Brewing an extract IPA tomorrow

This is the APA IPA (averagely perfect American IPA) project recipe. The hops schedule is somewhat typical of an IPA. If you really want that bold, in your face hops flavor and aroma, think more along these lines for IPAs.

60 minutes - [magnum]* to bring IBUs to around 65
15 minutes – Simcoe 0.5 oz, Centennial 0.5 oz, Cascade 0.5 oz
10 minutes – Simcoe 0.5 oz, Centennial 0.5 oz, Cascade 0.5 oz
5 minutes – Simcoe 0.75 oz, Centennial 0.5 oz, Cascade 0.5 oz
FO/Whirlpool/Stand – Simcoe 1.0 oz, Centennial 0.75 oz, Cascade 0.75 oz
Dry Hop – 1 oz Simcoe, 1 oz Centennial, 1 oz Cascade

BTW cascade and willamette go great together, definitely keep that combo intact. Centennial should also work well with those hops.

*I used bravo because I didn't have magnum at the time. It was such a small amount as to be pretty insignificant

 

Hops should be vacuum sealed and frozen. Or nitrogen flushed, sealed, and refrigerated/frozen. Just putting them in an airtight container without removing the air won't do the trick.

 

This is more APA territory than IPA territory. Here's a sample schedule I might use if I were you:

60 min - up to 1 oz magnum, warrior, bravo, or some high AA hop for bittering, adjusted to give you the desired level of bitterness. gives you the bulk of your IBUs. I think around 70 total IBUs is pretty good for your base malt profile, but that might be debatable. You've got a pretty heavy amount of LME tho, with an OG of probably around 1.070. Don't skimp on the hops, and don't let the IBUs be too low, or you'll be out of balance.

15 minutes - 0.5 oz each cascade and willamette
10 minutes - 0.5 oz each cascade, willamette, centennial
5 minutes - 0.5 oz each cascade, willamette, centennial
FO - 1 oz each cascade, willamette, centennial -OR- 2 oz cascade, 1 oz willamette (for more cascade goodness)

dry hop - 1 oz each cascade, willamette, centennial

 

“Are you suggesting that 4 oz of hops is too little?” I personally do not think that 4 ounces are too little. I have made some very tasty IPAs using 4 ounces of hops; for example:

· 1 ounce of Warrior for bittering (60 minutes of boil)

· 1 ounce for flavor (15 minutes of boil)

· 1 ounce for aroma (end of boil)

· 1 ounce for dry hopping

Feel free to use more or stick with your 4 ounces. It really comes down to how hoppy (from a bittering, flavor and aroma perspective) you want your IPA to be.

Cheers!

 

After your investment in a mash tun (I built my own on the cheap) it will save you a lot of money over time. Extracts are expensive and give you less control over your final product. They are a great way to start off as most of us do, but IMO all grain brewing produces better results and enables you to get closer to what you are looking for when you design a recipe. Great beers can be made with extract, dont get me wrong, but I believe that once you are familiar with the brewing process that all grain is the way to go.

 

No man, you're not. Like Jack points out above it is very possible to make a perfectly tasty IPA (57 IBUs is solidly in the middle of the style guidelines, upper end actually) with 4 oz of hops.
American beer drinkers and homebrewers will always tell you that more is better when it comes to hops, and will try to lead you to make what they like. Very rarely will you get an honest assessment of what you're planning that does not include "more hops".
Make this beer like you have planned and see how it goes.

 

So you are saying he doesnt need more Citra???

 

Having brewed the APA IPA, I can tell you it's pretty solid and very hop forward, but certainly not insanely hoppy by today's standards. I can also tell you that I have medaled with an American IPA with just 6 ounces of total hops in 5.1 gallons. It's a broad style. Maybe a way to get good advice on that would be to give an example or two of commerciall IPAs you like.

 

Yes.

You have a pinch over 2 ounces total for your boil, no including bittering. 2 ounces TOTAL of 3 different varieties, and then less than 1 ounce total in a dry hop.

So yes, your amount of hops are too little for an IPA. Chances are you beer won't get very dry, and you'll be left with a sweeter tasting beer that out does our hop schedule.

There are plenty of ways to do it, but I personally think you are short on the green stuff all the way around.

I have made smaller IPA's, with 4-5 ounces of hops that came out great. You don't have to pile it on.

However, your current recipe, I think will fall short of an IPA in terms of hoppiness due to the small and strange 1/5 and 1/3 pinches here and there. You'll be dropping 2-4 pellets at a time of each one in the boil at that rate.

 

I'd get rid of the 10 and 5 min additions and put them all in at flameout, then do a 30 min hopstand.

 

You should be fine. It'll be beer!

What does Beersmith say your BU:GU ratio is?

 

Thats it.. Looks good for an IPA in terms of enough bitterness. I think over .800 is plenty fine enough for a balanced IPA. I've done 'em from .8 to a recent Black IPA that is at 1.28.

If your volume is too high and your boiling now, just boil longer before adding your last additions.. Would give you a few more IBU's anyways if you did say.. a 90 min boil if you are worried about too much volume.

 

No. Covering it will lead to DMS. I never boil with a lid on. No reason to. If an insect managed to get in that hot steamy boil. I brew under a big covered porch, and keep the ceiling fans on, so I really only have to deal with random flys and whatnot. No leaves from the trees.

Regardless, don't boil with your lid on. It doesn't allow DMS to boil off, and what drips back into the pot should be boiling off.