What should I add to my IPA?

Have you brewed an IPA before? Or any beer?

 

IPAs have a lot of flavor, so what is your goal? I'm confused.

 

Occasionally you'll hear about an IPA being brewed with guava, blood orange, grapefruit, etc. but for a first time brew, I suggest that you play with the hop additions if you want to vary the flavor that you get. Different hops will give you a variety of flavors, and it's fun to experiment with them.

 

www.howtobrew.com

My advice would be to read the above, then ask questions. To answer your question: IPA flavor comes mostly from hops. But you would also use hops in almost all beers.

 

Orange zest, honey at end of primary

 

How much orange zest and honey would you add for a five gallon batch?

 

Some members, including myself, will always suggest brewing basic styles (no adjuncts/additives) while your a beginner. It might be temping to throw in a kitchen sink and make the beer "unique", but in the end if you neglect the fundamentals, the beer more times than not will be garbage no matter what delicious adjuncts you put in it.

 

Want to make a good ipa that is different? Start looking at different hop combinations, dry hopping methods, keeping all oxygen away from beer after primary fermentation, water chemistry, etc.

 

Hops

 

to quote @AlCaponeJunior MOAR HOPS

 

Start with the zest of 1/2 an orange at the end of primary. It's hard to be absolute with zest in my experience. Depends on the oil in the particular fruit. You can leave it in until it's noticable then rack to keg/bottles. Honey would have to be determined by your judgement for FG using brewing software.

 

Here's where a little research goes a long ways. Ask yourself which commercial IPAs you like best . . . don't be bashful, try a Dogfish, Bells, Stone, Green Flash, Smuttynose and anything else you can come across. Ideally do blind tastings . . . it will become obvious which ones you like. Fairly easy to find a close recipe for what you pick.

Any other answer from me would just be what I like.

 

I'd start simple if this is your first brew. Try a single hop cascade, or centennial IPA. You'd be amazed at how well it turns out!

 

Step 1, identify the flavor profile you want. Step 2, eliminate DIPAs from consideration going with an IPA, consider a PA even. Step 3, find a kit that reflects your answers to step 1 and 2; try Northern Brewer, Morebeer or Midwest Brewing Spplies to start. Last step, brew it having fun and don't stress about it, it will be good beer, a good learning or ideally both.

 

Here is so.e "radical" advice with love behind it..... Don't expect to brew a "special / amazing" IPA the first time you homebrew. Start with a simpler style and save yourself some money while getting the fundamentals of home brewing down

 

Easy grain bill! I like over 95% 2-row or marris otter. I also only do .25-.5 lbs of caramel malts. Also add at .5 lbs to 1.5 lbs of either table sugar or corn sugar to dry it out. Mash Low if doing all grain. You want extremely low FG. For hops I really like Columbus for bittering and late hop additions/dry hopping for aroma and flavor I like these centennial, mosaic, citra, simcoe, Amarillo, etc. Citrus/Pine for me! I do 6.5 gallon batches that way by the time it goes into the 6.5 gallon carboy it is usually under 6 gallons because of all the hops in the boil kettle. Dry Hop!!! Transfer to secondary usually ends up being a tad over 5 gallons. Dry Hop!!! Love to do a double dry hop. However be careful with the length of dry hopping have had a batch or 2 of vegetal flavors... not the most pleasant.

 

Exactly what I came to say.

 

So ive brewed alot of ipas. Alot. At least ten batches. Ive tried adding weird things and making them unique. After the initial creative rush, and some muddled batches, ive taken a new philosophy. Well, I stole it from la cumbre. I use the same base beer and change the hops used each time. I use the same base recipe though just to see what the difference in hops brings. The more I keep it simple, the more I like the beer.