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Need some tips on an American IPA

Beer Recipe Design
#1

Doing another mostly grain recipe BIAB. Tinkering with the recipe, looking for a nice IPA. How do you guys think this looks? I do 1 gallon batches. Tip always appreciated, and have helped immensely in the past, so don’t be shy.

Mash at 150/151F

Est Original Gravity: 1.065 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.015 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.7 %
Bitterness: 66.3 IBUs
Est Color: 9.1 SRM

Hops Used
Amt Name Type %/IBU
2.00 g Centennial [10.50 %] - Boil 45.0 min Hop 14.2 IBUs
1.25 g Columbus (Tomahawk) [16.30 %] - Boil 45.0 min Hop 13.8 IBUs
1.00 g Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 45.0 min Hop 8 8.8 IBUs
2.00 g Columbus (Tomahawk) [16.30 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 11.9 IBUs
1.75 g Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 8.3 IBUs
1.75 g Centennial [10.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 6.7 IBUs
1.00 g Columbus (Tomahawk) [16.30 %] - Boil 2.0 min Hop 1.0 IBUs
1.00 g Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 2.0 min Hop 0.8 IBUs
1.00 g Centennial [10.50 %] - Boil 2.0 min Hop 0.7 IBUs
5.50 g All 3 mix for 7 days Dry Hop
5.50 g All 3 mix for 14 days Dry Hop

Grains Used

Fermentables
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
12.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 36.6 %
4.0 oz Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 12.2 %
3.2 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 9.8 %
1.6 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 4.9 %
12.0 oz Light Dry Extract (8.0 SRM) Dry Extract 36.6 %

Other Ingredients Used

Misc Ingredients
Amt Name Type %/IBU
0.20 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining

Yeasts Used
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast 16 -

#2

fermentables generally look ok, but I’m confused on your hop additions/boil times and IBUs.

IBU: For IPA’s I generally want a BU:GU ratio of over 1. That is, if my beer is 1.065 as yours is, I want AT LEAST 65 IBUs. I also prefer to get the majority of those IBU from late additions (I would shoot for up to 90 IBU’s, again with most coming from late additions), which leads me to my next question:

Hop addition intervals: Are you only doing a 45-minute boil? I would shoot for getting no more than 30-40% of my IBU’s from either CTZ or something neutral (Magnum/Warrior) from a 60 minute addition, then add the rest of the hops at 15 minutes down to flameout. Much better flavor impact without an astringent bitterness.

dry hops: are you adding one dry hop mix for 7 days, removing, then another for 14 days? Others may chime in, but I don’t like to leave a dry hop addition on the beer for more than a week. My preference is to add one addition for a period, remove, then add another; again for no more than a week.

#3

I’ve always been told a 45 minute boil for 1 gallon is fine. Could def do a 60 I suppose, would give me more to sparge with.

Your suggestions for hop additions sound good. I’m working with what I have though. Columbus, Simcoe, Amarillo and Centennial. I do have some Citra OTW though.

#4

Here’s a question back at you: how do you do a one-gallon batch without the majority of the wort being lost to evaporation? I mean, in a normal 5-gallon batch, you expect a whole gallon to be lost to evaporation, so how do you boil such a small amount and not have it mostly disappear? Are you keeping the flame intensity really low, and are you topping back up with water at the end of the boil? I’m not at all sure how this would play out.

#5

Simple, you just start with more water. I’ve also been doing 45 minute boils. I’d start with about 1.5 gallon and end up with about .75 gallon after 45 minutes. Top up to appropriate OG or 1 gallon, whichever you prefer.

Just add more bittering hops than usual at 45 minutes instead of 60, can be calculated in beer software.

#6

[quote=“dnedry”]

Just add more bittering hops than usual at 45 minutes instead of 60, can be calculated in beer software.[/quote]

Didn’t really think about this. This may work, but I’m just not sure if you get all the bittering compounds (in any amount of hops) isomerized in this short of a time. You are correct in that recipe can be adjusted to compensate, but particularly for an IPA, I’m just not sure you would get the actual bitterness you are looking for in 45 minutes. Perceivable IBU and calculated IBU are different.

All that being said, if you have liked your results, stick with it. Some of the best IPA’s out there have a small charge of hops at 60 or 90, then a $#!+ ton of hops at the end…

#7

No, you’re pretty much right. Especially since I’ve been experimenting with hop bursting (all late addition hops, no bittering) I should know where the flavor comes from.

I honestly already brewed this one and just wanted opinions on why it might of went wrong. It is just missing the hop flavor I intended, and there’s more malt than intended. Probably the excessive amount of munichs fault?

It’s still a good beer, totally drinkable, but more like a Flavorless Pale Ale than an IPA. It’s also much dryer than intended which pretty much confirms I need a new thermometer.

This has been a learning experience for sure, and that was the entire point of these 1 gallon batches.

#8

Seems like a pretty busy grain bill for an APA to me. I brewed one this past weekend that was a clone of Bell’s 2 Hearted Ale. 91% 2 row, 9% Crystal 40. Your mash temp 150-151 definitely would produce a more fermentable wort making it a bit drier but you mention it being maltier AND drier than you want so I’m a little confused.

#9

[quote=“dnedry”]Doing another mostly grain recipe BIAB. Tinkering with the recipe, looking for a nice IPA. How do you guys think this looks? I do 1 gallon batches. Tip always appreciated, and have helped immensely in the past, so don’t be shy.

Yeasts Used
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast 16 -[/quote]

1 pack of US-05 will ferment 5 gal. of 1.065 wort with ease. I think that you might be over-pitching the yeast if your using 1 pk. for 1 gal.
of wort. Maybe try Muntons Gold, It’s about 5 grams a pk. instead of 11, and the 5g. pk. is cheaper.

#10

Simple, you just start with more water. I’ve also been doing 45 minute boils. I’d start with about 1.5 gallon and end up with about .75 gallon after 45 minutes. Top up to appropriate OG or 1 gallon, whichever you prefer.

Just add more bittering hops than usual at 45 minutes instead of 60, can be calculated in beer software.[/quote]
I see. I guess that might work, but I have to strongly suggest that you reevaluate your process and try your best to finish your boil at the desired volume level without having to add water. I know that with extract brewing, you’d be using this same approach, but with AG brewing, adding a lot of water (proportionally) will have a much more noticeable impact because you’re working with product that isn’t pre-mashed, and therefore is highly susceptible to the influences of different water chemistry profiles. This is in addition to the concern of the relatively short boil time, which will very possibly not extract all the necessary hop oils that you need to ensure a properly bittered beer. Sorry to totally geek out on you, but I think these are facts that you need to consider if you really want to get the best beer you can make.

#11

[quote=“wallybeer”][quote=“dnedry”]Doing another mostly grain recipe BIAB. Tinkering with the recipe, looking for a nice IPA. How do you guys think this looks? I do 1 gallon batches. Tip always appreciated, and have helped immensely in the past, so don’t be shy.

Yeasts Used
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast 16 -[/quote]

1 pack of US-05 will ferment 5 gal. of 1.065 wort with ease. I think that you might be over-pitching the yeast if your using 1 pk. for 1 gal.
of wort. Maybe try Muntons Gold, It’s about 5 grams a pk. instead of 11, and the 5g. pk. is cheaper.[/quote]

I figured it would be obvious, but I don’t pitch a full pack. 1/3 - 1/2 depending on how many cells I need.

#12

Simple, you just start with more water. I’ve also been doing 45 minute boils. I’d start with about 1.5 gallon and end up with about .75 gallon after 45 minutes. Top up to appropriate OG or 1 gallon, whichever you prefer.

Just add more bittering hops than usual at 45 minutes instead of 60, can be calculated in beer software.[/quote]
I see. I guess that might work, but I have to strongly suggest that you reevaluate your process and try your best to finish your boil at the desired volume level without having to add water. I know that with extract brewing, you’d be using this same approach, but with AG brewing, adding a lot of water (proportionally) will have a much more noticeable impact because you’re working with product that isn’t pre-mashed, and therefore is highly susceptible to the influences of different water chemistry profiles. This is in addition to the concern of the relatively short boil time, which will very possibly not extract all the necessary hop oils that you need to ensure a properly bittered beer. Sorry to totally geek out on you, but I think these are facts that you need to consider if you really want to get the best beer you can make.[/quote]

I want to brew the best that I can! However, I don’t think this is an issue, I’m almost always on my mark when it comes to evaporation rates on my stovetop (my 5 gallon boils are another story). I usually top up with very little if any.

#13

I think he’s brewing an AIPA.

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