DME advice

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by deleted_user_1007501, May 31, 2016.

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  1. deleted_user_1007501

    deleted_user_1007501 Initiate (0) Jun 30, 2015

    Hey all,
    This Sunday I'm doing a 5gal DME-based IPA. I am shooting for 6-7.5% abv. Each calculator I use tells me something very different about my recipe. This is my first time stepping away from kits, so I want to make sure my DME isn't going to be way off. Also, some critique/tweaks on my hop bill would be helpful.

    Doing a boil with 3 gallons in kettle and adding an additional 2gal of water before it goes into the carboy.
    ____________
    4lb Briess Pilsen DME
    3lb Briess Golden Light DME
    (3lbs Pilsen added @ 60min ; 1lb Pilsen and 3lb Golden Light @ 15min)

    1oz Warrior (15%AA) @ 60min
    1oz Mosaic (11%AA) @ 15min
    0.5oz (or 1oz) Chinook (11%AA) @ 10min
    1oz Centennial (9%AA) @ 10 min
    1oz Mosaic @ Flameout
    1oz Centennial @ Flameout

    San Diego Super yeast
     
  2. GreenKrusty101

    GreenKrusty101 Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2008 Nevada

    Different calculators use different assumptions, if this is your first IPA, average them and then use the one that most closely matches your intentions. My assumption is that bitterness is the main variable you are worried about...OG should be very similar with all calculators if using extract. Good luck...I also assume you are dryhopping this good-looking recipe :slight_smile:
     
  3. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    I don't know what calculators you're using, but some of the differences could be due to what you're telling the calculators or what they think you mean. For instance, you can't make a 5 gallon batch (into the fermenter) by boiling 3 gallons and then adding 2 gallons. You have to account for boil off and for hop absorption. Different calculators may handle these differently (if they handle them at all), e.g. they may have different default boil off rates or different default absorption rates. Or batch size might mean something different for each one...is it gallons into the fermenter? Post-boil gallons including the trub? Gallons of finished (packaged) beer? You have to pick a good calculator, read the fine print, and use the calculator accordingly.

    I'll recommend the BrewCipher spreadsheet, but I'm biased. It does have a User Guide (and Mouse-Over Help comments in the spreadsheet itself), so you know what it's doing with your input. And it's free.
     
  4. mattviator

    mattviator Zealot (640) Jul 9, 2005 Louisiana
    Society Trader

    A simple free calculator I use for extract beers is at tastybrew.com and I usually hit my OG exact. You can also adjust the attenuation % to calculate the final gravity. Using 7 lbs of DME for 5 gallons will get you an OG of 1.063. Haven't used that yeast before, but assuming an attenuation of 82% would get your FG to 1.011, giving you 6.7% ABV.
     
  5. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

  6. deleted_user_1007501

    deleted_user_1007501 Initiate (0) Jun 30, 2015

    Dry hopping with more centennial and mosaic! Possibly a tad bit of chinook, but I really love the funk mosaic can give.
     
  7. deleted_user_1007501

    deleted_user_1007501 Initiate (0) Jun 30, 2015

    According to White Labs the San Diego Super is around 75-85%, so hopefully those little buddies can work hard!
     
  8. deleted_user_1007501

    deleted_user_1007501 Initiate (0) Jun 30, 2015

    I guess my question is less about which calculator to use, but more about asking experienced DME brewers if my amount of DME looks normal and the hop bill is balanced. Either way I'm sure it'll end up being at least an alright brew!
     
  9. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Using a total of seven lbs. of DME for a 5 gallon batch will indeed get you into the 'IPA range'.

    Do you intend to dry hop this beer as well?

    Cheers!
     
  10. deleted_user_1007501

    deleted_user_1007501 Initiate (0) Jun 30, 2015

    I figured as much! Many extract recipes I've seen use 6-7lbs, so I'll just dump it in and see how it turns out! Cheers and thanks for confirming.

    I do indeed intend to dry hop. I usually dry hop in the last 4 days before I bottle to get some real fresh aromas. I'm thinking 1.5oz Mosaic with 4 days left, and 1.5 oz centennial & maybe a 0.5oz sprinkle of chinook at 2 days left (for good measure).
     
  11. PapaGoose03

    PapaGoose03 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,057) May 30, 2005 Michigan
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Instead of a comment on your ingredients, I'll make a couple of comments about your procedures in case you haven't thought of doing them. Since you are boiling only 3 gallons, I'd add only about 25% of the DME at the start so that the early part of your wort will be thinner and give your liquid an extra opportunity to utilize the hop oils into the beer. All of the sugar into the 3-gallons of wort will be thick and likely will inhibit the hop flavor. Add the other 75% of the DME about 10 minutes from the end of the boil. This should also give your beer a lighter color.

    Also, you'll probably be needing to add more than 2 gallons of top-off water at the end because you have to account for boil-off and some absorption of the liquid by the hops. Good luck on your brew.
     
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  12. deleted_user_1007501

    deleted_user_1007501 Initiate (0) Jun 30, 2015

    Beautiful. I was definitely hesitant about the timing of additions. So maybe 1lb or 1.5lbs of the Pilsen to start?
     
  13. PapaGoose03

    PapaGoose03 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,057) May 30, 2005 Michigan
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    The precise amount isn't real important, so use whatever pours out of the bag that is in that range.

    I have no experience with Golden Light, but I'd use whichever of the two malts has the expected darker SRM so that you save your lighter color for the late addition, thus less darkening of it during the long boil (if a lighter color is important to you).
     
  14. mattviator

    mattviator Zealot (640) Jul 9, 2005 Louisiana
    Society Trader

    Good advice so far. I'll add that I wouldn't do a 60 minute boil, but rather a 30 minute boil. Add the 1 oz Warrior at 30 minutes, the difference in IBU's is minimal since you have all the other hop additions. I'd move that 30 minutes to do a hop steep with the flameout hops. So basically just add your flameout hops, cover and stir every few minutes for 30 minutes, then cool down to pitching temperatures.
     
  15. premierpro

    premierpro Savant (1,060) Mar 21, 2009 Michigan

    When I was an extract brewer I put all the DME in at the beginning so I did not have to deal with a second hot break. If you are using 1 oz of warrior at 60 min you will not have to worry about bitterness. Have fun!
     
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