Help, easy IPA recipe needed

[Holcus Lanatus]

First things first, good afternoon good brewers of J'sBK.

Backstory: I'm getting married at the end of August and the only brewery we're being offered to drink is so not suited to my tastes (highly hopped bitter IPA's preferably with non UK hops). So, the Aspie I am knows there is more than one way to skin a cat

So a mash tun & boiler is on the way

Where I need your help for now will be a recipe, a style I would like to emulate:-
SWB - Oregon Pale ale
Magic Rock - Canonball
Brewdog Punk IPA
Mallinsons Citra
Kelham Island - Marrakesh Express
Hawkshead NZPA
Ilkley - South Island Pale ale
Moorhouses - APA
Buxton - Axe Edge

Nice and easy please, Ive been a kit brewer for a few years but have been wanting an excuse to get more involved in my drinks. Thanks a plenty in advance
Tar muchly in advance

[alix101]

I would try a couple of recipes out , something like cannon ball isn't going to be that easy for a first time beer, not even for an expert
try and keep it simple but you can stiil pack a load of hops in.
4kg of pale malt
1 kg of vienna malt
200g of special B
100g of flaked wheat
25g of simcoe at 60 min
25g of centennial 20 min
25g of centennial 5 min
25g of simcoe 5 min
25g of centennial 0 min
50g of citra 0 min
Dry hop with 25g of citra 25g of simcoe..yeast US 05
ok this got out of hand in the simplicity scale

[Befuddler]

Those are some fine beers you're aiming for. Not to piss on your fire or anything, but if you can get anywhere near them with your first brew, I'll personally kneel down and lick your scrotum.

Clearly, what you're looking for in a beer is a vehicle in which to convey copious quantities of hop oils. To that end, your malt bill can be fairly simple. All you really need is a bit of crystal or caramalt in there to carry the hop flavour, the rest can be all pale. You need to be looking at American, Australian and New Zealand hop varieties, and lots of them. No, more than that. LOTS of them.

I have to say, I think you're biting off a big chunk of something you might not be able to chew by trying to brew this kind of beer immediately. These massive hop-forward beers are as much about technique as recipe on our scales, and that's going to take some time to hone in on. Not to mention, if I had any recipes as good as the beers you've specified, I'd be down the bank with my business plan, not sitting here demoralising hopeful newcomers.

[jimp2003]

Befuddler is right to try to lower your expectations. But I have to say I brewed 2 kits before moving to all-grain (albeit with the BIAB method) and my first brew was a Black IPA which was not a simple recipe and it turned out a belter.

A very hoppy IPA is not a difficult thing to brew but it often takes a few attempts to tweak a recipe so that is just right particularly if you are going to be unleashing it on your unsuspecting wedding guests. If you get a tried and tested recipe from someone on here then all you have to do is concentrate on getting the basic techniques right on brewday. Have you considered BIAB? Its a lot simpler method to ease you in to AG...

Whereabouts are you? You might find a friendly homebrewer locally who could give you some tips on brewday...

[Holcus Lanatus]

[quote="alix101"]I would try a couple of recipes out , something like cannon ball isn't going to be that easy for a first time beer, not even for an expert
try and keep it simple but you can stiil pack a load of hops in.
4kg of pale malt
1 kg of vienna malt
200g of special B
100g of flaked wheat
25g of simcoe at 60 min
25g of centennial 20 min
25g of centennial 5 min
25g of simcoe 5 min
25g of centennial 0 min
50g of citra 0 min
Dry hop with 25g of citra 25g of simcoe..yeast US 05
ok this got out of hand in the simplicity scale [/quote]

Perfect boss just what I was looking for, is this a recipe you have tried ? Why would this be tricky ?
JBK FTW

[Holcus Lanatus]

[quote="Befuddler"]Those are some fine beers you're aiming for. Not to piss on your fire or anything, but if you can get anywhere near them with your first brew, I'll personally kneel down and lick your scrotum.

Clearly, what you're looking for in a beer is a vehicle in which to convey copious quantities of hop oils. To that end, your malt bill can be fairly simple. All you really need is a bit of crystal or caramalt in there to carry the hop flavour, the rest can be all pale. You need to be looking at American, Australian and New Zealand hop varieties, and lots of them. No, more than that. LOTS of them.

I have to say, I think you're biting off a big chunk of something you might not be able to chew by trying to brew this kind of beer immediately. These massive hop-forward beers are as much about technique as recipe on our scales, and that's going to take some time to hone in on. Not to mention, if I had any recipes as good as the beers you've specified, I'd be down the bank with my business plan, not sitting here demoralising hopeful newcomers. [/quote]

I like a challenge to 'rise' to and with an offer like that ? who would resist ?
Is the above recipe simple enough ?
thanks for the thoughts, all are helpful

[Holcus Lanatus]

[quote="jimp2003"] Befuddler is right to try to lower your expectations. But I have to say I brewed 2 kits before moving to all-grain (albeit with the BIAB method) and my first brew was a Black IPA which was not a simple recipe and it turned out a belter.

A very hoppy IPA is not a difficult thing to brew but it often takes a few attempts to tweak a recipe so that is just right particularly if you are going to be unleashing it on your unsuspecting wedding guests. If you get a tried and tested recipe from someone on here then all you have to do is concentrate on getting the basic techniques right on brewday. Have you considered BIAB? Its a lot simpler method to ease you in to AG...

Whereabouts are you? You might find a friendly homebrewer locally who could give you some tips on brewday... [/quote]

This isn't really for the guests, they can drink dull beer if they like but I would rather drink pepsi than traditional bland cask offerings and the particular brewery I'm stuck with is IMHO the worst in the valley. Like I say this is the excuse I have been waiting for to get happy with hops and my only other alternative would be a selection of Maelstrom/Highwire/Chaos Theory bottle which would be less stealth and would cost me a hell of alot more (be less likely to share).

Thanks for the help, it's all welcome honestly. Does the above recipe look easy ? Could you envisage any pitfalls ?
BIAB, I've not heard of it but will look into it, I have been reading brewing books (4Dummies, How to Brew, Brewers Apprentice, Yeast, Pale Ale - I am addicted to reading ) so the process should not be too hard to get my head around but AG is what I have been aiming for just too scared or had other special interests to pursue first.

e2a is there a way to 'multi' quote ?

[jimp2003]

The recipe Alix gave looks good and certainly scores on the tasty front. It is not a complicated recipe it just looks that way because you have a list of hop additions.

BIAB involves using one vessel as your HLT, mash tun and boiler combined. In short if you have a boiler that is big enough you can put all the water you need in there, line it with a BIAB bag and then pour and stir your grain into the bag. Mash the grains for 60 or 90 minutes having first wrapped the boiler with a duvet or similar to hold the mash temp. After the mash you pull the bag of spent grains out of the pot. Give it a bit of a squeeze and then boil as you would for a traditional AG brew. It has its limitations but after 15 BIAB brews I have to say I never reached any of these and produced some very good beers.

Some people use BIAB as a stepping stone to the traditional method and some stick with it. As you already have a boiler and MT on order you would probably want to start straight off with that equipment. (I have now moved to using the 3 vessels).

Let us know how you get on.

Jim

[Holcus Lanatus]

thanks alot for the reply and confidence boost, I'm going for it, he who dares Rodders, he who dares I will be back I'm sure for more great help. tar muchly
JBK FTW

[jimp2003]

Good luck - AND TAKE NOTES!!!

[darkonnis]

I found AG a damn sight easier than BIAB, and being honest with the use of software like brew mate and an mechanical egg timer, there isn't any real reason that brew would be difficult. Just set the timer for each hop length, i use my phone and just preset a bunch of alarms telling me which I'm adding so i dont even have to check the recipe. Good luck whatever you decide. Oh and with regards to dry hopping, if you're going to do it, 5 or 6g per litre seems to be the way forward, I used 20g before and it was lost, a pointless hop addition in amongst a 23L brew length. the FV smelt great and exactly what i wanted in there, but the bottles barely had anything at all. I like a great selection of beers but if you like hops, you have to just throw caution to the wind and go for broke

[Goulders]

What BIAB did you use? Because full BIAB I find is easy and a good place to start for those who can afford say a 40l urn, but not the mash tun. I intend getting a mash tun so I can have a go at parti gyle and stronger brews

[jimp2003]

I am not saying BIAB AG is better than traditional AG, but unless you were trying to introduce a sparge step to the BIAB or doing it with a small pot and fannying about topping up the water then I can't see how it is the more complicated method....anyway that's a moot point here as the OP has a boiler and MT on the way.

[Goulders]

The point was aimed at Darkonnis not you JImp. BTW, where did you get your coleman and how much?

[darkonnis]

I was doing it in a 15L pot aiming at doing 10L brew lengths. I just missed my volumes constantly and whilst it was fun it was a touch dull that I never got anything worth drinking out of it. Compared to AG, I found it a lot more hassle where as now I don't often plan my brew day too much I just arrive at a finished brew length of 23L and end up with tasty beer. Perhaps it would have been easier using a bigger pan so i had more room to play but I just wasnt prepared at that point to commit to boilers and the such until i was convinced I could get something good out of it. Also my kitchens small which didn't help.
Not picking fault with either of you, BIAB is BIAB and for most people its easier, I just find AG gives me sound results every time and it seems like less work. I start at 8 and am done for just after 11, cleaned down in the FV with yeast pitched and all records done by half 12/1ish.