with time.

19-some years ago at the Renaissance Faire in Mt. Hope (Manheim), PA, I had the most bitter and hoppy Barleywine I had ever tasted. It took me over an hour to finish the pint cup while walking around, taking small sips. It was almost painful, but at the same time just as intriguing, like a challenge. I've never come across anything quite like that again. Either this Barleywine was indeed way out there, or my palate changed and I grew used to intense bitterness.
I'm feeling your 7-hop IPA, brewed as is, may give you a similar experience. 100-120 IBUs is intensely bitter. It's nothing like a 2-Hearted.

 

[Raythebrewer]

So much to learn. So much to brew. Really appreciate your schooling. Will take your advice and get my education and learn from every brew. This is one school I look forward to doing my homework. Cheers