Ipa Low Ibu's Advice.

[scrumpy]

folks!

brewed an IPA about a week and a half ago and it is still in primary, sampling outa the hydro vessel suggests that i have under hopped the beer, it finishes quite sweet and cloying.

I'm tipping my bittering addition was not enough, i have already dry hopped the beer once not to add bitterness but to try add more hop flavour and aroma in the hope it will give the brew a little more "depth".

I was thinking if it would be possible to boil up a weighed amount of hops with some dme to bump up the ibu's? if so what plan of attack should i take??

dont know if it will help but here is the recipe....

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: American IPA
Brewer: Daniel
Asst Brewer:
Style: American IPA
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 26.00 L
Boil Size: 36.11 L
Estimated OG: 1.065 SG
Estimated Color: 16.3 EBC
Estimated IBU: 56.7 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 90.00 %
Boil Time: 75 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
5.18 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (5.9 EBC) Grain 86.47 %
0.40 kg Crystal Malt Pale (Simp) (60.0 EBC) Grain 6.73 %
0.30 kg Munich Malt Light (Wey) (15.0 EBC) Grain 5.09 %
0.10 kg Crystal Malt (Simp) (150.0 EBC) Grain 1.71 %
20.00 gm Centennial [10.00 %] (Dry Hop 3 days) Hops -
40.00 gm Chinook [11.40 %] (60 min) Hops 41.5 IBU
35.00 gm Cascade [8.70 %] (10 min) Hops 10.0 IBU
35.00 gm Amarillo Gold [8.20 %] (5 min) Hops 5.2 IBU
25.00 gm Simcoe [12.10 %] (0 min) Hops -
1 Pkgs California Ale V (White Labs #WLP051) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: Temperature Mash, 1 Step, Light Body
Total Grain Weight: 5.99 kg
----------------------------
Temperature Mash, 1 Step, Light Body
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
75 min Saccharification Add 15.61 L of water at 71.9 C 65.6 C
10 min Mash Out Heat to 75.6 C over 10 min 75.6 C


Notes:
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[.DJ.]

I would have thought it would be ok at 56IBU with an OG of 1.065. (I assume these are correct)

I make my IPA's it an OG:BU of 1.0 so its not far off...

personally, I would wait for it to ferment and blend if you need to...

 

[mxd]

the recipe seems fine, what's is the current gravity ?

 

[brettprevans]

what were your OF and FG readings. my first reaction is that fermentation hasnt finished rather than your buggering up the hopping. esp given the look of your grain bill.

edit: too slow.

also if indeed it turns out you need to add bitterness, really the only solution is to to boil a small boil with more hops and add it. so maybe just use some malt extract6 and boil up a few liters with hops. keeping in mind that it will affect your gravity. so its kind of a trade off. but my money is still on fermentation still being incomplete

 

[scrumpy]

the recipe seems fine, what's is the current gravity ?

mate was sitting at 1.018 yesterday, im expecting it to come down to 12ish.

do you think these last few points will help balance it out?

 

[np1962]

I tend to agree with the others, let it finish then see how it is.
Only other suggestion re recipe would be to mash at 63C to help the attenuation a little more.
Not sure you will get down as far as you are expecting this time.
Nige

 

[mxd]

mate was sitting at 1.018 yesterday, im expecting it to come down to 12ish.

do you think these last few points will help balance it out?

it would help with the balance, yo might need to wake the yeast up a bit as I thought it would have completed fermentation by now.

 

[scrumpy]

cheers guys I'll go out to the shed now and give her a good swerl aroung in the fermenter, try and rouse the little buggers.

this is my first time using WLP051 (wy1272) should i expect similar ferment times as 1056? I've got her sitting at 18 deg now. I've read they are quite similar strains but the 051 being a little more fruity in the finish as opposed to the super clean character of 1056.

 

[felten]

I'd bump the temp up a few degrees to help it finish off (if there is anything to finish off)

 

[np1962]

cheers guys I'll go out to the shed now and give her a good swerl aroung in the fermenter, try and rouse the little buggers.

this is my first time using WLP051 (wy1272) should i expect similar ferment times as 1056? I've got her sitting at 18 deg now. I've read they are quite similar strains but the 051 being a little more fruity in the finish as opposed to the super clean character of 1056.

Ferment times rely on so many variables that simply stating a beer will be done in x days or will take the same time as y yeast is just not possible.
WLP051 will give a more fruity profile, if you are used to beers brewed with 1056 then part of your 'sweet' perception may be esters from the different yeast.
Nige