Going to try my hand at IPL

Beer Recipes
1

I have a few things going on here that are new to me. Never made and IPL and never used Mandarina Bavaria. Here’s what my mind has come up with so far. Give me your thoughts with regard to the hop blend quantities, varieties and such. Is the Motueka superfluous? I know Motueka is less prominent than your typical American IPA hops and Mandarina is reputed to be as well. The hop schedule is meant to reflect that fact such that I get a clear representation from Mandarina. Want lots of bright fruity citrus zest character from this blend.

6 gallons
1.060
IBU 40
30 min boil

75% Weyermann Floor Malted Pils
25% Best Malz Vienna
Brewtan B
Mash 148/30min ramp to 160F/25min.

30 min boil
-kettle additions of whirlfloc, nutrient, Brewtan B

Apollo @30

Whirlpool @160F
60g Mandarina Bavaria
30g Motueka
30g Amarillo or Cascade or both

Dry Hop
60g Mandarina Bavaria
30g Motueka
30g Amarillo or Cascade or both

2 pkts. W34/70

Water: target 5.3 mash pH
Ca-50+, SO4-125, Cl-50

2

IPLs are fun to make!  I like the recipe. I like the hop schedule and quantities, but this is one where I’d choose the Amarillo over Cascade. Cascade is great but is floral and citrusy to me but, more importantly, I feel like the lesser quantity of citrusy/orangey Amarillo would be a perfect compliment to Mandarina. And the Motueka would give a subtle lime accent to keep things interesting.Be sure to post how it comes out!

3

My favorite Saison I make is  Mandarina and Amarillo. My current one is Amarillo and Motueka. The latest is no comparison to how the Mandarina and Amarillo create a symphony. Jon is so right on with his suggestion. +2 on that, having those 3 together could be stellar IMO.

4

Alright guys, thank you for the input. On that, I think I will roll with Amarillo.

Do you recall the ratio of Mandarina:Amarillo you used? Any further thoughts on relative quantities? I don’t want to under-represent Mandarina and have it lost with too much Amarillo but don’t want the opposite either.

5

I love the recipe! I can’t speak from experience but like you noted I have heard that Mandarina isn’t very powerful. I think 2:1 is a good plan.

I just kegged my first IPL last night. I kind of threw the recipe together and ended up with:
80% Pilsner
9% Vienna
9% Munich 6L
2% Caravienne

Sample tasted great!

6

Thanks for that. Let us know how yours comes out. Your grain bill is actually not much different than mine if you think about it.

7

True but completely different hops. Went with a combo of Equinox, Comet, Centennial, and a small amount of leftover Simcoe. Bittered with Magnum for a total of 44 IBU.

8

Your plan looks good to me. Hoppy lagers are a favorite of mine. I think your water ions are spot-on.

WY2278 is my preferred yeast for this style, as it tends to finish a bit crisper and doesn’t scalp the hop character as much as 34/70. If you stick with the 34/70 you might want to bump the IBUs to like 45-50 to balance the maltier finish.

MB and Motueka aren’t super potent hops, so they can get lost in this style if you aren’t careful. I’d be tempted to double their hopping rates in the whirlpool.

9

There is a brewery in ANn Arbor that makes some hoppy lagers, and an IPL is one of their popular ones. The house lager yeast is WLP-940 Mexican Lager. Look at the Gulo Gulo.
http://www.wolverinebeer.com/india-pale-lagers/

10

People need to start thinking of better names for beer styles, rather than variations on India Pale…

11

That’s one of the strains I’ve liked best in mine. Looks good.

12

I call it “New World Pilsner”, FWIW. The best ones drink like a German Pils, with a significant late/dry hop character that is often from either US/Aus/NZ-type hops, or newer noble-derived varietals like Sterling, MB, Motueka, Kazbek, etc. The key is firm/crisp bitterness and good hop flavor, but still allowing the malt and fermentation character to come through.

If it’s simply an American IPA brewed with a lager strain, then it’s still an IPA in my opinion.

13

I don’t disagree. But even though it’s now considered a ‘style’, it’s a style with room for interpretation, and I think that’s pretty cool. Use ale hops, lager hops(or both), APA level late hops, IPA level hopping. I tend to like mine like you describe yours ( I love a pils/Vienna base), but I don’t feel limited to that approach. I’ve hopped them up more so a few times for fun and really enjoyed them.

14

Thanks for the recommendation on the yeast. I am planning to get this brew in over the weekend and probably stick with the 34/70. I have never used 2278 but isn’t that reputed to give a more malty finish? 34/70 (2124) always seems to give me a nice crispness in the finish.

Regarding the IBUs I have been using 30 minute boils on most beers for several months now and the one thing I have noticed consistently is that they are more bitter than the Tinseth formula suggests. For example, in the recipe above I am targeting 40 calculated IBU with just the 30 min. addition. I have found this will get me the bitterness I would normally expect from 50 IBU or maybe even a little more on a 60 min boil. I don’t know if others doing 30 min boils are noticing this or if it just the vagaries of the IBU having their way in my brewery. Anyhow, its a tweak I have been making to get what I am looking for.

15

I think these hoppy lagers excel with a mix of new world and old world hops.