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SN Ruthless

Beer Recipe Design
#1

I posted this in the Commercial Beer Forum but it belongs here.

I love the new Ruthless Rye IPA by Sierra Nevada.

Based on the comments in the Commercial beer forum and the SN website, this is my attempt at an homage:

Recipe based on 5.5 gallons and 70% efficiency

2 row 11# 80%
Rye Malt 1.5# 11%
Crystal 40 1# 7.3%
Chocolate .25# 1.8%

Chinook .75 60 41.3 IBU
Columbus .25 40 12.1 IBU
Amarillo .25 40 8.0 IBU
Citra .5 dry
Amarillo .5 dry
Chinook .5 dry

OG: 1.061
15.06 Plato

IBUs: 61.4

SRM: 14.6

Whadya think?

I appreciate your feedback. I will brew this when the recipe sufficiently vetted.

#2

I haven’t been able to try this one yet so take my comments with a grain of salt.

What do you expect to get from the 40 min additions? I would probably move those closer to the end of the boil, like 10-15 min. I’d probably increase them to at least a half ounce also. Not sure how hoppy this beer is but for my IPA’s I’ll throw in 4-6 ounces late in the boil.

Otherwise it looks like a tasty beer to me.

#3

Thanks Lynux. (I used to be a Unix SA btw).

I will take your advice. I am also going to cut the pale to 10# and add .5# Carapils and 1# wheat. This beer has a thick head and a relatively dry finish.

EDawg

#4

Your IBUS are a tad higher than SN, but that’s probably a good idea. Looks like they’re bittering with Bravo, and then it’s mostly chinook and citra through the finish. Is that why you’re using amarillo and columbus as well?

I doubt SN does a 40-minute addition, they’re pretty old-school when it comes to hopping regimes - bittering, 20-10min, lots of dry hops.

#5

A poster in the commercial beer forum said the mystery hops was like a columbus/amarillo cross. Ill edit the 40min hop add and also drop the pale to 10# and add .5 Carapils and 1# wheat. Supposedly SN says they cant do more than 10% rye or they get stuck sparges.
[cheers]

#6

[quote=“Vaughn_S”]Your IBUS are a tad higher than SN, but that’s probably a good idea. Looks like they’re bittering with Bravo, and then it’s mostly chinook and citra through the finish. Is that why you’re using amarillo and columbus as well?

I doubt SN does a 40-minute addition, they’re pretty old-school when it comes to hopping regimes - bittering, 20-10min, lots of dry hops.[/quote]

I’m told that they almost always FWH the beers, at least in a manner of speaking. They add the bittering hops as they lauter. The pilot brewer indicated that it’s standard practice.

#7

Okay cool. Would you recommend the Chinook be FWH, then?

#8

Your call…

#9

This beer says it has “experimental hops” in there, I don’t know how you’re going to be able to clone this beer without that bit of information.

#10

Or unless you go to Beer Camp and bring back a few lb. of these, like I did! :wink:

#11

Dang. That’s a lot of experimental hops.

Beersk: Denny says these hops taste like a cross b/w Columbus and Amarillo. That’s why those hops are in the recipe…to mimick X366 or whatever it is.

#12

[quote=“edawgwv”]Dang. That’s a lot of experimental hops.

Beersk: Denny says these hops taste like a cross b/w Columbus and Amarillo. That’s why those hops are in the recipe…to mimick X366 or whatever it is.[/quote]
Ah, word. That is a lot of hops! Daaayamn! The Ruthless is a pretty good beer, still have a couple bottles left. You think it might have more than 11% rye malt in it though? Denny said once that to really be able to taste rye in a beer there has to be at least 15%. I usually shoot for around there in my beers with rye.

#13

Here’s what I ended up with:

Based on 6.5 gallons and 80% efficiency it ends up at

OG 1.066
SRM 14.9
IBUS 62.9

59% 9.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row)
13.1% 2.00 lbs. Rye Malt
9.8% 1.50 lbs. Munich
6.6 % .9 lbs. Crystal 60L
6.6% 1.00 lbs. Wheat Malt
3.3% 0.50 lbs. Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt
1.6% 0.25 lbs. Chocolate Malt

0.75 oz. Chinook First WH
0.50 oz. Chinook 60 min.
0.50 oz. Columbus 10 min.
0.50 oz. Amarillo 10 min.
0.50 oz. Amarillo dry
1.00 oz. Citra dry
0.50 oz. Chinook dry

I’m going to order the ingredients and make it next week.

We shall see. :cheers:

Edawg

#14

[quote=“Beersk”][quote=“edawgwv”]Dang. That’s a lot of experimental hops.

Beersk: Denny says these hops taste like a cross b/w Columbus and Amarillo. That’s why those hops are in the recipe…to mimick X366 or whatever it is.[/quote]
Ah, word. That is a lot of hops! Daaayamn! The Ruthless is a pretty good beer, still have a couple bottles left. You think it might have more than 11% rye malt in it though? Denny said once that to really be able to taste rye in a beer there has to be at least 15%. I usually shoot for around there in my beers with rye.[/quote]

I was told by a SN insider that they can’t lauter more than 10% rye, so that’s what it is.

#15

I think your recipe looks good - hard to say how close it will come to the commercial version, but you’ll have a tasty product for sure. Not sure if you’ll really need the carapils though - the rye malt should provide plenty of mouthfeel. Which yeast are you going to use?

#16

1056 was my plan. Isn’t that the SN strain?

#17

1056 was my plan. Isn’t that the SN strain?[/quote]

Yep.

#18

Though I haven’t brewed with Bravo, I had read that it was similar in bittering quality to Nugget or CTZ. And since Denny says they essentially FWH their bittering hops, maybe you should just FWH a bunch of CTZ or Nugget (or Bravo) and then go for the late additions of Chinook, CTZ, and Amarillo, then dry hop with Citra, chinook, CTZ, and Amarillo…

As far as the malt bill, I don’t know if Carapils or wheat are really necessary. SN lists just pale, rye, caramel, and chocolate malts. So I would probably just shoot for comestic 2-row, rye malt, crystal, and a pinch of chocolate malt if I was brewing it… maybe like 85% 2-row, 10% rye malt, 4% crystal 80L, and 1% chocolate. Or maybe a pinch more crystal.

#19

[quote=“skyler”]Though I haven’t brewed with Bravo, I had read that it was similar in bittering quality to Nugget or CTZ. And since Denny says they essentially FWH their bittering hops, maybe you should just FWH a bunch of CTZ or Nugget (or Bravo) and then go for the late additions of Chinook, CTZ, and Amarillo, then dry hop with Citra, chinook, CTZ, and Amarillo…

As far as the malt bill, I don’t know if Carapils or wheat are really necessary. SN lists just pale, rye, caramel, and chocolate malts. So I would probably just shoot for comestic 2-row, rye malt, crystal, and a pinch of chocolate malt if I was brewing it… maybe like 85% 2-row, 10% rye malt, 4% crystal 80L, and 1% chocolate. Or maybe a pinch more crystal.[/quote]

I think I may take your (and others) advice on the carapils and wheat and save those for a different brew. The rye should do what I need for head retention and body. Still thinking about your FWH thoughts. I don’t have any Bravo but I might could FWH w/ some Columbus or both Columbus and Chinook. ?? Good ideas thanks.

#20

EDAWGWV, was kind enough to let me post my take on a Rye IPA. I too really enjoy the Ruthless and wanted to make a rye I can call my own and make it a mainstay at the house. I would greatly appreciate any input both good and bad. I know EDAWGWV, me and others will benefit.

Hopbursted Rye IPA
SRM: 11.9 SRM, IBU: 50.9, OG: 1.071 SG, FG: 1.020, BU:GU: 0.719, Est ABV: 6.8 %,
EE%: 65.00 %, Batch: 5.00 gal

Grain
10.5 lbs 2row
2.5 lbs rye
1 lb wheat
12 oz munich
10 oz caramel 60
1.8 oz chocolate malt
Hop Additions
1oz Cascade, 1/2oz Columbus @30min
3/4oz Cascade, 1/2oz Columbus @20min
1/2oz Cascade, 1/4oz Columbus @15min
1/2oz Cascade, 1/4oz Columbus @10min
11/2oz Cascade, 1/4oz Columbus @10min
1/2oz Cascade, 1/4oz Columbus @flameout
WY1272

If needed, I also have on hand, Super Galena, Liberty, Crystal, Perle, Fuggles and Saaz.
Thanks, Mike

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