IPA help

[gurtpint]

Haven't been round here much lately, folks, as I've been hunting for new equipment and ingredients but now I'm just about ready to get my 2nd AG batch going... I'm planning to do a Brit style IPA. I know that malt-wise it largely consists of pale ale and I'm going to chuck in some munich and crystal too for body and to get rid of the leftover bags I have here. But what about the hopping? I think EKG and Fuggles have been popular choices. If the target IBU is between 40 and 60, would there be a way to use 100g of both? Or any other ones? I get my cones in 100g bags and don't have a decent freezer, so storing them for longer times is a tad problematic, so I'd like to use them all up, unless it's resulting to hop overkill... I also don't know how to go about planning the hopping schedule. Should I just throw in stuff every 15 minutes or how to do it? Lastly, would it be a good idea to dry-hop too and how much to use, should this be the case?9

I got a local water report so I guess I could treat (burtonize?) the liquer, but would I be better off just using the tap water as is for the first time?

Thanks everyone. My first bitter has been bottled for three weeks now and yesterday I knocked down my first one for a sample. Good stuff, maybe still a bit green though. No regrets whatsoever taking the AG route!

 

[Tony]

Hi
you could try this ... gave me a lovely simple pale ale. 25 ltrs, IBU:55 and around 4%

4k Pale Malt
400g Crystal
400g Munich Malt
100g Fuggles [4.50 %] (60 min)
70g Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %]
30g Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %]

You may have to adjust it a little depending on this year's aa's.
:

 

[gurtpint]

Kudos Tony. That looks nice. Did you do a 60 minute boil? When should the 70g and 30g hop additions go in? What yeast did you use?

 

[Tony]

oops!

4k Pale Malt
400g Crystal
400g Munich Malt
100g Fuggles [4.50 %] (60 min)
70g Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (30 min)
30g Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (aroma - in after boil at 80C)

Damn sorry about that - I cut those times off - hope that's better!

:

EDIT: I'll get this right soon! Yeast S-04

 

[gurtpint]

Cheers Tony! Would there be a liquid equivalent for S-04 in the Wyeast range that you know of?

Furthermore, I'm a little perplexed about this in after boil 80C bit. Does it mean that I'll have to let the wort cool on its own to 80, get the hops in and immediately turn my immersion chiller on? Or should I wait for a certain time before using the cooler? Would this increase the risk of infection? My oh my, I'm a curious little lad this Sunday...

 

[Tony]

I've never tried it but I've heard that the 1968 is a great yeast - should replace the S-04 with style

Bung your chiller into the boil 15 mins from the end - around the same time you add the irish moss/protafloc - that will sterilise it. When boil is over - flick on your chiller and as soon as the temp drops to 80C, chuck in your aroma hops.

We're all curious, your questions to me - I once asked of someone else - that's what we're all here for!

:

 

[Baz Chaz]

Wohooooo thats very similar to my brew I'm intending to do tomorrow or Tuesday :thumb:

slightly different on the hops :!:

 

[gurtpint]

Magnificent, dear sir. It's great if the aroma will have the time to steep in that way, with no need to leave it for 30 minutes or so. Will do. Is there any difference taste-wise, if you leave the hops for half an hour and ten carry on with the cooling?

I've been a bit wary about dried yeast since my kit days, as that damn twang was always there. But having read this forum and done some interweb hopping I've noticed that things have improved, many people prefer dried and are very happy with the results. I can get S-04 or Nothingham easily enough, so I guess I'll give it a go with this one. Seems to work out cheaper if you can't be a**ed to make split the yeast every time you brew. A longer shelf-life seems like a plus too.

Thumbs up for your brew, Baz! It may take a couple of weeks before I get mine going due to my schedule. Still need a couple of small things and a bottle of gas.

 

[Tony]

When I throw my aroma hops in, they are usually in for a minimum of 30 mins - it takes at least another 20 to 25 mins to drop the brew to 23 (ish) and then I usually allow another 15 mins or so just for everything to settle and form a nice filter bed.

Good luck!
:

 

[gurtpint]

Think I got it now, Tony... I'll just leave it for half an hour then. I was just wondering if doing things this way would increase the risk of infection, since most sources I've come across stress the importance of cooling the wort as fast as possible?

 

[Tony]

Well .. yes, that's true, but 30 - 45 minutes is within acceptable limits!

 

[gurtpint]

Point taken. Thanks Tony!

 

[Tony]

Good luck with it - hope you have a great brewday!
:

 

[gurtpint]

I hope to get a shipment of hops + yeast next week as that would enable me to brew on the following weekend... One last thing (yeah right) about this 80C hop steeping... I'll use a gas boiler so I have to boil outdoors. The weather is getting a bit chilly round here, so I'd like to know whether I can just leave the kettle outside or should I bring it indoors when I start the steep? Leaving the bugger out in the cold would of course mean faster cooling, but is that beneficial or detrimental to the hop aroma development? Or does it really matter either way?

 

[Tony]

Doesn'y matter too much really. I have a mate who drops his to 80C, chucks in his hops and then leaves it 30 mins before turning on the chiller again.

I turn on the chiller and throw them in as soon as it gets to 80 and just keep the chiller running - but I do leave it for about 30 mins after so the crap sinks to the bottom.

So pleased I can brew in the kitchen, wouldn't fancy being outside in this weather - here it's blowing a gale and chucking it down. :shock:

 

[gurtpint]

Now that was fast. Thanks! Right, I think I'll just get the kettle indoors, cool it down to 80, kick back for a while (with my chiller it take about 25 mins to get from boiling to pitching temp) and then carry on with the cooling like yer mate. Brewing outdoors will be interesting for sure, never done that before but it's just for the boiling bit - everything else can be done in my kitchen. Let's see how the things will be when the real winter kicks in...

 

[gurtpint]

Righty-o, my batch of ingredients arrived today so Saturday will be a brew day, weather permitting... I'm going to use Tony's recipe listed earlier on in this thread as a base but couldn't resist the temptation to tweak it a bit to see if I can get away with it. Hop things will stay the same but this is what I came up with the grain bill:

Target OG: 1,053
Target volume: 23 L
Estimated efficiency: 60%

5,75 kg pale ale
0,4 kg crystal 100
0,4 kg münchener
0,4 kg wheat malt

Would this seem about right? Thought I'd throw in some wheat for head retention but as to how much exactly should be used remains a mystery... Should I keep it at that or use more or less?

 

[Tony]

Tweaking 's what it's all about! Good luck gp.. hope you have a cracking day and don't forget to take some pics!

ps: anyone else reading this... don't be afraid to chip in, if it's only me answering people will start to talk!

 

[gurtpint]

Thanks again Tony. And yes, I swear that old bat down the street is starting to get suspicious... But yes, comments about the grain bill would be very much appreciated.