I’m formulating a DIPA recipe now and my calculated IBUs are right around 150 (2 oz Columbus bittering charge). I know the Pliny recipe’s calculated IBUs are around 230, but some suggested that my 150 are too much.
My malt bill is 16# 2-row, 1# Munich, and 1# crystal (combo of C20 and C40). This level of bitterness doesn’t really seem excessive to me, but then I’ve only made 1 DIPA before.
So, for those of you with your own DIPA recipes, what level of bitterness do you use? What’s your malt bill?
My DIPA IBUs (calculated) are in the 175-200 range. Grist is 2-row and 20L only. Sending the latest batch that’s dryhopping right now to the MCAB in a few weeks (competing as an IPA, though).
Calculating an estimated IBU value for a DIPA doesn’t really make much sense. The saturation limit is somewhere around 90 IBU, and beyond that point different correlations will give wildly divergent results anyway. Much better to talk about late additions in terms of hopping rates IMHO.
For a DIPA I add about 75 IBU (Tinseth) as a bittering addition, then 100-150 g in the last 20 min and another 50-75 g dryhop. That’s for a 6 gal batch (to allow for all the wort lost to the trub).
[quote=“Chinaski1217”]A follow-up question though: How many ounces of what for your bittering addition, and how many IBUs do you get from it?[/quote]4.5 oz and 120 IBUs with 30 IBUs late, 2.5 oz at flameout, and 2 oz dryhop.
[quote=“a10t2”]Calculating an estimated IBU value for a DIPA doesn’t really make much sense. The saturation limit is somewhere around 90 IBU, and beyond that point different correlations will give wildly divergent results anyway. Much better to talk about late additions in terms of hopping rates IMHO.
For a DIPA I add about 75 IBU (Tinseth) as a bittering addition, then 100-150 g in the last 20 min and another 50-75 g dryhop. That’s for a 6 gal batch (to allow for all the wort lost to the trub).[/quote]
Thanks for the input. This helps clear things up and gives me a guide to go by.
As with most WC style ipas and IIPAs it’s as much about keeping the malt bill subservient to the hops as it is about which and how many hops. IIPAs taste right to me when they finish around 1.010… I’d lose the Munich, and keep the c20 to 5% and then do 5-8% simple sugar - dextrose, turbinado etc. That will let that colombus charge speak. I’m of the school that says malt backbone based IIPAs are called barleywines.
I think sometimes it’s less about the hops and more about letting them get to the forefront of the beer.
Here is mine. It is similar to Pliny the Elder or Jamile’s recipe in “Brewing Classic Styles”, but with different hops… I thought it was one of the best beers that I have made. It’s doable again since I’ve been able to find Simcoe and Citra. I will probably re brew it in the next couple months (already got my hops). Hope it helps.
My Bitterness ratio is 2.164 for my IIPA. Mine is on the peewee side of IIPA @ 1.076. I look more at the total balance of an IIPA. It all has to match up and take a good look at your water, it is as important as the hops.
Wow. I just brewed a recipe I found on BYO called The Imperial Stoormtrooper which was a IIPA and it topped out around 100IBU which is way lower than a lot of people are saying. I’m still in primary but this was the highest ABV and IBU I’ve done so far.
Ingredients:
15.00 lb 2-Row Brewers Malt
1.25 lb Munich 10L Malt
.75 lb American Caramel 20°L
.25 lb American Caramel 40°L
.5 lb White Wheat Malt
1.5 lb Corn Sugar
.5 oz Chinook (13.0%) - added during boil, boiled 90 m
.47 oz Magnum (14.5%) - added during boil, boiled 90 m
1 oz Columbus (13.9%) - added during boil, boiled 90 m
.5 oz Columbus (13.9%) - added during boil, boiled 45 m
.5 oz Columbus (13.9%) - added during boil, boiled 30 m
1 oz Citra™ (11.4%) - added during boil, boiled 20 m
1 oz Amarillo® (8.5%) - added during boil, boiled 10 m
1 oz Columbus (13.9%) - added during boil, boiled 5 m
2 oz Citra™ (12.0%) - added during boil, boiled 1 m
.75 oz Columbus (14.5%) - added dry to primary fermenter
1.5 oz Citra™ (12.0%) - added dry to primary fermenter
.75 oz Amarillo® (8.5%) - added dry to primary fermenter
.25 oz Columbus (14.5%)
.5 oz Citra™ (12.0%)
.25 oz Amarillo® (8.5%)
Those last 3 hops are the 2nd round of dry hop.
I went with this and had about 150 IBU from the 90min addition. Turned out really well, but would prefer maybe 175 IBU from bittering addition.
