Recipe Critique- Not sure what I'll end up with?

[jonny24]

I'm not quite sure if this is a bitter, an amber ale a pale ale, or what. I brewed this on the weekend.

4.5 gal batch
OG:1.060
Predicted FG: 1.015
IBU: 38

4.4 lb Maris Otter
1.7 lb 2 Row
1.1 lb Munich 10L
1.1 lb Victory
1.1 lb Vienna
1 lb CaraHelles 15L

.5 oz Magnum 12.6% @ 60
.3 oz Fuggles 4.4% @ 60

.4 oz Fuggles 4.4% @ 15

.4 ox Fuggles 4.4% @ 5

(sorry for the odd numbers, converted from metric)

Thinking about dry hopping with some Amarillo and Cascade, never dry hopped before.

I normally follow a recipe with tweaks for hops on hand if close, or grain availability at the LHBS. This time I picked a 500g (1.1lb) bag of Munich, Vienna, and Victory, and ended up just dumping them all in.

Right now it's fermenting with S-04, bubbles are slowing down so I think tomorrow I'll take a reading and maybe dry hop.

 

[didinho]

probably cascade and amarillo will be over fuggle aromas...

 

[ChelisHubby]

looks like you haste a Bitter there!

 

[azscoob]

Looks like a bitter to me as well, one question though... Were you clearing out your base malts?

 

[jonny24]

I had two part bags of 2 row from my last few brews yeah. As well as the carahelles. The MO was a new 2kg/4.4lb bag.

If it's looking like a bitter maybe I should stay away from the American dry hops?

 

[azscoob]

That may be a good plan, just to keep it bitter-ish

 

[jonny24]

After taking a hydro reading (down to 1.014 so it should be done) I gave it a taste. Pretty good, lots of malt character in there. I decided a little more hop character wouldn't be out of line so I put 11g of Cascade in. 11g because that's how much I had, and figured it was small enough it wouldn't overpower anything.

Thinking I'll crash/fine mid week and bottle next weekend.

 

[ChelisHubby]

I t should have a small hop smell to it. It would be a bitter !

 

[jonny24]

Thought I'd report back. I cracked one tonight after about a week in the bottle. I have to say, it turned out great! Not much in the way of hop aroma, but a sweet and hop-flavour start turns into the malt flavour. Has a really nice gentle bitterness.

It's early, but I'm tempted to call it my best yet. Admittedly this is only the 8th brew, but it's very encouraging after a few disappointments and an infection. I'll be playing with this recipe again. I might try a bigger dry hop with some fuggles.

 

[jjeffers09]

IF you do it right, you will end up with beer! IMO, you will have beer...

I would go out and say English PA, or extra strong/special bitter. You are close to the English IPA #'s if you dry hop with a citrusy hop I would call that an English IPA, even though your low on your IBUs