Feedback on an imperial IPA

Beer Recipe Design
1

Hey guys just thought id post this and see if I could get some feedback.

Ive already brewed it and after two weeks it had hit 1.015. Then i moved it to secondary and added the dry hops and the zest of two large grapefruit. Tasted great…but a little hot.
anyway, too late to change anything now but wondering if theres something any of you guys change.

Alpha WOLF IPA-2

Recipe specifics:

Style: Imperial IPA
Batch size: 5.5 gal
Boil volume: 4.2 gal
OG: 1.092
FG: 1.023
Bitterness (IBU): 135.3
Color (SRM): 5.5
ABV: 9.1%

Grain/Sugars:

5.00 lb Extra Light DME, 41.7%
3.50 lb Extra Light DME, 29.2%, boil for 20 min
1.00 lb Corn Sugar, 8.3%
1.00 lb Wheat DME, 8.3%, boil for 20 min
0.50 lb Corn Sugar, 4.2%, boil for 20 min
0.50 lb Honey, 4.2%, boil for 10 min
0.25 lb Crystal 20L, 2.1%
0.25 lb Crystal 10L, 2.1%

Hops:

2.00 oz Warrior (AA 16.5%, Pellet) 60 min, 86.7 IBU
0.50 oz Amarillo (AA 8.2%, Pellet) 15 min, 5.6 IBU
1.00 oz Cascade (AA 6.8%, Pellet) 15 min, 9.3 IBU
1.00 oz Simcoe (AA 12.3%, Pellet) 15 min, 16.8 IBU
1.00 oz Amarillo (AA 8.2%, Pellet) 5 min, 4.5 IBU
1.50 oz Cascade (AA 6.8%, Pellet) 5 min, 5.6 IBU
1.00 oz Simcoe (AA 12.3%, Pellet) 5 min, 6.8 IBU
0.50 oz Amarillo (AA 8.2%, Pellet) 0 min, 0.0 IBU
1.50 oz Cascade (AA 6.8%, Pellet) 0 min, 0.0 IBU
1.00 oz Amarillo (AA 8.0%, Pellet) dry hop
2.00 oz Cascade (AA 6.6%, Pellet) dry hop
1.00 oz Simcoe (AA 12.3%, Pellet) dry hop

Yeast/Misc:

American Ale yeast, 2.0 unit(s), Yeast Us5 rehydrated
Finings, 1.0 unit(s), Fining Whorfloc tab, boil 5 min

2

I personally think that’s a little big for my tastes, even an imperial IPA. I’d rather have a beer that starts at 1075-1080 and finishes at 1010-1014 (8-9% abv.)

3

What was the fermentation temp? Did you do a starter, or just two vials/satchets directly in? The tricky thing with IIPA’s is if the fermentation is the least bit stressed, they will either be syrupy or hot. I find its almost always a best practice to do some type of starter (for just about all beers, including yeast-forward beers), just to get the yeast ready for their orgy/feast.

As Wahoo said, the best ones of the style i’ve had are around 8%, with a few exceptions in the 9% range, but I frankly don’t want that much of a sipper to get my fill of hop goodness.

As far as the recipe, I think you could drop the honey and simple sugar. Also, that is an s-load of warrior @ 60 minutes. You could probably cut those in half and be fine. But if you like big hop bitterness, you may dig the way it comes out.

4

I can’t remember where I read this but the maximum bitterness you can achieve is around 100. So going to 135 is just a waste of perfectly good alpha acids. I’m also with everyone else, that is just too big of a beer for my tastes. If I want something big and boozy I’ll drink a RIS or a quad. I like my IIPA’s around the 8% range.

I do however like your choice of hops but would definitely cut that Warrior down to 1 to 1.5oz @ 60.

5

I used two packets of rehydrated us-05 and fermented at about 67-68*. Thats a little higher than I wanted but im still working with a pretty rudimentary cooling system.
I do love supper hoppy and bitter beers so I doubt it will be too hoppy, however, after I tasted it when moving to secondary it did seem a bit high on the alcohol taste.

6

I think the alcohol taste will mellow out a bit with time.

7

Thats good to know. Though I was hoping to be able to drink this one relatively fresh. Is there anything I can do at this point to lessen the alcohol taste?

8

You could “cut it down” by adding distilled H2O. Maybe a gl or so…I’m not real sure on the math. As long as there’s room for it in your vessels, that would dilute your beer a bit and cut down on the ABV.

If it’s fuesal esters you are tasting, once they are there, they are there.

9

[quote=“DrGonzo”]

If it’s fusel esters you are tasting, once they are there, they are there.[/quote]

this.

10

You could drink one really fast… at that ABV, I don’t think you would notice it in your second or third pint! :mrgreen:

11

[quote=“DrGonzo”]
If it’s fuesal esters you are tasting, once they are there, they are there.[/quote]

I’m curious about the difference between tasting fuesal esters and just having a high concentration of alcohol.

I generally don’t brew much of anything above 6% (at least not on purpose!), and thanks to reading this forum before I started brewing, I’ve always maintained strict fermentation temps and made starters when appropriate even as a beginner. Therefore, I don’t think I’ve ever tasted fuesal esters.

However, I did brew one IPA at about 8% (on purpose that time!) and when it was really young – like only 2 weeks in the keg just after force carbing – I could prominently taste what I thought was the alcohol. Within about roughly 3-4 weeks, the alcohol taste mellowed considerably and the beer was excellent.

So is it possible to have a high alcohol brew where you can taste it initially but it will mellow with a little age? Or was I likely tasting something else?

12

That’s very likely. This is why all the big Belgian beers are better when aged. In my experience this is common with most beers if you drink them too quickly. This is why I do an extended cold crash in secondary for at least a week on most of my beers. It helps clear them and adds an extra week of “aging” to help combat that “green beer” flavor.

13

That’s very likely. This is why all the big Belgian beers are better when aged. In my experience this is common with most beers if you drink them too quickly. This is why I do an extended cold crash in secondary for at least a week on most of my beers. It helps clear them and adds an extra week of “aging” to help combat that “green beer” flavor.[/quote]

Sorry, not sure if you mean very likely alcohol? Or very likely something else?

14

That’s very likely. This is why all the big Belgian beers are better when aged. In my experience this is common with most beers if you drink them too quickly. This is why I do an extended cold crash in secondary for at least a week on most of my beers. It helps clear them and adds an extra week of “aging” to help combat that “green beer” flavor.[/quote]

Sorry, not sure if you mean very likely alcohol? Or very likely something else?[/quote]

Haha sorry I realize the ambiguity there. The flavor of higher alcohol will mellow over time. The flavor of fusels will not.

15

I would really like to understand what actually changes in the beer itself that makes the hot alcohol taste mellow over time. I mean, ethanol is ethanol, right?

16

Thanks!

So it’s possible OP’s beer will improve with a little age provided he kept the ferm temps in control and pitched enough yeast.

2 packs of US-05 properly rehydrated looks like enough yeast.

OP what temp do you ferment at?

I say hang in there and give it 2 or 3 more weeks and see if it mellows.

17

The flavors of the entire beer (grain, yeast, hops) marry thus hiding the alcohol sensation. This is why ‘green’ beer often has distinct flavor.

Fusel alcohol on the other hand is not ethanol but mainly amyl alcohol.