Ok was going to make a barley wine but, am like 50mls short of slurry so figured I would make a smaller IIPA. Here is recipe. I am not sure if I want the warrior hop as a bittering or a First Wort Hop to add to finishing flavor.
18lbs 2-row
1lbs Sugar
.75lbs Crystal 20L
.75lbs Crystal 80L
.25lbs Pale Chocolate
.25lbs Special B
I think I would lose the pale chocolate and special B or maybe cut back on the 80 and sub them in. What yeast are you planning on using? FG of 1.021 is way too high for an IIPA IMHO. I like mine to finish around 12 or 14 tops.
I would agree that 1.021 is a little high for an IIPA. I also like mine lower, they should be a show-case for hops 1.5 lbs of crystal malt is kinda high. Of course that is just my opinion, if you want a lot of malt sweetness to balance, then go for it.
One thing I will say that you need to add are dry-hops. They really give you that hop aroma and up-front flavor that style is supposed to have. I’ve gone anywhere between 3 and 8 oz in a IIPA and love to blend Columbus, Simcoe, Amarillo, and chinook about 40%, 25%, 20%, 15% respectively.
I am using US-05 and was going to dry hop with 2-3oz but, not sure with what yet. Still designing recipe. But, now realize I only have 200mls slurry and would need 250mls for this beer so still figuring what I should do? Another thing, on beertools no matter what I do I can’t get FG under 1.020. But, that is on beer tools and when I actually make beer mine come out more like 1.014 so why is that?
I’d bump the crystal up to a lb. for flavor, as well as subbing maybe 2-4 lb. of Munich for the pale malt. Maybe add another 1/2 lb. of sugar. And I’m not a fan of Magnum for bittering IPA/IIPA. I prefer something more aggressive.
I agree with Denny.
Malt-wise, your recipe is too “one-dimensional.” Add the Munich (or anything other than 2 row pils or pale) and bump up the crystal to a pound (Just thinking aloud: it doesn’t all have to be 80L–it could be a mix of 20, 40, 60, 80, 120 if you really wanted to throw some complexity into the mix). I’d gve some thought to adding aromatic/melanoiden malt (up to one pound).
Hop-wise. I love Magnum–but it is rather clean. I use it in a lot of my recipes (other than IPAs). Nonetheless, I’dpick something more aggressive for an IIPA. I’d do a Chinook or Simcoe. Depending on the time of year you brew it, the freshness of the Pacific Gem Hops might be “interesting” twist if you’re feeling adventureous (and if you ever brew it, please send me a bottle!).
JMO–an IIPA should make the drinker feel like he (or she) is riding an unbridled Lupulin stallion; it should make your senses come alive and your heart beat faster. Otherwise, what are you calling it an IIPA for?
A lot of different opinions here. My advice: Simplify. Simplify. Simplify. well - malt, anyway. This style of beer is not about malt, its about a showcase for hops. I really don’t see a reason for a lot of the malt grain bill you have going on here. Specifically the Special B and Pale chocolate. I’d keep the crystal around 5%. The beer should be dry. The sugar dries the beer out but the crystal needs to be there to balance some sweetness with the hops.
Now … hops on the other hand. Go crazy! you haven’t shown much creativity with the hops IMO.
And, regarding your recent thread over at NB - don;t age this thing for 6+ months. Drink it young. 6 weeks conditioning would be more than adequate.
Like the hop schedule! You may try mixing them up and doing equal hop additions every 2-5 min.
Yes… “continually-hopped”… believe the hype! It produces a wonderful, smooth hop aroma/flavor with a clean, almost warming hop bitterness.
I also agree with cutting out the complex grain bill. A little 2-row, a little melanoidin, amber, or 60-80L crystal (depending on your desired color and mash temp).
Ok I changed it up. I told Denny I love maltiness in my IPA’s but, I know a lot of people say emphasize the hops. But, honeslty I like to do both. I simplified because I was gonna try to do an IPA with not much variety in grain after I got the advice from some. But, like anything there is a million ways to do anything and have to go with what I like. I like melanoidin in my IPAs but, just did 2 with it so was gonna do something different. Here is what I think I am sticking with:
Looks like you have bittering and aroma covered. Warrior is a clean bittering hop (like Magnum). I still think a little chinook for bittering would help. May want to put a little simcoe and chinook in around 20-30 minutes for flavor, too.
I agree with you on malty IPA’s–I love 'em. It’s your beer. Make it the way you want to make it.
I understand those who say simplify the grain bill, but there’s a lot of room for maltiness and complexity in an IIPA to help support the hop bitterness, flavor, and aroma.
Out of Simcoe except for dryhopping it. I split my warrior and chinook as 60min and also put in chinook as 30min. Not doing any FWHing this time. Looks like this:
.5oz Chinook and .5oz warrior 60min
1oz Chinook 30min
1oz Chinook, 1oz Cenntennial and 1oz Amarillo 1min
I already printed it out so will keep it as is and adjust on how it turns out. Plus can always add more at dry hop time. Trying to refine my hop palate and really distinguish which hop contributes what to my beer. So anymore next to my kegerator I have the recipes and a hop chart so I can really start picking out which is doing what to my beer.