Looking for help in utilizing new hops.

If you're brewing from a kit, and have to use a HopShot to bitter, I don't think that how you structure your hopbill is going to be the deciding factor in a win. Water Profile, mash temp, yeast health/pitch rate, and fermentation temp are going to be what matters.

 

I can't help you with the hop choices because I'm like you and don't have that knowledge to know which ones, and how much of each. However, I do suggest that you brew your IPA early enough to be able to give your beer at least two weeks to condition in the bottle. I'm one of those people who believe that hop flavors need that extra conditioning time to be able to mature.

 

Entering a competition for all grain when it's going to be your first all grain batch seems like a bold move. For an IPA mash ph generally plays a big role and using store bought water you don't know anything about the water profile. Maybe it worked well with extract but doing the mash yourself will be a bit different. Azacca and Equinox are both great hops so I would use those two for sure. I would stick with two or 3 hops. Use those two hops 50/50 for dry hopping. I would probably add calyapso as my 3rd hop. Personally not much of a fan of lemon or dorado. I also don't think those flavors will blend as well, too much lemon character.

Good luck.

 

With the HopShot extract, I recommend first warming the syringe in your pocket or somewhere else. I then add it slowly, a few drops at a time, into a brewing spoon half-full of boiling wort over the boil kettle and let it dissolve in the spoon first. Otherwise, you might get undissolved drops on the side of your kettle.

 

Regarding hop flavor/aroma . . . this may be personal. Example: I don't care for Azaaca but love El Dorado, just the opposite of advice given above. If really serious about what to expect you can do a test run. Drop a few pellets of each hop in an Amstel Light (or any generic lager), wait five days, and taste/smell the results. You can mix/match pours to see how they play together. Here's a detailed approach:
http://www.bertusbrewery.com/2013/03/dry-hopped-bud-light.html
The caveat here is you must have a good method to re-seal your hops prior to your brew day. I would be reluctant to use more than three different varieties.

Hop Extract works pretty easily, expect little to no problems here. Late additions/whirlpooling is a complex arrangement. Here's a place to start: http://www.mrmalty.com/late_hopping.php
Also, lots of good info on this board, search for "whirlpooling, late/flame out additions" on this forum to see other's technique. Temp considerations for FO additions vary a lot with different brewers and their equipment. No way to nail this without some trail-error.

Finally, using untreated Zepherhills water will put you at a disadvantage. Here's the mineral content:
http://www.nestle-watersna.com/asset-library/documents/zh_bwqr.pdf
If this report is accurate (it's dated 2013), this is woefully inadequate for an IPA. It's generally accepted that award winning brewers have treated their water. Water analysis is probably as complex as anything you may do in brewing. You could write a book about how to treat water to favor different styles (which I believe someone has done). I don't mean to be discouraging, but this is an area which can take a lot of time/effort if you want spectacular results.

 

Perhaps the disconnect here is that @One1Asterisk has used this water for extract beers, which brings along the minerals from the extract mash in addition to the water being added. But All Grain is a new ballgame.

 

Could you post your BA APA IPA water profile from Brewcipher (still can't get the drop-down menus to work in my Google Sheets) to give him a good target.

Err . . . never mind . . . just found the link that discusses this at length:
http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/water-profile-suggestions-for-juicy-fruity-ipa.305797/

 

Hmmm... I believe @jbakajust1 uses BrewCipher in Google Sheets and the only thing that doesn't work for him are the macros. Maybe you could compare notes. My first guess would be maybe one of you started with the .xls download and the other started with the .xlsm download.

OP: Sorry for the hijack. Water profile for an IPA depends somewhat on what you want to achieve. But the link @PortLargo provided has the IPA profile he mentioned, and some others, along with some discussion about what qualities they emphasize.

 

True. Everything works for me except the scale up/down.

 

For the OP, I, personally, do not like Calypso. It tastes like sucking on used tea bags.

 

I've used Lemon Drop, El Dorado and Calypso in the same beer with good results. Lemon, cherry and green apple flavors.

If you have to use all of the seven hops you listed, the flavor will be difficult to predict.

 

If that's the case, I'll bet most people will use Citra. It's a tasty hop, but sometimes being different gets you noticed.