Suggestions? Half/half fruit & dry-hop IPA

[rpmbrew]

I'm brewing a batch this weekend as a semi starter to get enough yeast for a DIPA in a couple of weeks. I obviously want to get some nice beer out of this, so I plan to go for a ~4% IPA. As it's summer, I'm thinking to add fruit to half. So split half and half after primary fermentation into two secondary vessels. In one I will dry hop, the other add orange peel and apricots (I think)—first time brewing a fruit beer, so a bit overwhelmed by the options of fruit and hop combinations. For example, I could instead add just orange, just apricots or substitute mango for apricots (yeah indecision is a *****).

Also, not sure what hops to use. I have a bunch in the fridge - Cascade. Mosaic, Rakau, Citra, Magnum. I want to save the Citra for the DIPA, but could still use and buy more. I am thinking of Cascade and Rakau. The combo of funky Rakau to more citrus cascade will complement the fruit, and be lovely on its own I think. Any thoughts?

Based on this, I put together a quick draft recipe :
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 21 litres
Efficiency: 70% (brewhouse)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.043 | Final Gravity: 1.011
ABV: 4.22% | IBU: 23.21 |SRM: 4.39

FERMENTABLES:
4 kg - Finest Maris Otter

HOPS:
7 g - Cascade, Type: Pellet, AA: 6, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 5.81
10 g - Cascade, Type: Pellet, AA: 6, Use: Boil for 15 min, IBU: 4.12
7 g - Cascade, Type: Pellet, AA: 6, Use: Aroma for 5 min, IBU: 1.16
7 g - Rakau, Type: Pellet, AA: 8.8, Use: Aroma for 5 min, IBU: 1.7
25 g - Cascade, Type: Pellet, AA: 6, Use: Whirlpool for 20 min at 82 °C, IBU: 7.21
25 g - Rakau, Type: Pellet, AA: 8.8, Use: Whirlpool for 20 min at 82 °C, IBU: 4.23

1st half
18 g - Cascade, Type: Pellet, AA: 6, Use: Dry Hop for 7 days
14 g - Rakau, Type: Pellet, AA: 8.8, Use: Dry Hop for 7 days

2nd half
the rind of two oranges, apricots (amount?)

MASH:
1) Infusion, Temp: 68 C, Time: 60 min, Amount: 10 L, Sacch' Rest
2) Strike, Temp: 72 C, Time: 60 min, Amount: 24.7 L
Starting Mash Thickness: 2.5 L/kg

YEAST:
Omega Yeast Labs - DIPA Ale OYL-052

What are your thoughts? Any suggestions?

• Should I add some wheat or carapils in the mix? I have some, and it might give a different body that straight up Maris Otter.
• Does the hop combo sound good?
• Do the fruits sound good?
• Does the balance of bittering to flavour to aroma hops seem good?
• Should I add in some hops along with the fruit in the dry hop in the second vessel?
• I may be over complicating things a bit - I could smash the 15 minute and 5 minute together - thoughts?

 

[rpmbrew]

So I went ahead and tweaked a bit and brewed. Orange went in the whole batch, apricot will go in half during secondary.

Smashed the targets, slightly over volume and slightly over OG (a litre or two extra and 1.044 vs 1.043) - so yeah pretty happy. Think I need to start assuming my efficiency is 75%!

Here is the final recipe - will report back how it turns out:

Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 21 litres
Efficiency: 70% (brewhouse)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.043 | Final Gravity: 1.011
ABV: 4.22% | IBU: 30.46 |SRM: 4.39

FERMENTABLES:
4 kg - Finest Maris Otter (100%)

HOPS:
7 g - Cascade, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 6, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 5.28
20 g - Cascade, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 6, Use: Boil for 10 min, IBU: 5.47
20 g - Mosaic, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 8.8, Use: Aroma for 10 min, IBU: 8.02
------ Zest of three oranges for 10 min
20 g - Cascade, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 6, Use: Whirlpool for 20 min at 82 °C, IBU: 5.77
20 g - Mosaic, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 8.8, Use: Whirlpool for 20 min at 82 °C, IBU: 2.54
20 g - Rakau, Type: Pellet, AA: 8.8, Use: Whirlpool for 20 min at 82 °C, IBU: 3.38
3.5kg of apricot compote in half for 7 days (secondary)
28 g - Cascade, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 6, Use: Dry Hop for 7 days
28 g - Mosaic, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 8.8, Use: Dry Hop for 7 days
20 g - Rakau, Type: Pellet, AA: 8.8, Use: Dry Hop for 7 days

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Infusion, Temp: 68 C, Time: 60 min, Amount: 10 L, Sacch' Rest
2) Fly Sparge, Temp: 72 C, Time: 60 min, Amount: 24.7 L
Starting Mash Thickness: 2.5 L/kg

YEAST:
Omega Yeast Labs - DIPA Ale OYL-052

 

[Pappers_]

Some day, I want to do an experiment, with an citrus-y IPA. In half, dry hop. In the other half, dry hop and add zest of lemon and orange.