Just looking at the numbers, does this look horribly unbalanced, hop-wise? In the vein of say SSOS, I don’t think it is, but compared to what most people here brew, and like, what do you think? Be merciless, please!
Evaporation Rate: 2.00 Gallons Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 9.00 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.052 SG 12.92 Plato
Grain/Extract/Sugar
% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
81.9 15.25 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.036 2
9.4 1.75 lbs. Munich Malt Germany 1.037 8
4.7 0.88 lbs. Crystal 60L America 1.034 60
4.0 0.75 lbs. Wheat Malt America 1.038 2
Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.
Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
2.60 oz. Chinook Pellet 11.50 80.0 60 min.
2.30 oz. Cascade Pellet 5.50 16.8 15 min.
1.50 oz. Cascade Pellet 5.50 4.4 5 min.
2.00 oz. Cascade Pellet 5.50 1.3 1 min.
Yeast
Mash Schedule
Mash Type: Single Step
Grain Lbs: 18.63
Water Qts: 26.00 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal: 6.50 - Before Additional Infusions
Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.40 - Before Additional Infusions
Yeah, I know. But, we’ve all seen the numbers for SSOS. Here’s my poor reasoning. I tend to consider the numbers more with the 60 minute addition. I shot for 80 IBUs there based on something Bill Pierce had told me about 80 IBUs being pretty much the upper thresh hold for perceived bitterness. As for the other additions, I’m not convinced much if any bitterness is contributed at the 15-5-1 minute marks. I would consider Fred’s Late Hopped Amarillo Pale as good evidence for this. That recipe has something like a 1:1 BU/GU ratio, something like 48 IBUs for a 1.047 ale. I think I’m remembering these numbers pretty closely. The bitterness is low, in my perception. So, what I’m saying is that for the 15-5-1 minute additions, I try to go more by feel, or intuition rather than numbers as to the amounts that will provide the flavor/aroma that I want.
I agree that late hopped additions render a smoother bitterness,
but think they still add bitterness not to be discounted.
80 BU’s of Chinook at 60 is quite a bit, and will give you some intense bitterness,
whereas those 80 BU’s late hopped might be smoother.
Not that this helps, just more discussion.
Personally, I love overhopped AIPA.
Actually, I am wacked enough to think that it is hard to be overhopped,
but I am not going to competition with my wares.
Your bittering addition is about double what I use…I target 40IBU’s (bittering addition) for an AIPA. You’ll have to wait and see how it tastes. Depends on your utilization, body of the beer and AA%. These will all effect the perceived bitterness.
Jim, when I saw the hop bill for this recipe, I knew you were thinking of SSOS. But keep in mind that hops are just one part of the equation. Maybe the reason the high IBU level works in SSOS is because of the grist bill, which balances it. I dunno, just thinking out loud.
I have not tasted SSOS so I can’t attest to that beer recipe.
I target 40IBU’s for bittering in most of my AIPA’s as a standard because I find it to be about right for the style. There are varying opinions on this and you can try more or less depending on your personal taste and threshold for bittering.
The hop bittering component will come down to the balance that you are looking for in the beer. This will be a baseline for your future recipes.
