What would this be like?

[Troutman47]

Hi all, after I've finished the work in the house I want to use up the ingredients I have left before ordering some more.

I have a lot of Bramling Cross hops which need to be used so I had a little play on Beer Alchemy.
I want to make a hoppy IPA style beer so this is my first attempt at formulating a recipe and would like to know what you think.

Style: 14A-India Pale Ale (IPA)-English IPA

Recipe Overview

Wort Volume Before Boil: 31.70 l
Wort Volume After Boil: 25.00 l
Volume Transferred: 23.00 l
Water Added: 0.00 l
Volume At Pitching: 23.00 l
Final Batch Volume: 23.00 l
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.042 SG
Expected OG: 1.053 SG
Expected FG: 1.014 SG
Expected ABV: 5.2 %
Expected ABW: 4.1 %
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 46.8
Expected Color: 16.5 EBC
Apparent Attenuation: 73.0 %
Mash Efficiency: 75.0 %
Boil Duration: 90.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature: 20 degC

Fermentables
UK Pale Ale Malt 5.400 kg (93.9 %) In Mash/Steeped
UK Medium Crystal 0.350 kg (6.1 %) In Mash/Steeped

Hops
UK Bramling Cross (6.0 % alpha) 60 g Loose Whole Hops used All Of Boil
UK Challenger (7.0 % alpha) 25 g Loose Whole Hops used 15 Min From End
UK Golding (5.5 % alpha) 25 g Loose Whole Hops used At turn off

Other Ingredients
Irish Moss 3 g used In Boil

Yeast: DCL S-04-SafAle

Mash Schedule
Mash Type: Full Mash

Step: Rest at 66 degC for 90 mins
Step: Raise to and Mash out at 77 degC for 15 mins
Step: Batch sparge 15 mins.

All comments appreciated.

Cheers

[DerbyshireNick]

Its pure preference but I would think your 60g bittering is slightly on the high side. others will say otherwise though I am sure.

From what I have played with I would say around 30 at the start and 30 half way through will give a nicer flavor balance but to be fair I haven't bittered with that hop before.

[Troutman47]

Thanks for the reply DerbyshireNick,

Interesting idea, the style suggests IBU's between 40-60. Putting 60g in from the start of boil gives 46.8 IBU's and doing how you have suggested brings it down to 44 IBU's.

I like the sound of that,
Cheers

[Manx Guy]

Looks good,

AS another poster pointed out it does depend what you want from the hopping...
Bramling X is a nice hop if you like it, it gives a nice smooth bittering. To my tastes it has a similar flavour to Goldings but slightly more Blackcurrant fruityness with a little spice.

You might consider FWH with Bramling X say to 14 IBUs and the rest at 90 as you planned. this might giver similar IBUS but the perception of the bitterness may be less, leading to a beer that is 'ready' to frink quicker as it may lack some of the initial harshness of a beer hopped with all the bittering early on in the boil

Its a topic that is hotly debated nad there is little evidence to prove or disprove its champions and its deriders...

I like adding some FWH as it does allow some of the flavour through similar to a 20 min addition...

Either way you decide to add the hops it should work out as a nice combo as IMHO Goldings late in a beer with Bramling X works well


Guy

[Troutman47]

I'd not heard of First Wort Hopping before, had to look it up.

So if I understand it right the hops go into a dry boiler and the wort from the mash and sparge are put on top and then the rest of the hops, in this case it's a 22/38g split go into the 90 mins boil.

Really interesting, I like the sound of it!

Cheers

[Rookie]

I'd not heard of First Wort Hopping before, had to look it up.

So if I understand it right the hops go into a dry boiler and the wort from the mash and sparge are put on top and then the rest of the hops, in this case it's a 22/38g split go into the 90 mins boil.

Really interesting, I like the sound of it!

Cheers

Last week I bottled a bitter that I used only FWH and bittering hops. I think it turned out good, but next time I'm either going to increase the FWH amount or add some the last five minutes.

[Troutman47]

I should be in a position to make this next w/e, so I'll post the results in about 3 weeks time.

Looking forward to making my own recipe beer instead of following a Graham Wheeler recipe, fingers crossed!

Thanks for all the info and suggestions guys!

Cheers

[FatGaz]

Hi Troutman,

I've formulated a few of my own recently, with varying sucess. A couple of them have had cracking reviews from my critical mates!!

But its great fun developing your own recipes, and a big learning curve - I'm sure you will love it!!

Plus there are so many different hops and grains out there that GW doesn't use in his book.