IPA - All Grain Recipe

[peterwittering]

Looking for a little advice from you beer masters out there.

I have been messing around with BeerSmith to create my own English Pale Ale and came up with the following. This is the first time I have create a all grain recipe previously I have brewed all grain but from packs with all the grain already mixed.

Whats everyone's thoughts? I know its a stereotypical IPA recipe, am I wasting my time with the Williamette for aroma at the end? You comments are greatly appreciated. Loving the thought of creating my own recipe just a little scared on the end result

Cheers,

Pete.


Est Original Gravity: 1.057 SG Measured Original Gravity: 1.046 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.9 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.7 %
Bitterness: 57.0 IBUs Calories: 427.1 kcal/l
Est Color: 17.7 EBC

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
4.21 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (5.9 EBC) Grain 1 87.9 %
0.30 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (118.2 EBC) Grain 2 6.2 %
0.14 kg Barley, Flaked (3.3 EBC) Grain 3 3.0 %
0.14 kg Wheat, Torrified (3.3 EBC) Grain 4 2.9 %
22.94 g Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 90.0 min Hop 5 16.7 IBUs
13.76 g Fuggles [4.50 %] - Boil 90.0 min Hop 6 8.2 IBUs
13.76 g Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 90.0 min Hop 7 9.1 IBUs
22.94 g Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 25.0 min Hop 8 9.9 IBUs
22.94 g Fuggles [4.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 9 6.3 IBUs
18.35 g Fuggles [4.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 10 2.0 IBUs
18.35 g Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 11 2.3 IBUs
18.35 g Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 12 2.5 IBUs
25.00 g Willamette [5.50 %] - Aroma Steep 15.0 min Hop 13 0.0 IBU

[dave-o]

I think it'll be a good beer.

You don't need flaked barley and torri.

I would say don't faff about with 25min and 15min hop additions. Just keep it simple with full boil, 10mins and flame-out.

[peterwittering]

Many thanks dave-o,

The reason I thought to add barley and torri; was purely for head retention. This ones I have done in the past have been great but the head never lasts the duration of the pint even if I drink it quickly

Any other ideas for head retention?

Cheers,

Pete.

[dave-o]

The torri should be enough for head retention. I don't think the FB will make any difference after that.

Personally i prefer wheat malt for head retention, and a bit more than you'd use torri. Perhaps 300-500g per 23l. Torri has a bit of a weird taste and although in those quantities it's not going to be very noticable, why add any amount of weird taste, i say?

Let's see what others reckon.

[Graeme]

Pete, as Dave-o said, I don't think you need the flaked barley or torrified wheat. I don't think you would need to worry too much about head retention. All of the IPA's I have brewed had quite a good head retention and the grain bills were generally maris otter with a little bit of crystal. There seems to be allot of over complicated grain bills out there for IPA's when really you are looking for the hops to shine. Pale malt and a bit of crystal is definitely the way to go. I usually carbonate to 2.4 volumes of co2. If you are worried about head retention you could add a little bit of carapils.

I'd take out the 25 minute additions personally and keep the late additions at 20 mins to flameout, or alternativel as Dave-o said 10 minutes to flame out if you are looking for a big flavour/aroma punch. Just adjust your bittering hops to make up the IBU's. What I tend to do myself is use one hop variety for the bittering and then a mix for the late & dry hops (I nearly always dry hop my IPA's.) Of course there is nothing wrong with using multiple hops at the start of the boil like you have.

The willamette could be interesting. Personally never used them but since you are forumulating your own recipe why the hell not! I'd say go for it. You learn allot from experimenting. Good luck with it, really hope it goes well

[peterwittering]

Picking up the grain tomorrow cannot wait.

Will let you know how I get on.

Thanks again,

Pete.