WLP002 for Double/Imperial IPA?

2 things.

1) I have made great DIPAs with 1968. Sugar helps

2) What house strain is the local brewpub using? If they use 002/1968 then using it might get you a little further. If they use 001/1056 they probably won't switch to brew your recipe if you win.

 

Mashing low will definitely help. Limit or exclude crystal/cara malts. A little bit of honey malt will help make the honey pop, though. I would also make sure to start fermentation cool and slowly ramp up, and to add the honey at or slightly after high-krausen to make sure the yeast finishes up. wlp002/wy1968 floccs super hard, so make sure it keeps working until its done.

 

I doubt they would dock you any points. Most likely they will use a yeast they already have on hand with your malt and hop bill. If they use 001, they would use your recipe with 001. If a Belgian won that used Abbey, they might just use the Trappist they have on hand, etc.

 

I used WLP002 on a Stone Ruination clone earlier this year - turned out great! @MrOH is right, that yeast floccs hard, and leaves your beer nice and clear. As for flavor, it left my DIPA pretty sweet and rich tasting. Like a malty, 'barleywine' sweet. It got the job done, and I was able to bottle the beer just 2 weeks after brewing.

That's my only experience with using WLP002 on a DIPA. But, I'd have to say it's the best DIPA I've brewed, and I've used WLP001 on a few IPA/DIPAs before.

 

When I brewed one of my recipes at a commercial brewery, the brewmaster originally wanted to sub some ingredients to use house inventory. I convinced him to do otherwise. Hell, I even convinced him to let me do a batch sparge. The only things I really had to compromise on were water and pitch rate. No building from distilled for 15 barrel batches apparently. (Shocking, I know.)

 

If using a modest amount of honey/sugar, that should not be necessary, but rousing 002/1968 is a good idea...maybe do both

 

WLP 002 is an excellent yeast. For this style I would not worry about yeast character as much as attenuation because the hops will be the dominate flavor in your beer. My choice would be WLP007. Have fun!

 

I'll throw a third option of WLP013 London Ale out there, my personal favorite in hoppy beers. It's a beast too and would have no issue with honey + malt.

 

Are you trying to brew a beer YOU want to brew? Or are you trying to appeal to the brewery so your beer is made on their system?

If you're shooting to simply get your beer made, I'd use the same yeast the brewery uses, as well as grains and hops they already use. Not having to special order a specific grain or hop might be something they consider. I was going to enter a similar contest at a local brewery, talked to the head brewer beforehand and he was adamant that this was one of the biggest criteria that he was personally thinking of.

If you've never brewed a beer like this with 002, then making your first attempt a competition entry may not be the best idea since your experimenting and dont truly know how it'll turn out yet. I'd stick with a yeast you use regularly and know it's outcome...unless you are adventurous and don't mind the possibility of the beer turning out "bad".

If you want to be unique, then give WLP 644 a try...it works ridiculously well in DIPAs, produces a drier beer (which I think most DIPAS need) with nice tropical fruit notes that blend very well with juicy hops.

 

Regarding malt selection: that sucks. I'd use the most characterful pale ale malt that isn't too toasty that you can. I'm not too familiar with any of those maltsters ale base malts. Maybe just go for a small amount of Weyerman's Melanoidin. For fermentation, maybe pitch at 62 and let rise up and hold it at 70. My main concern with using wlp002 is that it has always pooped out on me the three times I used it, because I prefer to take a laissez-faire approach to fermentation, so I tend to like strains that aren't highly flocculating. YMMV

 

Here is my problem with your plan. 15lbs of pale malt + 2lbs of honey + 0.75lbs of C40 +wy1968 = FG of 1.024, aka DIABETUS DIPA. Some people like sweet DIPAs. I drain pour them.

 

I have had 1968 finish in the single digits with that kind of a malt bill and mash on numerous occasions, with more crystal than that. Pitch rate, yeast health, O2, and temp control is the key.

 

A smidge of C20 might do in a pinch if gambrinus malts aren't acceptable for the comp.

 

Did you calculate the honey as being 100% fermentable instead of the usual attenuation rate for the grains? With the honey completely fermenting out, it will up the attenuation and drop the FG. I've noticed many brew calculators uses honey like normal grains and treats it as only being ~75% fermentable.

 

I used a free web based calculator and don't know how it treats honey. My certified reliable calculator predicts 1.017 which is Borderline Diabeetus DIPA. Now, if only Vikeman could run it through the most accurate calculator on the planet, then we will have three predictions.