I am planning a tropical hop pale ale and wondering what ya’all think. Does anyone have an opinion on the hop combo? Also should I drop the Caramel 40 since tropical hops can have perceived sweetness?
Style: American Pale Ale
Color: 5.3 srm
Bitterness: 42.7 IBUs
Boil Time: 60 min
Est OG: 1.052 (12.9° P)
Est FG: 1.012 SG (3.1° P)
ABV: 5.2%
Mash 60 @ 150
Ingredients
Amount Name Type #
9 lbs 15.5 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US
15.8 oz Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM)
3.9 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM)
0.35 oz Magnum [14.0%] - Boil 60 min
1.08 Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15 min)
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 15 min)
0.35 oz Equinox (HBC 366) [15.0%] - Boil 10 min
0.35 oz Loral [11.0%] - Boil 10 min
0.35 oz El Dorado [15.0%] - Boil 10 min
0.35 oz Equinox (HBC 366) [15.0%] - Boil 5 min
0.35 oz Loral [11.0%] - Boil 5 min
0.35 oz El Dorado [15.0%] - Boil 5 min
Starter Dry English Ale (White Labs #WLP007)
Notes
At flameout, cool quickly to 175 and then whirlpool hop for 30 minutes:
1.0oz el dorado
1.0oz equanot
1.0oz loral
Looks good to me. The C-40 is not that big of a deal. I think the issue is whether you prefer an APA with a bit of crystal malt in it or not. If you do, I don’t think the sweetness will be cloying.
I was definitely thinking about dry hopping it but haven’t used those tropical type hops before so I didn’t want to overdo it. But one more ounce of each in dry hop it is!
I ended up not liking Loral. I did a couple experiments dropping some hops into Bud Light and tasting it a couple days later to see what the hop tastes like. I did several pale ales with equinot, Mandarina Bavaria with El Dorado, but didn’t quite love the results. I ended up morphing the recipe into the one below that I am extremely happy with. Great mix of hops. Really good tropical flavor with a hint of herbal. Cheers.
Batch Size: 6.33 gal Style: American IPA (21A)
Boil Size: 8.0 gal Style Guide: BJCP 2015
Color: 5.9 SRM Equipment: Electric-BTD-60min-IPA-6.33-garage
Bitterness: 54.1 IBUs Boil Time: 60 min
OG: 1.060
FG: 1.009
ABV: 6.7%
Ingredients
Amount Name Type #
13 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
9.04 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM)
9.04 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM)
2.96 oz Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM)
0.42 oz Magnum [14.0%] - Boil 60 min
1.00 Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15 min)
0.80 oz Strata [13.1%] - Boil 15 min
0.45 oz Idaho #7 [13.0%] - Boil 15 min
0.30 oz Citra [12.0%] - Boil 15 min
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 15 min)
1.00 Chiller/whirlpool (Boil 10 min)
0.50 oz Strata [13.1%] - Boil 7 min
0.30 oz Idaho #7 [13.0%] - Boil 7 min
0.20 oz Citra [12.0%] - Boil 7 min #WLP001 starter
Notes
At flameout, cool quickly to 172 and then whirlpool hop for 30 minutes: 0.8 oz Citra, 1.95 oz Idaho 7, 2.85 oz Strata
Update: got paranoid about green pepper taste in Equanot, so instead of Equanot/Comet/Warrior, instead I’m going to brew my IPA this weekend with Warrior and Comet for 60 min bittering. And then 5 min, flameout with 15 minute hopstand (no wort chilling), and dryhop using Comet, Galaxy and El Dorado… a little heavier on the El Dorado since Comet and Galaxy are pretty potent.
