(smash) Ipa Help

[micblair]

Would like some help formulating a well balanced IPA (i.e. GU/BU =1) with a simple grain and hop bill, to allow a bit of ingredient appreciation too.

My first question is, can I get a sufficiently enough malt backbone with a single malt only, i.e. all Munich, to support 50-60 IBU's?

Or should I be a little more conservative and go with a Maris Otter/Munich/Medium to dark Crystal combo hopped with a single varietal for something with sufficient complexity without being overly sweet?

So far my single hop shortlist are: simcoe, amarillo, cascade or centennial.

 

[Steve@PMF82]

MO with 3-5% crystal 1065 - 1070OG
All hop additions at 10min to get your desired IBU = at least match your OG 1070 = 70IBU
Then add 15 - 20 IBU for a 60min hop addition, something like magnum, or in your list centennial or amarillo

 

[micblair]

FWH?

 

[Acasta]

I did an all malt IPA based off punk ipa.
It was very light in colour however all the hop flavour made a really interesting beer!

If you are looking to showcase a certain hop It's a great way to go.

BU:GU at 1 would be good. Try get most of your bitterness from after 20 min. Assumeing 1.060, so say, 20ibu @60 then 40ibu after 20min. Big additions @ 20, 10, 0 and dry.

 

[big78sam]

You could try Vienna as a base. I brewed a 100% Vienna 10 minute IPA recently. Still gives a bit of that biscuity character bit not as ott as all Munich. I used all Amarillo but if I had my time again would go Chinook or simcoe to give a bit of a piney/resin character. The Amarillo was a bit too floral for me.

 

[Acasta]

Assumeing 1.060, so say, 20ibu @60 then 40ibu after 20min. Big additions @ 20, 10, 0 and dry.

Make that 10ibu @60 then 50ibu after 20min.
0 and dry additions should be about 3-4g/L

 

[micblair]

Make that 10ibu @60 then 50ibu after 20min.
0 and dry additions should be about 3-4g/L

Thanks for the input, went 97% pale and the rest crystal. Plan to split the wort after mash and do two separate boils, one with all simcoe the other amarillo on the 50L BM. Haven't decided on a mash regime yet to provide the right balance of malt backbone/fermentables though. Was quite impressed with the lower SG achieved last brew using a hochkurz regiment for a Lager I recently brewed.

 

[_HOME_BREW_WALLACE_]

I did an all malt IPA based off punk ipa.
It was very light in colour however all the hop flavour made a really interesting beer!

If you are looking to showcase a certain hop It's a great way to go.

BU:GU at 1 would be good. Try get most of your bitterness from after 20 min. Assumeing 1.060, so say, 20ibu @60 then 40ibu after 20min. Big additions @ 20, 10, 0 and dry.

Is there any reason why you wouldn't just go the whole hog and make all of the bitterness after 20mins? If I make anything now that i want hoppy i rarely use a 60min addition. I lean towards 45-30mins when i start adding hops.

 

[micblair]

was only planning on getting 10-15 IBU's at 60 mins, not quite sure I'll have enough Simcoe for what your proposing, and for dry hopping.

 

[Acasta]

Is there any reason why you wouldn't just go the whole hog and make all of the bitterness after 20mins? If I make anything now that i want hoppy i rarely use a 60min addition. I lean towards 45-30mins when i start adding hops.

No reason in particular haha. It's just the way I've picked it up.
I usually do the late hopping first then make up the remaining ibu at 60. Sometimes its only about 5g with a high AA hop haha.
I may try your method on my next big bitter beer. Do you find it leads to a smoother bitterness or something?

Edit: that's another good reason, saves on hops. If you can get your desired hopping rates and then just add bitterness at 60 to save on hops.

 

[Yob]

Is there any reason why you wouldn't just go the whole hog and make all of the bitterness after 20mins? If I make anything now that i want hoppy i rarely use a 60min addition. I lean towards 45-30mins when i start adding hops.

I do the same these days, hoppy beers are loaded toward the end of the boil, 20% of total IBU at 40 mins and the rest from 20 down to Whirlpool

(ed: Sorry didnt realise it was for SMASH which I rarely do, not sure if that changes anything)

 

[Nick JD]

I find it's a good idea to mash IPAs (and imperial ones especially) as low as you're capable of going.

The rule that the last two numbers of the OG are the same as the IBUs is a good one.