IPA Grain Bill

[dannyboy58]

How much more? You know I don’t normally use it at all.

[brew_cat]

10% at least. I'm up to 25% in my NEIPA and I'm really liking it.

[dannyboy58]

Yea I keep the bitterness to a point that even non-ipa people don’t hate them and then I load up with aroma hops. I think I added a whirlpool since posting this.

And yea I’m going for a more light bodied ipa. My old stand by 2 row, c40 and Vienna or Munich has started to wear out it’s welcome with me. I’ve noticed most of the IPAs I’m enjoying elsewhere have lighter grain bills. A lot of guys using Pilsen heavy grain bills with 2 row or MO. No c malt at all. This one young brewer I was talking to today was like why would you ever put c malt in an IPA? That's for english beers. Yea, I know but lets just go with it...

So my first departure is the grain bill posted above. I just left out the c malt and I like it much better. Figured I’d do a few 5 gal test batches using pilsen malt and maybe some english malts like MO or GP. Less caramelized stuff like the darker malts I've been using.

[dannyboy58]

Thought I had wheat malt left from brewing a wiezen for my buddy but didn't find any so I ended up doing:

6# 2 row
6# pilsen
1.25# 6 row
5 oz acid malt

I'm enjoying using acidulated malt. As predicted by brunwater 5 oz put me right at 5.4 for this light colored grain bill.

[brew_cat]

Wait a second weren't you giving me a hard time about aciduated malt. My last brew I was out of acid malt and used lactic acid like you said. Now I'm wondering if you lead me astray

[dannyboy58]

You (and a little research) showed me the error of my ways!

I still have a good store of lactic acid to use up.

I'll likely do both from time to time but I'm a true believer in the acidulated malt now.

[brew_cat]

Save the lactic acid for your Berliner Weis and Gose brews that's why I have it around

[voodoo_donut]

Ok I'll bite. What do you feel are the advantages of acidulated malt over lactic, phosphoric or citric acid?
I'm always trying to keep an open mind......

[dannyboy58]

The first time I used it I wanted to see if it made a difference in the acid requirement difference I was seeing in Beersmith3 and Brunwater. Both programs account for the adjustment but again there's about a .20 pH difference with BS3 left wanting more acid when BW says we're at 5.4. My pH meter agrees with BW 99% of the time.

As for my continued use, I had it to use and I'm just kind of enjoying the idea that I can use naturally acidulated malt in the grain bill without measureing and dosing with liquid acid. I still add it to the sparge water however. Whenever I have the need to be at the LHBS I'll probably get some but won't make a special trip if I have acid on hand.

Besides, if I use it in my lagers I can say they're reinheitsgebot compliant. @brew_cat

[dannyboy58]

Thought I had wheat malt left from brewing a wiezen for my buddy but didn't find any so I ended up doing:

6# 2 row
6# pilsen
1.25# 6 row
5 oz acid malt

I'm enjoying using acidulated malt. As predicted by brunwater 5 oz put me right at 5.4 for this light colored grain bill.

6 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 44.2 % 0.47 gal
6 lbs Pilsner Malt (Avangard) (1.7 SRM) Grain 2 44.2 % 0.47 gal
1 lbs 4.0 oz Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 9.2 % 0.10 gal
5.0 oz Acid Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 4 2.3 % 0.02 gal
1.00 oz Centennial [10.80 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 5 36.4 IBUs -
0.70 oz German Magnum [14.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 30.0 IBUs -
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 7 - -
1.00 oz Centennial [10.80 %] - Boil 3.0 min Hop 8 4.1 IBUs -
1.00 oz Centennial [10.80 %] - Boil 2.0 min Hop 9 2.8 IBUs -
1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 10.0 min Hop 10 5.5 IBUs -
1.0 pkg American Ale II (Wyeast Labs #1272) [124.21 ml] Yeast 11 - -
2.00 oz Centennial [10.80 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days Hop 12 0.0 IBUs -

This beer edged into IIPA territory at 7.5%. Long story, weird brew day. Mashed at 150.

It's got a light body and color. Beautiful thick white foam head from the 6 row. Amazing aroma unlike any cent IPA i've brewed before. Lots of stonefruit aroma. Pretty sharp bitterness but a really nice stone fruit and pineapple flavor. I like it a lot but I'll have to get the abv down on it to brew again.

[dannyboy58]

Thought I had wheat malt left from brewing a wiezen for my buddy but didn't find any so I ended up doing:

6# 2 row
6# pilsen
1.25# 6 row
5 oz acid malt

I'm enjoying using acidulated malt. As predicted by brunwater 5 oz put me right at 5.4 for this light colored grain bill.

6 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 44.2 % 0.47 gal
6 lbs Pilsner Malt (Avangard) (1.7 SRM) Grain 2 44.2 % 0.47 gal
1 lbs 4.0 oz Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 9.2 % 0.10 gal
5.0 oz Acid Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 4 2.3 % 0.02 gal
1.00 oz Centennial [10.80 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 5 36.4 IBUs -
0.70 oz German Magnum [14.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 30.0 IBUs -
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 7 - -
1.00 oz Centennial [10.80 %] - Boil 3.0 min Hop 8 4.1 IBUs -
1.00 oz Centennial [10.80 %] - Boil 2.0 min Hop 9 2.8 IBUs -
1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 10.0 min Hop 10 5.5 IBUs -
1.0 pkg American Ale II (Wyeast Labs #1272) [124.21 ml] Yeast 11 - -
2.00 oz Centennial [10.80 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days Hop 12 0.0 IBUs -

This beer edged into IIPA territory at 7.5%. Long story, weird brew day. Mashed at 150.

It's got a light body and color. Beautiful thick white foam head from the 6 row. Amazing aroma unlike any cent IPA i've brewed before. Lots of stonefruit aroma. Pretty sharp bitterness but a really nice stone fruit and pineapple flavor. I like it a lot but I'll have to get the abv down on it to brew again.

I'm really beginning to like this one a lot. This may be my new go to IPA recipe. Still need to try one with wheat.

[dannyboy58]

Brewing this one tomorrow. First time using wheat in an IPA so here we go.

This beer will be closer to 7% abv. My brewhouse efficiency for recipes is set to 80% but I always get in the 90s on this kind of grain bill. Unless a pound of wheat will impact my efficiency...

I was thinking of a "single" hop IPA but given the low AA% of Grungeist I may toss in some C hops or something else fruity to boost the IBUs. Mid 50s ain't an IPA IMHO. Am I wrong?

Recipe Specifications

Boil Size: 6.94 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.94 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.25 gal
Estimated OG: 1.062 SG
Estimated Color: 3.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 56.5 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 80.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 82.9 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:

Amt Name Type # %/IBU Volume
5 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 43.2 % 0.39 gal
5 lbs Pilsner Malt (Avangard) (1.7 SRM) Grain 2 43.2 % 0.39 gal
1 lbs 4.0 oz White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 3 10.8 % 0.10 gal
5.0 oz Acid Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 4 2.7 % 0.02 gal
2.00 oz Grungeist [2.70 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 5 19.6 IBUs -
0.65 oz German Magnum [14.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 30.0 IBUs -
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 7 - -
2.00 oz Grungeist [2.70 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 8 3.5 IBUs -
2.00 oz Grungeist [2.70 %] - Boil 2.0 min Hop 9 1.5 IBUs -
2.00 oz Grungeist [2.70 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 20.0 min, Hop 10 1.9 IBUs -
1.0 pkg American Ale II (Wyeast Labs #1272) [124.21 ml] Yeast 11 - -
2.00 oz Grungeist [2.70 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days Hop 12 0.0 IBUs -

Mash Schedule: My BIAB 6 gal
Total Grain Weight: 11 lbs 9.0 oz

---

Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash Step Add 17.05 qt of water at 160.6 F 150.0 F 60 min

[dannyboy58]

Just mashed in. Added .5oz citra at each hop charge and lowered the GG to 1 oz. Total IBU closer to 80 now.

[dannyboy58]

My Green Ghost IPA. It's young. Only been in the keg about 2 weeks after just over 3 weeks in the fermenter. It's interesting...very fruity...sweet citrus, orange, tangerine, a little pineapple maybe...The citra doesn't some through much. I feel like it needs a little more punch. Kind of soft and bland...which is interesting because I bittered to 30 IBU like I have been with my IPAs but this one definitely is not as sharply bitter as normal. This is also the most wheat I've used in a IPA and I'm not so sure... Didn't stop me from pounding 3 last night though...haha...very easy drinker.

[brew_cat]

I backed down on the carbonation on my latest and seems to highlight more hop flavor

[brewmanchu]

Sounds and looks delicious.

[squeegeethree]

I've stopped using finings all together on my IPAs. Seems pointless as I have juice and mouthfeel qualities that run counter to the concept of finings.

[WMNoob]

Do you think the wheat may take away or suppress your hop flavor some? Thinking about how wheat makes its presence known in other beers. Still sounds fantastic!

[dannyboy58]

Yea, that irish moss probably won't have much effect with over a pound of wheat in there huh? haha...habit...

[dannyboy58]

Beats me...I'm only using wheat because... @brew_cat Can't say I've noticed any real benefit from it.