Dump Beer or maybe dumb beer

Ok, I can’t get any product to make a IIpa. I get it, LHBS is non-essential. I disagree!! They are very essential!!

To my post: 10# Pale
                  10# Pils
                  10# Wheat Malt
                  3# Brown Malt
                  3# C-60
                  1# Aromatic
                  1# C-120
                  1# Victory
                  9 oz Choco. Malt

1.25 oz Mosaic @45
                  1.25 oz Mosaic @30
                  3.5 oz Mosaic @whirlpool

WLP-002
                  OG 1.059
                  FG  1.019 I think that is too high or maybe I am, IDK
                  IBU’s 28.5

Since I can’t buy product, I’ll use what is on hand. I’m not sure of the composition though.

Honest thoughts please!

I’m confused.

Are you using almost 40# grain to an OG of 1.059??  What size batch are you intending? 
Or are you looking for suggestions on how to use that grain inventory to make an Imperial IPA, which would be north of 1.070 and considerably more IBU’s?

It’s a 17 gallon batch. Not looking for suggestions, just thoughts on the recipe composition

Ok.  Got it.

I can’t wrap my head around all those grains so I won’t comment on that, but if you are looking for an IIPA you would need to move a lot more of the hops to either FW or 60 minutes to boost the IBU’s.  And the gravity is more of an IPA than an IIPA.  But that’s just semantics.

Good luck!

I think you have too many grains in this recipe and it could turn out a bit of a muddled mess. Are you sure you want 17 gallons of this if it doesn’t turn out?

It’s not a IPA at all. I was saying that I can’t get any product for a IPA so I was using what’s on hand to brew.

What kind of beer are you trying to make? To me it looks like it would be some kind of brown ale?

Yes, American Brown Ale was what I was basing the recipe on using the ingredients I have on hand. Basically using what I have to brew something because my LHBS is shut down because of Covid.

I am going to be off again for another 2 weeks and I have to brew something, anything.

You don’t have to use everything in the cupboard in one brew! Arguably it’s more important to be clever with stretching out your speciality grains when you’re not sure when you’ll get more.

And if you’re struggling to get hold of base malt, try your local breweries - they will likely have spare ingredients at the moment that they would be delighted to turn into cash flow.

FWIW here in the UK we had 2 weeks of online homebrew retailers being completely overwhelmed - one I know had 10x the normal orders on the day the pubs were shut and at times they just stopped taking orders to cope with the backlog, but they’re now starting to get back to normal.

My instant thought was to omit the aromatic, brown & chocolate malt, then
proceed as planned.

Sorry, I guess I didn’t get it after all.  I’m glad that wasn’t a recipe for an IIPA.  Lol.

I would agree with some others that the grain bill is a bit too much.  If that means you can’t make 17 gallons, so be it.  Maybe you could split your inventory and make two smaller volume beers instead of one big beer?  Or look around for some other fermentables that you may have on hand…sugar, oats…to help fill in.  Toasting some quick oats would be a nice addition to a Brown Ale.

edit for clarity

I think what the OP is trying to say is that these are the ingredients he has on hand. What can he make from them.

I’ve done a few ‘potpourri’ batches trying to use up ingredients and they always have mixed results with muddy characteristics. Then, as others have pointed out, you have a whole bunch of average beer. This is even more true if ingredients, especially hops, are past their prime. If it were me, I would do 2 separate beers. See if you can find some additional hops through other means like Ebay, make a British IPA and a Brown Ale. You could even re-pitch the yeast if done one after the other. It’s also OK not to use everything you have on hand. Just my 2 cents.

I try to follow the rule of 2.  Use no more than 2 grains and 2 hops.  An overly complicated beer means a muddy beer.  Occasionally I’ll use 3 hops in a hop forward beer.

I believe you should use any ingredient a in any amount that allows you to achieve your goal.  But yiu should know what your goal is and jjow every ingredient will contribute to it.  Sometimes you only need  orm2 malts, sometimes you need 5 or 6.  For me, the rule is do what you want, but know why you’re doing it.

Supreme advice