Imperial IPA Critique

[Wakeboarder]

This is my first IIPA recipe I've created myself. My efficiency is around 70%.


14.5 lbs 2-Row
1 lb Vienna
.5 lb Crystal 40

Mash at 150 for 75 minutes

1oz Galena - 60 min
1oz Citra - 20 min
1 oz Simcoe, .5oz Citra - 15min
1oz Amarillo, .5oz Citra - 10min
1oz Citra - 5min
1oz Citra - Flameout

Yeast- WLP 001 with starter


Dry hop for 5 days - 2oz Citra, 1oz Amarillo, 1oz Simcoe

If you couldn't tell yet, I'm a big fan of Citra. Plus I got 1 lb for $10

I am not sure if the 20min addition will add much, and if i should move it to 15min or so.

Any thoughts/suggestions?


EDIT:
Fermentation will be at 65* in the basement. Plan to leave it in primary for 3 weeks, then dry hop in the keg.

 

[SnakeRidge]

That looks pretty tasty to me. All those hops should go well together, and your grain bill is pretty close to what I do. I'd leave the 20' addition as is and change it up in the future (leave it out) and see how it changes. Mash temp looks good too. Just make sure you're making a big enough starter, keep the temp down in the 66-68* range during fermentation and I think you'll be really happy. Good Luck!

 

[CarbonTom]

This is my first IIPA recipe I've created myself. My efficiency is around 70%.


14.5 lbs 2-Row
1 lb Vienna
.5 lb Crystal 40

Mash at 150 for 75 minutes

1oz Galena - 60 min
1oz Citra - 20 min
1 oz Simcoe, .5oz Citra - 15min
1oz Amarillo, .5oz Citra - 10min
1oz Citra - 5min
1oz Citra - Flameout

Yeast- WLP 001 with starter


Dry hop for 5 days - 2oz Citra, 1oz Amarillo, 1oz Simcoe

If you couldn't tell yet, I'm a big fan of Citra. Plus I got 1 lb for $10

I am not sure if the 20min addition will add much, and if i should move it to 15min or so.

Any thoughts/suggestions?

Thats a sick deal! This looks pretty good to me, the only thing I would do personally is ditch the 20 min. Maybe some turbinado sugar to dry it out a bit to push the hops out forward, but thats my preference for a DIPA.

 

[cantrell00]

I'd move the 20, 15, 10 & 5 to flame out & then a hopstand whirlpool..

I'd offset the IBU's that you possibly lose with a larger 60 minute addition...

Something like this:

60 - Galena

Flameout
(From 212 - 175/180 degrees), 2 oz Citra, .50 oz simcoe, .50 oz Amarillo

Whirlpool/Hopstand
(From 175/180 for 30-45 minutes) 2 oz Ctra, .50 oz simcoe, .50 oz amarillo

Same dry hop.

I would bump the Vienna & C20 to 10% & 5% of the grain bill respectively also.

What OG are you shooting for? A lb of sugar at the expense of some malt would probably attenuate better. I assume you are wanting a dry beer around .10-.12 FG?

 

[Wakeboarder]

I'd move the 20, 15, 10 & 5 to flame out & then a hopstand whirlpool..

I'd offset the IBU's that you possibly lose with a larger 60 minute addition...

Something like this:

60 - Galena

Flameout
(From 212 - 175/180 degrees), 2 oz Citra, .50 oz simcoe, .50 oz Amarillo

Whirlpool/Hopstand
(From 175/180 for 30-45 minutes) 2 oz Ctra, .50 oz simcoe, .50 oz amarillo

Same dry hop.

I would bump the Vienna & C20 to 10% & 5% of the grain bill respectively also.

What OG are you shooting for? A lb of sugar at the expense of some malt would probably attenuate better. I assume you are wanting a dry beer around .10-.12 FG?

I was hoping for ~8.5%, and after running the numbers I will add a pound of sugar to bump that up.

What's the advantage of doing whirlpool hops instead of boiling?

 

[SnakeRidge]

I was hoping for ~8.5%, and after running the numbers I will add a pound of sugar to bump that up.

What's the advantage of doing whirlpool hops instead of boiling?

Adding hops at whirlpool gives you less bittering, but preserves the volatile aromatics that are driven off by the boil. Like I said above, I would leave it as you've written it. You had a reason to come up with that recipe, so do it and find out for yourself. Plenty of good beers are made with just bittering, whirlpool, and dry hops, but hops added throughout the boil are going to give you different flavors. Part of learning about hops is learning what the various boil times give you. Maybe you won't like Citra boiled for 20'. Great! in the future, don't boil Citra for 20'. It's a learning process that never really ends.

 

[Wakeboarder]

Adding hops at whirlpool gives you less bittering, but preserves the volatile aromatics that are driven off by the boil. Like I said above, I would leave it as you've written it. You had a reason to come up with that recipe, so do it and find out for yourself. Plenty of good beers are made with just bittering, whirlpool, and dry hops, but hops added throughout the boil are going to give you different flavors. Part of learning about hops is learning what the various boil times give you. Maybe you won't like Citra boiled for 20'. Great! in the future, don't boil Citra for 20'. It's a learning process that never really ends.

Excellent. And that's the beauty of brewing, I can always change it next time

 

[SnakeRidge]

Next time you get a screaming deal on some $10/# hops, do just the bittering and a metric crapton of hops at whirlpool. Pretty amazing aromas, you won't be disappointed.

 

[cantrell00]

Next time you get a screaming deal on some $10/# hops, do just the bittering and a metric crapton of hops at whirlpool. Pretty amazing aromas, you won't be disappointed.

No doubt. Amazing flavor as well.

 

[LJvermonster]

I noticed when I steeped the hops at 180 for 30 minutes the flavor and aroma I got were absolutely amazing. Provides hop taste and aroma and an easy bitterness. I might up the flameout and whirlpool hop amounts. 6 oz for an 8.5% IIPA doesn't seem like a whole lot to me.

 

[cantrell00]

I noticed when I steeped the hops at 180 for 30 minutes the flavor and aroma I got were absolutely amazing. Provides hop taste and aroma and an easy bitterness. I might up the flameout and whirlpool hop amounts. 6 oz for an 8.5% IIPA doesn't seem like a whole lot to me.

Good point, I agree.

I typically do around 6 oz for a 5-6 gal batch @ 6-7% ABV

I would do a total of 8-9 oz (4.25-4.50 each) for a imperial @ 8-10%.

 

[SnakeRidge]

Good point, I agree.

I typically do around 6 oz for a 5-6 gal batch @ 6-7% ABV

I would do a total of 8-9 oz (4.25-4.50 each) for a imperial @ 8-10%.

I didn't catch that. I'm putting 13.25oz of hops in a 4 gallon batch this weekend

 

[cantrell00]

I didn't catch that. I'm putting 13.25oz of hops in a 4 gallon batch this weekend

That's about right when you take into account the dry hop.

 

[LJvermonster]

This is what I'm brewing this weekend: I made a small batch of this last month and it turned out to be the best beer I've brewed to date. As you can see there's a good amount of hops.

Title: Hoptimistic IPA (American IPA)
Author: Goodman

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: American IPA
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5.75 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 7.3 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.052
Efficiency: 75% (brew house)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.066
Final Gravity: 1.012
ABV (standard): 7.14%
IBU (tinseth): 138.62
SRM (morey): 11.72

FERMENTABLES:
10 lb - American - Pale 2-Row (76.3%)
1 lb - American - Red Wheat (7.6%)
1 lb - Corn Sugar - Dextrose (7.6%)
1 lb - American - Caramel / Crystal 40L (7.6%)
0.1 lb - American - Midnight Wheat Malt (0.8%)

HOPS:
1 oz - Chinook, Type: Pellet, AA: 13, Use: Boil for 45 min, IBU: 38.72
1 oz - Chinook, Type: Pellet, AA: 13, Use: Boil for 30 min, IBU: 32.42
0.5 oz - Cascade, Type: Pellet, AA: 7, Use: Boil for 10 min, IBU: 4.12
0.5 oz - Galaxy, Type: Pellet, AA: 12, Use: Boil for 10 min, IBU: 7.06
0.5 oz - Simcoe, Type: Pellet, AA: 12.7, Use: Boil for 10 min, IBU: 7.47
0.5 oz - Cascade, Type: Pellet, AA: 7, Use: Boil for 5 min, IBU: 2.26
0.5 oz - Galaxy, Type: Pellet, AA: 12, Use: Boil for 5 min, IBU: 3.88
0.5 oz - Simcoe, Type: Pellet, AA: 12.7, Use: Boil for 5 min, IBU: 4.11
2 oz - Cascade, Type: Pellet, AA: 7, Use: Whirlpool for 30 min at 190 °F, IBU: 9.12
2 oz - Chinook, Type: Pellet, AA: 13, Use: Whirlpool for 30 min at 180 °F, IBU: 10.16
2 oz - Galaxy, Type: Pellet, AA: 12, Use: Whirlpool for 30 min at 180 °F, IBU: 9.38
2 oz - Simcoe, Type: Pellet, AA: 12.7, Use: Whirlpool for 30 min at 180 °F, IBU: 9.93
1 oz - Cascade, Type: Pellet, AA: 7, Use: Dry Hop for 4 days
1 oz - Chinook, Type: Pellet, AA: 13, Use: Dry Hop for 4 days
1 oz - Galaxy, Type: Pellet, AA: 12, Use: Dry Hop for 4 days
1 oz - Simcoe, Type: Pellet, AA: 12.7, Use: Dry Hop for 4 days

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Sparge, Temp: 148 F, Time: 90 min, Amount: 4.75 gal, Mash
2) Sparge, Temp: 170 F, Time: 15 min, Amount: 5.25 gal, Sparge
Starting Mash Thickness: 1.45 qt/lb

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
1 lb - Corn Sugar with 15 minutes left in boil, Time: 15 min, Type: Other, Use: Boil

YEAST:
Fermentis / Safale - American Ale Yeast US-05
Starter: No
Form: Dry
Attenuation (custom): 80%
Flocculation: Medium
Optimum Temp: 54 - 77 F
Fermentation Temp: 66 F
Pitch Rate: 1.25 (M cells / ml / deg P)

TARGET WATER PROFILE:
Profile Name: Light colored and hoppy
Ca2: 75
Mg2: 5
Na: 10
Cl: 50
SO4: 150
HCO3: 0
Water Notes:

NOTES:
Total Water Volume Needed = 10.00 gal
Mash Water = 4.75 gal
Sparge Water = 5.25 gal
Strike Temp = 160 Deg (grains at 60 degrees)
Mash Temp = 148 for 90 minutes
Sparge Temp = 170 for 15 minutes

Add the following to each 5 gallons of water:
Gypsum - 2 tsp and 1/2 tsp of
Calcium Chloride - 1/2 tsp

Pre-Boil Volume = 7.35 Gallons
Add Fermcap-S at boil
Add Corn Sugar with 15 minutes left on the boil
Add Whirlfloc tablets 15 minutes left in boil

Rehydrate US-05 prior to pitching

Filter hops by putting a 5 gallon paint strainer bag into the primary and pouring wort through the strainer before pitching yeast