My first AIPA

[JammyBStard]

I'm Going to make my first AIPA when I get chance. I've made a few APA's but this is the first time I've pushed it up a notch.

I'm using Magnum, Centennial and Simcoe. (First time out with Simcoe)
I'm not so keen on AIPAs that have so much dry hop flavor that the taste grassy and green like SN Torpedo (A fine beer, but not for me) I prefer a cleaner taste like Punk.
So I was thinking of keeping all the hops in the boil.
As Simco and Centennial are both considered general use I thought as a starting point I would use them 50/50 in the boil from 45 min onwards. But I'm wondering if I should remove the 45min addition or move it later or possibly take the Magnum out to balance the IBU/ABV better.


Batch Size: 40.00 L
Boil Size: 45.79 L
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: 2012 42L (Igloo Marine)
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
10.00 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 97.56 %
0.25 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 2.44 %

25.00 gm Magnum [14.00 %] (60 min) Hops 17.6 IBU

25.00 gm Simcoe [13.00 %] (45 min) Hops 15.0 IBU
25.00 gm Centennial [10.00 %] (45 min) Hops 11.6 IBU

25.00 gm Centennial [10.00 %] (30 min) Hops 9.7 IBU
25.00 gm Simcoe [13.00 %] (30 min) Hops 14.0 IBU

25.00 gm Centennial [10.00 %] (15 min) Hops 6.9 IBU
25.00 gm Simcoe [13.00 %] (15 min) Hops 9.0 IBU

25.00 gm Simcoe [13.00 %] (0 min) Hops -
25.00 gm Centennial [10.00 %] (0 min) Hops -

2.00 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
2 Pkgs SafAle English Ale (DCL Yeast #S-04) Yeast-Ale

Est Original Gravity: 1.061 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.016 SG

Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.87 %

Bitterness: 83.8 IBU
Calories: 90 cal/l
Est Color: 8.4 SRM Color:

Any comments from the more experienced than me?

[bellebouche]

Looks like it has promise!

For me...

Add some torrefied wheat or wheat malt... A just a few hundred grammes will give you better head retention
Lose the 45 min addition - I think much of the flavour aroma will be lost after that amount of boiling. You can replace those IBUs with more magnum.
The Simcoe and challenger you've saved... Hold back for the post boil. I'd add them after flameout when the wort has dropped to just over 80c. If you can whirlpool you'll get a great oil slick on top and that equals flavour and aroma.
One protofloc tab is more than enough for 40 litres...

Yeast. PLEASE change that! S04 is the wrong choice for a west coast IPA.

[JammyBStard]

Hi BB
I usually would add torrefied wheat to this but I'm wanting to back to basics on the grain. I'm chaising down an odd flavor in my recent pales.
I can whirlpool so I'll probably take that advice on the 45min addition, but I think I'll adjust the bitterness. At 6% ABV and fairly pale I think the IBUs would be better at about 70.
I'm going to split the batch between two FV's one will get re-pitched US-05, I am tempted to try re-pitched the S-04 in the other though.

[bellebouche]

Odd flavour? If you care to expand?

My guess is mineral imbalance, yeast, temp control etc. Unlikely to be a bit of wheat I'd have thought.

[JammyBStard]

Not so much an off flavour but a kind of dry stale taste.
My usual bill for a pale type beer would be MO, Munich and TWheat and flaked barley 70%/20%/5%/5%. Someone on another post suggested that they were "convinced" that TW caused this in their brews. I've had a few issues with age of ingredients and changing too many things every time I brew new water etc So I've decided to try going back to basics and develop recipes from scratch.
Start with a simple grain bill and no water treatment. and work it up from there, I had always liked the head from the wheat though so perhaps it should go back in.

[Capn Ahab]

More hops at the end. Personally I'd quadruple the flameout addition if you aren't dry hopping - it's the only way to get enough aroma, which is pretty much non-negotiable in a US IPA. I am beginning to think that hop additions of less than 60 and more than 15 mins are pointless. All your bitterness can be added at the start and flavour/aroma in the last 15. FWH is a pretty useful technique for hoppy beers.

As for adding hops at 80 c, some folks (myself included) think that oil slick left at the top of the wort is insoluble and gets filtered out by the hop bed. There is a big debate about this on another thread though...

[JammyBStard]

This was the eventual brew I did yesterday:

Batch Size: 43.70 L
Boil Size: 51.73 L
Boil Time: 60 min
Equipment: 2012 42L (Igloo Marine)
Brewhouse Efficiency: 73.00

Ingredients

11.00 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 95.65 %
0.25 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 2.17 %
0.25 kg Wheat, Torrified (1.7 SRM) Grain 2.17 %

45.00 gm Magnum [14.00 %] (60 min) Hops 29.5 IBU

25.00 gm Centennial [10.40 %] (30 min) Hops 9.4 IBU
25.00 gm Simcoe [14.20 %] (30 min) Hops 14.2 IBU

25.00 gm Simcoe [14.20 %] (13 min) Hops 8.2 IBU
25.00 gm Centennial [10.40 %] (13 min) Hops 6.0 IBU

50.00 gm Centennial [10.40 %] (0 min) Hops -
50.00 gm Simcoe [14.20 %] (0 min) Hops -

2.00 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 5.0 min) Misc

Splt Batch: Half into US-05 and Half in to Nottingham

Est Original Gravity: 1.061 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.059 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.016 SG
Measured Final Gravity: TBC SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.87 %
Actual Alcohol by Vol: TBC %

Bitterness: 67.3 IBU
Est Color: 8.3 SRM Color: Color


Mash Profile

Mash Name: My Mash Total Grain Weight: 11.50 kg
Sparge Water: 34.77 L
Grain Temperature: 22.2 C
Sparge Temperature: 75.6 C
TunTemperature: 22.2 C

30 min Step Add 16.43 L of water at 64.4 C 55.5 C
40 min Step 2 Add 12.05 L of water at 86.9 C 67.0 C

Some pics here: viewtopic.php?f=24&t=53615
Thanks for the help, The garage where the fermentors are kept smells of amazing Simcoe. Outstanding aroma from that hop.
I guess I'll report back in three weeks or so!

[Capn Ahab]

Go on, smash some dry-hops in there, you won't regret it! Awesome looking hop combo BTW.

[JammyBStard]

Go on, smash some dry-hops in there, you won't regret it!

I suppose I could dry hop one of them and decide which I prefer.
I'll have to order some pellets though. What quantity would you sugest in 20L, I'm thinking either mailnly Simcoe or centennial with some Magnum. (Malt miller is out of Simcoe pellets though).
I really want to avoid that grassy chlorophyll taste though!

Awesome looking hop combo BTW.

you should smell it!

[Capn Ahab]

Go on, smash some dry-hops in there, you won't regret it!

I suppose I could dry hop one of them and decide which I prefer.
I'll have to order some pellets though. What quantity would you sugest in 20L, I'm thinking either mailnly Simcoe or centennial with some Magnum. (Malt miller is out of Simcoe pellets though).
I really want to avoid that grassy chlorophyll taste though!

Awesome looking hop combo BTW.

you should smell it!

That's the spirit! Go for at least 4g/l and leave in contact with the beer for max 5 days to avoid grassiness. I've never had a grassiness problem in dry-hopped beers, but I believe time/exposure is the main factor on that front. Apparently (although I can't remember where i heard/read it) all the flavour and aroma you're gonna get out of dry-hops is pretty much done after two days anyway...

I'd stick with centennial and simcoe all the way - f'kin amazeballs hops.

[JammyBStard]

I never did get it dry hopped unfortunately but it's come out great anyway:
First pour:

Really happy with it; no detectable off-flavours at all.
I'm going to drink a few before I start thinking about how to improve it. But first impressions are that the Centennial flavour is now overpowering the Simcoe especially as the serving temperature drops!
When it was in the fermenters during High Krausen the tropical fruit aroma was filling the garage now it's all gone!
I'm guessing some dry hopping or hop tea addition after the HK phase may reverse this.

[soupdragon]

How do/did the two different yeasts affect the flavour?

Cheers Tom

[JammyBStard]

Hi Geezer Edit:Tom
You and Geezer are going to have pistols at dawn over the meerkat thing

I'm not sure yet, I need to empty another cornie quick. The Nottingham's been in the primary for over three weeks now !

[soupdragon]

I'm not sure yet, I need to empty another cornie quick. The Nottingham's been in the primary for over three weeks now !

Don't forget to let us know the results....
I did a Citra a few weeks ago with Nottingham and the sample out of the fermenter was a bit lack lustre I'll be leaving it in the corny for another couple of weeks before I try it. Hopefully it'll pick up a bit as it matures

Geezah is a long lost relative so I could never do pistols at dawn

Cheers Tom

[JammyBStard]

Geezah is a long lost relative so I could never do pistols at dawn

Well that makes sense then!

In what way Lacklustre?