First attempt at an APA

[booldawg]

Looking to brew an APA next weekend and have come up with the following;

4600g Pale Malt
368g Carapils
41g Chocolate Malt
29g Cascade
23g Amarillo
20g Cascade (dry hopped)
US-05 yeast

I've no idea what the carapils will bring to beer or if it'll be suitable for the style. Bit of an impulse buy really. The choc malt is purely for colour.

OG will be 1051 and IBUs 45.

Its the first time I've used these hops too. Would Cascade be the best choice for aroma over Amarillo?

[leigh1919]

Personally, I would say Yes for the hops. But it's a difficult one because it depends on quality of hop, how long you condition for, that sort of thing. A lot of people say Amarillo and Cascade are moe or less the same, but I personally think Cascade are spicier, and Amarillo softer and more floral. I'm firmly in the Cascade camp when it comes to 'Favourite Hop'...

Not sure about the carapils - never used it - but if it's similar to Crystal Malt then you should be ok. You just want a bit of sweetness and body to offset the hop bitterness (if going the USA - style route) and the caramel and choc should acheive that, in my mind.

[Invalid Stout]

More hops.

[Whorst]

+1 on more hops.

[booldawg]

What sort of IBU would you crazy hopheads recommend? I have plenty to spare and also have loads of Goldings, Challenger and Progress. But being an APA wouldve thought that just the Amarillo and Cascade would be at home in this one.

Also the carapils is a very light coloured malt, unlike crystal so I guess its more of a head former than a body builder.

[jubby]

I like this sort of beer and if it were me, I would use your Challenger for the main bittering hop and add the Cascade and Amarillo late. About 20g of each at 15 min, same at 5 min and if you can afford it, same at flameout. I have found that Amarillo has a longer lasting aroma than Cascade. I would also reduce the Carapils, although to be honest I have never used it.

Never tried dry hop with either of these. I bet whorst has though

[mysterio]

Need to know where those hops are coming in the boil! You want to get most of your IBUs from late hopping, in general.

There is no real need for an APA to be toe-curlingly bitter, but a big hop flavour and aroma are a must IMO.

[booldawg]

I was going to do the 29g Cascade and 23g Amarillo for a 90 minute giving 45 IBU (This is the limit for the APA style guide on Beersmith). The 20g of Cascade would be bunged in once the temp had dropped below 80C with the IC running and left for 30 mins once 20C is reached (ok, ok, I dont do authentic dry hopping!).

I'm looking for a big citrus punch in the face from this!

Intersted in Mys' comment; I didnt realise you got any IBUS from dry hopping as they all come from the boil.

BTW I've dubbed it 'Blue Ridge Ale' as my only experience of the USA is driving from Washington DC to Houston. I drove through Virginia and North Carolina on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I'd happily kiss Obamas ass to gain citizenship to live in either state! Think of the New Forest AND the Lake District with no traffic in June and your halfway there...

[mysterio]

OK, the way it looked in your recipe, I thought you were going the Amarillo & Cascade at the start of the boil, no hops later in the boil and 20g of Cascades in the FV post fermentation. You're right you don't get any IBUs from dry hopping in the FV and very few from 0 minute additions

45 IBUs will taste pretty bitter, not OTT though, make sure you enjoy hop bitterness!

I would throw in more Cascades at the end, probably double, maybe some Amarillo on the side, lets see what the other guys think

[Scooby]

I haven't used carapils so not sure about them, AIPA's I've done have some Crystal malt but very light 60 EBC max and Munich malt to boost the malt character, I think Vienna would do the same thing. I've used about 2.5% crystal and 5% Munich but I read somewhere that up to 10% and 20% respectively are used in some American brews.

Hops are the main thing in an IPA not just IBU's, the skill is to balance their attributes, I'm with Myst' on this I found small bittering additions for 90min and loads late and steeped at 80c balanced the bitterness, flavour and aroma well, but more up front works well for others and is cheaper



I did the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Great Smoky Mountains NP in Oct '99 and it's slightly more crowded in Oct but the colours.........................

[bconnery]

I'd put a little bit of crystal of some sort in there too. APAs should have a good malt flavour to support and balance the hop.

I'd also drop the IBUs back. The best APAs I've tasted, and made, are in the 30s but with hop flavour and aroma hits. You want good amounts of hops added with 20 and less minutes to go...

[booldawg]

Thanks for all the excellent advice. Its certainly given me alot of food for thought. I'll drop the IBUs and extract most of the bitterness in the last 15 minutes and drop the choc malt in favour of crystal. I think the crystal I have is 60 EBC.

Cant' wait to brew this on Saturday!

[critch]

one of my commercial brews is an amerillo and cascade brew, it sells well, and through late hopping has a beautiful citrus aroma

lots more hops mate, late on