IPAdvice - secondary, dry hopping, clearing agents, grain profiles....

[crawkraut]

OK, brewed my second batch last night, now I have two IPAs fermenting away. These two batches are my first attempts ever, so I am hoping to get some advice and some help on their upcoming dry hop schedules. Both are all grain batches and put about 5.5 gallons into the primaries.

#1 Inversion IPA Clone Attempt:
11 lbs 2 row
1.25 lbs Crystal 20
0.5 lbs Crystal 60
0.25 lbs Munich
0.25 lbs White Wheat
1 oz Citra 30 min
.5 oz Centennial 20 min
.5 oz Cascade 15 min
.5 oz Citra 10 min
.5 oz Millenium 10 min
.5 oz Northern Brewer 5 min
WLP002 yeast - with a 1L starter made from the same mash profile.

Planning on a Citra/Cascade dryhop schedule for 12 days and 6 days, respectively.

Also, OG on this one was at 1.06. Planning to leave in primary for 3 to 4 weeks before bottling, and will dry hop in the primary. [Though I do have an empty better bottle...if secondary is recommended].

#2 Inversion/Citra DIPA/Zombie Dust Hybrid attempt:
11.25 lbs 2 row
1.5 lbs Crystal 10
0.5 lbs Carapils
.25 lbs Munich
.25 lbs WhiteWheat
.75 oz Millenium 60 min
1 oz Cascade 30 min
.5 oz Citra 30 min
.5 oz Citra 15 min
.5 oz Citra 10 min
.5 oz Citra 5 min
WLP002 yeast - with a 1L starter made from the same mash profile.

No Dry hop schedule has been nailed down for this one yet, but undoubtedly there will be some more citra involved. I hit 1.066 for OG last night, so am pretty psyched that this could be a good sign!

I'd like to hear your thoughts on:
1. secondary fermentation vs. just leaving in the primary [including dry hop]
2. a fairly standard dry hop schedule.
3. benefits of using a clearing agent like whirfloc tablets or irish moss [i used none].
4. Thoughts on replacing some of the grains in the second recipe above with Honey and Victory malts, i.e. recommended %ages.

That's all. ipe:

 

[Euphist]

The only time I move to secondary to dry hop is if I need to harvest the yeast.
I usually dry hop for 3 days after fermentation is complete.
I have a bottle of Irish Moss...I almost always forget to use it...my beers still come out clear.

 

[Johnnyhitch1]

OK, brewed my second batch last night, now I have two IPAs fermenting away. These two batches are my first attempts ever, so I am hoping to get some advice and some help on their upcoming dry hop schedules. Both are all grain batches and put about 5.5 gallons into the primaries.

#1 Inversion IPA Clone Attempt:
11 lbs 2 row
1.25 lbs Crystal 20
0.5 lbs Crystal 60
0.25 lbs Munich
0.25 lbs White Wheat
1 oz Citra 30 min
.5 oz Centennial 20 min
.5 oz Cascade 15 min
.5 oz Citra 10 min
.5 oz Millenium 10 min
.5 oz Northern Brewer 5 min
WLP002 yeast - with a 1L starter made from the same mash profile.

Planning on a Citra/Cascade dryhop schedule for 12 days and 6 days, respectively.

Also, OG on this one was at 1.06. Planning to leave in primary for 3 to 4 weeks before bottling, and will dry hop in the primary. [Though I do have an empty better bottle...if secondary is recommended].

#2 Inversion/Citra DIPA/Zombie Dust Hybrid attempt:
11.25 lbs 2 row
1.5 lbs Crystal 10
0.5 lbs Carapils
.25 lbs Munich
.25 lbs WhiteWheat
.75 oz Millenium 60 min
1 oz Cascade 30 min
.5 oz Citra 30 min
.5 oz Citra 15 min
.5 oz Citra 10 min
.5 oz Citra 5 min
WLP002 yeast - with a 1L starter made from the same mash profile.

No Dry hop schedule has been nailed down for this one yet, but undoubtedly there will be some more citra involved. I hit 1.066 for OG last night, so am pretty psyched that this could be a good sign!

I'd like to hear your thoughts on:
1. secondary fermentation vs. just leaving in the primary [including dry hop]
2. a fairly standard dry hop schedule.
3. benefits of using a clearing agent like whirfloc tablets or irish moss [i used none].
4. Thoughts on replacing some of the grains in the second recipe above with Honey and Victory malts, i.e. recommended %ages.

That's all. ipe:

IMO. Both recipes have to much crystal. i would knock it down to .75 if not .5pd im just not a big fan of crystal caramel flavors in my IPAs. Also consider upping the munich. @ .25pd it will be barley noticable up it to atleast a pound in each recipe for some nice toasty elements. ( offset it with what you remove from the crystal % Ie on your first recipe do like .75 crystal 10 and 1.25 munich)

On to citra, i love it as a single hop for flavor/aroma but finds it really takes away form other hops in the boil. In your case cascade/cenntennial. On the first recipe i would drop the citra @ 10 and replace with cascade. Where the secound recipe i would drop the 30min of cascade. Just something to consider so you dont end up with 2 citra bombed IPAs.

On to your questions!!
1. I never secondary and have dry hoped in primary just make sure you cold crash or allow atleast 3 weeks for yest to drop out before so. Hop oils attach to yeast and drop out much faster at this rate, forcing you to DH harder.

2. I like to use 2-3 aroma/flavor hops @ about .5oz each on smaller session beers and around 1oz each for larger DIPA. so between 1.5-3oz per stage, multiples stages will get you more aroma...

3. I use irish moss in 100% of my brews, can i say it helps Vs not doing it? No. But my beer also drops brite so i never experimented otherwise. Cooling your wort fast after the boil also helps drop out protiens and compounds that would cause hazing when serving. This is called "cold break"

4. Just brewed my first beer with honey malt (alpine citra clone, like i said i love it as a single hop! lol) so i cant really advise much on this but play around with it. Both recipes looks somewhat similer so mayb sub out the munich for victory on one recipe and then taste the beers side b side to see what malt you like better. If using honey malt i would sub out even more crystal, something like .25 honey malt .50 crystal.

Cheers and goodluck

 

[Robin0782]

I like my IPA grain bills to be rather simple. 2 row, 8 oz of carapils, maybe some Munich 10, anywhere from none to 12 oz, just depends on my mood, and that is really all I use. I like 0.4 - 0.5 oz of Black patent so it's not too light on color. I feel like IPA is all about the hops, and especially with a lot of Citra (which I find adds sweetness) I just don't think you need crystal malts at all. But, many people seem to differ on that.

I dry hop for 10 days or so, and I do like to do a secondary. I find that there is so much trub if I don't, it's hard to siphon. With a secondary, and a mesh bag over the siphon tube, a 2-3 day cold crash before kegging, my beers are always nice and clear.

 

[crawkraut]

Annnnd I'm pretty sure I have my next IPA grain bill! Thank you fellas!!

 

[crawkraut]

Next g.b.:

11.0 lbs 2 row (80%)
0.5 lbs crystal 20 (3.6%)
0.5 lbs carapils (3.6%)
0.5 lbs munich (3.6%)
0.5 lbs honey malt (3.6%)
0.5 lbs victory (3.6%)
0.25 lbs white wheat (1.8%)
13.75 lbs total
(Crystal + honey = 7.2% total)

Normally I keep things simple but when it comes to these grain bills that philosophy falls apart....

This shud put 5.5 gallons in the fermenter with around a 1.066 OG. Will aim for mid 70s an up to 80 for IBUs.

 

[crawkraut]

Grain bill is in and adjusted as below:


11 LB 2row
1 LB munich
.5 LB carapils
.5 LB honey malt
.5 LB victory
.25 LB crystal 10

Wlp001 on this one.

Hops are tbd but will involve a healthy amt of Columbus. This shud OG at 1.066 and put 5.5 gal or so in fermenter.

Will keep you updated in the weeks to come. This is inspired from your advice and the "DC Brau Corruption IPA" which is friggin delicious. Thanks for the advice.

 

[crawkraut]

Gravity came in lower than expected due to a poor boil (gotta replace my burner and get more propane!). OG was 1.049. So I added half a pound of clover honey directly to the fermenter. Which hopefully will put me in the mid 5's for abv (wanted low to mid 6's) Went with a Columbus and cascade hop combination. Going to dry hop with cascade and may dry hop with a bit of Columbus as well despite its high AA. The color is a beautiful golden/caramel/straw color. This should be a good summer ipa!

I understand that honey administered in this manner may ultimately thin the beer and produce a bit more abv.

Also will leave this one in the primary for a good three weeks. Fermenting at a steady 67 for the first week with primary in the cooler bath. Planning to remove after the first full week and let the world do its magic...

Next time I'd add a little more 2 row to this I guess and get a better boil going.

 

[Yankeehillbrewer]

You are wise to go light on the Columbus in the Dry Hop, I just did an IPA with 2oz Columbus and 1oz Centennial in the DH for 5 Gallons, and it is one pungent & dank IPA. I like it, but I can only stand about a pint of it at a time. I won't go more than an ounce of Columbus in the DH on future brews.

 

[crawkraut]

Thank you Yankeehill! Good to know. I am thinking .5z Columbus and 1z of cascade for DH in that case (on this batch).

 

[Yankeehillbrewer]

That should work pretty good in that beer

 

[crawkraut]

The winner is recipe #2 as detailed above. Absolutely delicious!! (There's actually none left of this batch, between my friends and I, unless my mom still has a o hold on the few I have her!!)

Bottled batch 3 about a week back, the Columbus hopped brew, have yet to taste it, but will definitely be brewing recipe #2 again, very soon!

 

[crawkraut]

Thank you Johnnyhitxh. Wise words in there that I'm referencing now for my next recipe. Also note that the batch #1 aged (or is aging) nicely and is now turning some heads. Pretty damn tasty though slightly sweet finish. Gonna reduce the crystal and up the munich...