Grapefruit IPA Recipe Help

It doesn't look like that recipe is marked as sharable. What is the specific issue?

 

Can't see the link either, but... 8-9 # light extract, Amarillo and Cascade hops, and neutral yeast should get you close even without the grapefruit zest.

 

Fixed.
http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/218693/grapefruit-ipa

Doesn't look at all like the AG recipe.
http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/114519/grapefruit-ipa

 

No experience brewing with grapefruit zest but before I use some random recipe online I would brew the base recipe without the zest and see what you think. If it turns out well brew a 2nd batch with the zest, but hey that's just me...cheers.

 

@GetMeAnIPA It's not calling for grapefruit zest, it's calling for peel. I'd assume there's a pith on there that he doesn't want and that he'd be willing to zest a few grapefruit instead?

*I have no experience trying to brew with actual grapefruit, but this is certainly the direction I'd go in. This would be going into my fermenter a few days before bottling.

 

Zest vs. peel is an important distinction when working with citrus. In case the OP is not aware, the bitterness that comes from the white part of the peel (the interior side, the pith) is rather unpleasant in beer.

 

Screw it all...brew the base IPA, then get yourself a randall (if you keg) and use the grapefruit in the randall. It will be the freshest grapefruit flavor and aroma, you dont take the chance of ruining a batch by experimenting with zest/peel/grapefruit in the boil/secondary AND then you have a randall that you can use with tons of other brews!

Randall =
1 of these http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/cartridge-filter-housing
2 of these http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/6-ft-3-8-id-jumper-hose-for-k130
1 of these http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/valve-flex-faucet-head-w-barb
$54 total to change any batch into something special, without treating the entire batch, is well worth it!

 

I brewed a similar extract IPA recipe a few months back. It turned out nice:

7 lbs Pilsen Light DME ( I would change all or most of this to Pale. I don't think I would use Amber though)
1 lb Crisp Caramalt 15L steeped for 20 mins at 160.

Pick whatever hops you like. I used combo of Magnum, Cascade, Centennial, Citra. With dry hop of Cascade and Citra.

2 packs of rehydrated US-05.

OG 1.054 FG 1.008.

As for the grapefruit. I zested one lemon, a red grapefruit and a white grapefruit. Soaked in 1 1/2 cups of vodka for about 3 weeks. Then dosed the tincture to the bottling bucket. I used all 1 1/2 cups. It turned out fantastic! I had family over for a barbeque about 3 weeks after bottling, and we drank 4 gallons of it!

Cheers!

 

I personally have not brewed with Grapefruit but I had a Grapefruit Tripel at the recent National Homebrewers Conference that was OUTSTANDING!

I spoke to the brewer and she informed me that she used Grapefruit zest (I think from 5 grapefruits) and she added it to the beer mid-fermentation.

Cheers!

 

@boothbeer has a good idea if you're bottling. That way you don't have to add the grapefruit to the entire batch (add tincture after half is bottled). Also, I think the combo of Citra and Simcoe gives a grapefruit flavor on its own, no need for grapefruit zest. IMHO.

 

I love beers that have grapefruit zest added. It has so much more of a grapefruit forward flavor than just adding hops with grapefruit flavor. Just be careful on how much bittering hops you use as the grapefruit will add some bitterness along with the flavor. One time I over did it and the bitterness was a punch in the mouth.

 

Zest is the best when it comes to getting good flavor and great aromatics with things like grapefruit.
For 5 galls, If you want it it to be knock you in the face grapefruit. zest 2 - 3 and add them on flameout. Check your hops again. I don't think you need that many different kinds of late additions, nor as a dry hop. move the
Ahtanum to the 30 minute and let the zest do the rest of the work.

 

Forget what I said earlier about hop additions. Do what you what you want. Actually, use more. It's an ipa.
Do as many as you can handle zesting. Start with three to five pound of them and go for it. Just stop when you see the pith, and don't forget to be thorough. Probably for a five gallon batch. That should give you a good idea how to brew with them. Done a few with grapefruit, and they have been subtle. But for aggressive. 7 pounds of them should be plenty aggressive. That's like 10?
Check into Citra, Falconers, and zythos for your late addition hops as well.
Check this out for another users take on them.
You could also try using the juice as a secondary addition.
Might want to pasteurize it before adding it as well. And get your nerd on. Not sure if it's necessary, but couldn't hurt.

 

The link I was looking had peel in the recipe but in the notes said zest. Anyways the point of my post was to find a recipe you like that has the grapefruit hop flavoring you want and then tweak it with grapefruit. That way you get a baseline of what the beer tastes like and then add more or less "peel" to your liking. But that's just how experiment. Each his own...cheers.

I've never used peel, zest or grapefruit anything.

 

Does that actually work? If I brewed a stout and then added coffee to the Randall it makes it legit? I keg so that works for me. Sometimes you don't want a 5 gallon batch of coffee stout. I've done this with a French press but it's kinda a hassle and can take awhile for the flavors to blend.