Style Of The Week 13/12/06 - American Ipa

[Supra-Jim]

Should also mention, I would probably mash at 64/65 (if i was using 10% crystal)

Cheers SJ

 

[therook]

I have modified it slighty and swapped the wheat for munich 1

 

[Maple]

G'day everyone,

Thoughts on my first IPA


Rook

I can't believe you're like 80 and this is your first aipa... h34r:

But seriously, good move with the munich from wheat. now if i may suggest 1 minor tweek, swap your simcoe and cascade additions around, and 1 major change, sub the Pils for Rye. you'll have a winner.

 

[reviled]

I personally think that an IPA should have a good malt balance, so would agree with SJ to up the crystal to at least 10% total

What stu refers to sounds like more of an APA to me, but at the end of the day its all about brewing what you like eh :icon_cheers:

 

[argon]

here's my first IPA probably do it this weekend... double batch... still not sure about the hop schedule...

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Black Diamond IPA
Brewer: Argon
Asst Brewer:
Style: American Style India Black Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 38.00 L
Boil Size: 45.39 L
Estimated OG: 1.067 SG
Estimated Color: 53.0 EBC
Estimated IBU: 57.4 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
9.00 kg Ale Malt (Barrett Burston) (6.0 EBC) Grain 71.44 %
2.20 kg Munich II Malt (Weyermann) (22.5 EBC) Grain 17.46 %
0.35 kg Carafa Special T3 Malt (Weyermann) (1400Grain 2.78 %
0.35 kg Aromatic Malt - (Dingemans) (37.0 EBC) Grain 2.77 %
0.35 kg Carapils Malt (Weyermann) (4.0 EBC) Grain 2.77 %
0.35 kg Wheat Malt (Barrett Burston) (3.0 EBC) Grain 2.77 %

40.00 gm Centennial [9.90 %] (60 min) Hops 21.8 IBU
20.00 gm Cascade [5.00 %] (60 min) Hops 5.5 IBU
20.00 gm Cascade [5.00 %] (30 min) Hops 4.2 IBU
30.00 gm Centennial [9.90 %] (30 min) Hops 12.6 IBU
25.00 gm Centennial [9.90 %] (15 min) Hops 6.8 IBU
20.00 gm Cascade [5.00 %] (15 min) Hops 2.7 IBU
25.00 gm Centennial [9.90 %] (5 min) Hops 2.7 IBU
20.00 gm Cascade [5.00 %] (5 min) Hops 1.1 IBU
30.00 gm Centennial [9.90 %] (Dry Hop 3 days) Hops -
10.00 gm Cascade [5.00 %] (Dry Hop 3 days) Hops -

2 Pkgs American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) [Starter Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 12.60 kg
----------------------------
Single Infusion, Medium Body
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
90 min Mash In Add 37.80 L of water at 72.7 C 66.0 C
10 min Mash Out Heat to 75.6 C over 2 min 75.6 C


Notes:
------
All hop additions minus 15 mins for NC Cube adjustments
5 min Hop additions french pressed into fermenter prior to pitching

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[drsmurto]

I personally think that an IPA should have a good malt balance, so would agree with SJ to up the crystal to at least 10% total

What stu refers to sounds like more of an APA to me, but at the end of the day its all about brewing what you like eh :icon_cheers:

That's the opposite of the way i think.

As the OG goes up the % of crystal comes down.

The higher the OG, the higher the malt backbone of your beer given the same mash temp. Fairly logical given you are putting more malt into your mashtun - it has to go somewhere......

I've made uber malty English IPAs with base malt and a dash of chocolate malt for colour.

I only just snuck up to 10% crystal malt in my last light beer mashed at 70C!

My 2 c.
DrSmurto

p.s. agree with Maple suggestions, rye + munich = :icon_drool2:

 

[reviled]

That's the opposite of the way i think.

As the OG goes up the % of crystal comes down.

The higher the OG, the higher the malt backbone of your beer given the same mash temp. Fairly logical given you are putting more malt into your mashtun - it has to go somewhere......

I've made uber malty English IPAs with base malt and a dash of chocolate malt for colour.

I only just snuck up to 10% crystal malt in my last light beer mashed at 70C!

My 2 c.
DrSmurto

p.s. agree with Maple suggestions, rye + munich = :icon_drool2:

Its funny you say that because I used to think along those lines, I used to be scared of using too much crystal malt because I didnt want a beer that was too sweet or cloying, but after being in the states and trying all their awesome IPA's they all have an intense caramel flavour that alot of them get from using up to 20% crystal!!! Split between carapils and crystal 40L

My pliny clone I brewed from memory was 7% carapils and 3 or 4% carared, with a 7ish kilo grist and I reckon I could've gotten away with more crystal to achieve a stronger caramel flavour..

 

[Stuster]

As the OG goes up the % of crystal comes down.

p.s. agree with Maple suggestions, rye + munich = :icon_drool2:

Agreed on the crystal issue. It's a big beer so you should still get plenty of malt to back up the hops.


And agreed on the rye and munich front too. Rye and Munich - perfect to bring up in my 5,000th post! :chug:

 

[Duff]

Rook,

Looks good. You better send a couple of bottles up to myself and the Bunyip for evaluation.

Cheers.

 

[The Scientist]

I'll have to disagree with Supra-Jim there. For my tastes, 10% crystal in a beer like this is too much and I'd go with the recipe you have. I'd prefer to end up with a dryer, more sessionable beer. It really depends what you like though and both will work fine, just personal taste. And I certainly agree that the wheat is not essential.

Yeah thats what I'd be doing for an American IPA. The hops are the main event and they really can shine through in a drier beer. Like Supra said for the wheat though, no need for it in a beer of this magnatude :beerbang:

 

[bum]

Its funny you say that because I used to think along those lines, I used to be scared of using too much crystal malt because I didnt want a beer that was too sweet or cloying, but after being in the states and trying all their awesome IPA's they all have an intense caramel flavour that alot of them get from using up to 20% crystal!!!

+eleventy-two

They do get very chewy over there. But I have said a number of times here that Australian brewers (and breweries) approach this style completely arse about and I never seem to find a sympathetic ear. People always just talk about American crystals not being as sweet as ours so we need to use less. I dunno, they usually seem pretty sweet to me if you can taste your way around the IBUs. Looks like it is just you and me, Reviled.

 

[drsmurto]

Thoughts on water chemistry in this style?

For my APAs i tend to go Ca 100, SO4 160 and Cl 85 ppm.

Up the SO4 a touch?

I don't brew that many AIPAs and the last one used tap water.

 

[speedie]

yeast selection has a lot to do with residual sweetness
anderson valley beer starts sweet then goes back to hop
would think that the cyrstal is more for colour

 

[felten]

Has anyone had a go at a big Australian style IPA?

I have some pacific gem, stella, galaxy and topaz that I want to squeeze into an IPA but I've never used any of them before. I've heard good and bad things about pacific gem, and that its easy to over do galaxy late, but I don't know how they will go in a new world style IPA.

Anyway I've been plugging numbers in using McDole's celebration ale as a base, comments welcome. Oh and I'll be no-chilling this, thinking about adding the 10m hops to the cube but not 100% sure yet.


Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 32.08 l
Post Boil Volume: 25.20 l
Estimated OG: 1.069 SG
Estimated Color: 25.4 EBC
Estimated IBU (rager): 74.6 IBUs (tinseth) 93.5
Brewhouse Efficiency: 76.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
6.00 kg Bohemian Pilsner (Weyermann) (3.5 EBC) Grain 1 81.1 %
0.47 kg Carafoam (Weyermann) (3.9 EBC) Grain 2 6.3 %
0.47 kg Caramel Malt - 60L (Briess) (118.2 EBC) Grain 3 6.3 %
0.23 kg Caramel Malt - 120L (Briess) (236.4 EBC) Grain 4 3.1 %
0.23 kg Munich II (Weyermann) (22.5 EBC) Grain 5 3.1 %

8.00 g Pacific Gem [15.00 %] - Boil 90.0 min Hop 6 15.4 IBUs
28.00 g Pacific Gem [15.00 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 7 18.1 IBUs
57.00 g Galaxy [14.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 8 18.6 IBUs
57.00 g Topaz [17.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 9 22.5 IBUs
28.00 g Stella [16.40 %] - Dry Hop 3.0 Days Hop 12 0.0 IBUs
28.00 g Topaz [17.00 %] - Dry Hop 3.0 Days Hop 13 0.0 IBUs
28.00 g Galaxy [14.00 %] - Dry Hop 3.0 Days Hop 11 0.0 IBUs

1.0 pkg American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) [124.21 Yeast 10 -


Mash Schedule: BIAB, Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 7.40 kg
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Saccharification Add 36.72 l of water at 69.9 C 66 C 75 min

 

[Newbee(r)]

Dear Lord NOOOOOO!

Having ruined 2 brews with pacific gem, I suggest don't take the risk. You are safer with them upfront (at beginning of boil) but I wouldn't risk them full stop unless you have tasted them and love them.

Galaxy can be overpowering, I'd drop the 10 min addition and just dry hop with it.

 

[O'Henry]

I'd hop with stella late and dry hop too. Hold back on the galaxy. Also, if you can split the ferment, dry hop the beer with single hops only, then you can get a real idea for the dry hop potential. Do Stella, Topaz and then a few bottles straight for comparison. I did a split with stella in one and amraillo/centennial in another and the stella was my fav by far. Split my brewing buddy though, he was very loyal to his US favourites...

 

[felten]

Cheers guys, thanks for the tips. I think I was just trying to fit the galaxy in because I had some, I'll save it for a 10m IPA or something and stick with the topaz+stella in this beer, with a little galaxy in the dry hop.

 

[freezkat]

Cheers guys, thanks for the tips. I think I was just trying to fit the galaxy in because I had some, I'll save it for a 10m IPA or something and stick with the topaz+stella in this beer, with a little galaxy in the dry hop.

I have been discussing IPAs with other American home brewers. I was surprised to read a recipe that had 500g of hops in a 20L recipe. And these weren't weak hops.

Is this common?

 

[felten]

It's common in the US for an imperial IPA. Looking at the CYBI recipes for firestone union jack it has 340g of hops in it, avery mahajra has 480g as well.

 

[drtomc]

I listened to a Basic Brewing Radio podcast the other day where they had measurements of the IBUs using the standard analytic technique, and they found that the IBUs maxed out pretty quickly, and indeed, that a couple of commercial IIPAs which were supposed to have 100 IBUs, came in at about half that.

The conclusion I came away with was that in terms of IBUs, things max out round 50.

That's not to say adding more hops doesn't keep changing the beer, just that the specific measurement of IBUs maxes out.

2c,
T.