Bravo! Simcoe IPA

[196osh]

Simcoe IPA

Fermentable Colour lb: oz Grams Ratio
Lager Malt 2.5 EBC 5 lbs. 8.1 oz 2500 grams 54.4%
Pale Malt 5 EBC 4 lbs. 6.5 oz 2000 grams 43.5%
Crystal Malt 130 EBC 0 lbs. 3.5 oz 100 grams 2.2%


Hop Variety Type Alpha Time lb: oz grams Ratio
Bravo Whole 13.5 % 90 mins 0 lbs. 0.5 oz 13 grams 11.3%
Simcoe Whole 12.9 % 15 mins 0 lbs. 1.2 oz 35 grams 29.6%
Simcoe Whole 12.9 % 0 mins 0 lbs. 1.2 oz 35 grams 29.6%
Simcoe Whole 12.9 % 0 mins 0 lbs. 1.2 oz 35 grams 29.6%

Final Volume: 16 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.060
Final Gravity: 1.014
Alcohol Content: 6% ABV
Total Liquor: 27.2 Litres
Mash Liquor: 11.5 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 70 %
Bitterness: 54.9373730096935 EBU
Colour: 13 EBC

Yeast: US-05

Mash at 65C.

What does everybody think?

[6470zzy]

I think that you should add more crystal or some munich, you will need the body to stand up to the Simcoe hops, they are like drinking a pine forest in large amounts. Not to say that the beer won't be good though . I like pine.

[196osh]

Good idea was thinking that too.

I'll bump the crystal up to 250g so thats about 5%. I am happy with that.

I must confess I have never used Munich before, but I am getting 3kg of that plus a vial of WLP001 and 1kg dry malt extract for my christmas from my sister (hopefully I can get it early ). So I will be able to make up some pales with the sack of Lager malt I have with added maltiness.

[steve_flack]

Have you thought of using caramalt instead of regular crystal? Adds sweetness and body but without the toffee note. Between 5-8% seems to work well for me. Of course you could always chuck some wheat malt in there as well for a bit of head retention (5% should do it).

[196osh]

Ive got the caramalt, quite like the wee bit of toffee in there. So I think I will keep with the Crystal in and save the caramalt for making this guys big brother. I've used it in an imperial IPA, which I have just had a bottle of and my socks are all over the place its great, needs a while longer to carbonate properlly though. But the sweetness is lovley.

I dont unfortunantly have the wheat malt. But It is something that I feel I should invest in soon. The dry hopping i have read is supposed to have a positive impact on head retention which is good.

Am weighing out the grains and water treatment tonight (being orginised ).

Thanks for the help.

[mysterio]

Need to get me to Simcoe, I like the idea of drinking a pine forest

Those the Simcoes from Grimsby HB? I see they're 2007 harvest... they OK ? Are the hops there decent quality in general ?

I've been peddled so many sub-standard hops over the years i'm ultra-sensative now

[196osh]

Yeah man. The hops seemed fine. Mabye a bit more subdued than I would like for the simcoe, they are getting dryhopped with something else if I thin its bellow par. The hops in general from Grimbsy homebrew seem not too bad i think the Barley bottoms hops may be a bit better if i am honest.

But the grimsby homebrew ones are more than passable.

[6470zzy]

I must confess I have never used Munich before, but I am getting 3kg of that plus a vial of WLP001 and 1kg dry malt extract for my christmas from my sister (hopefully I can get it early ). So I will be able to make up some pales with the sack of Lager malt I have with added maltiness.

Munich is lovely for giving you the added kick of maltiness that you might need, especially to counterbalance high alpha hops used in abundance ( ie American IPA)

Cheers

[196osh]

Thanks for the advice.