Belgian Ipa Recipe Critique

[jbowers]

Going to brew a lightish alc Belgian IPA as a way of getting a bunch of yeast to use in a tripel I'm going to make after. Basically looking for some thoughts on this. I reckon Simcoe and Sorachi will go well together - the sorachi should cut through the belgian esters well.

Not totally sure about the malt bill though. Thinking I'll mash at about 66 or 67 to leave it with some body to balance the hops. Please share your thoughts, recipe is as follows:


BelgIPA

Original Gravity (OG): 1.050 (P): 12.4
Final Gravity (FG): 1.013 (P): 3.3
Alcohol (ABV): 4.91 %
Colour (SRM): 5.8 (EBC): 11.4
Bitterness (IBU): 62.0 (Average)

70% Pilsner
20% Vienna
10% Aromatic Malt

0.4 g/L Simcoe (12.2% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil)
1.2 g/L Simcoe (12.2% Alpha) @ 10 Minutes (Boil)
1.3 g/L Sorachi (14% Alpha) @ 10 Minutes (Boil)
1.5 g/L Simcoe (12.2% Alpha) @ 5 Minutes (Boil)
1.5 g/L Sorachi (14% Alpha) @ 5 Minutes (Boil)
1.3 g/L Simcoe (12.2% Alpha) @ 0 Days (Dry Hop)
1.3 g/L Sorachi (14% Alpha) @ 0 Days (Dry Hop)

 

[drtomc]

Going to brew a lightish alc Belgian IPA as a way of getting a bunch of yeast to use in a tripel I'm going to make after. Basically looking for some thoughts on this. I reckon Simcoe and Sorachi will go well together - the sorachi should cut through the belgian esters well.

If you're trying to grow a big lot of healthy yeast for a tripel, I'd recommend using a less hoppy wort.

The alpha acids work as a preservative for the beer by clogging up the cell membrane of the bacteria, which makes it harder for them to function. Unfortunately, they also clog the cell membrane of the yeast, which copes, but is still impeded (kind of like chemotherapy - pretty damn poisonous, but more poisonous to the cancer than to the healthy tissue).

Not saying it won't work, but if you want to maximise the happiness of the yeast going in to your tripel, I'd go for something with less rather than more hops.

2c,
T.

 

[jbowers]

Cheers for the advice. No one has any thoughts about the beer itself though?

 

[Nick JD]

Cheers for the advice. No one has any thoughts about the beer itself though?

What yeast?

 

[jbowers]

Duh, sorry. Wyeast 3787.

 

[eamonnfoley]

If you want to build some yeast up without even needing a starter. Go for a belgian "single" ~1035 OG. Nathan Smith (Brewing Network) has a recipe for one. The lunchtime non-commerical beer for the monks.....

http://destroy.net/brewing/461/461_Belgian_Single.html

 

[jbowers]

That looks great actually. Might hold off the Belgian IPA till the heat of summer dies down. By then my Tripel will be ready too!