Thoughts on this Imperial IPA (ish) recipe

[crowcrow]

So looking to use up a few bits I had around and planning to do something a bit like the Ginormous IPA from Gigantic Brewing Co.

Malt
3kg marris otter
1kg beach smoked
1kg Munich
250g carapils
500g brown sugar

Hops
15g bravo 60mins

30g cascade
30g citra
20g bravo - 15mins

30g cascade
30g citra
30g bravo
35g summit - zero mins/hop stand

1st dry hop
20g citra
20g cascade
25g simcoe

2nd dry hop
20g citra
20g cascade
25g simcoe


Thoughts? All hops I've used before and enjoyed but not all together!

 

[crowcrow]

Original recipe I'm riffing from
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/503039/ginormous-imperial-ipa-no-73

 

[Sadfield]

Smoke in an IPA isn't something you see every day. Something I'm working up to having recently done a smoked amber with Chinook. I like it, especially the idea of the bravo adding a hint of vanilla. I need to try that hop.

Here's the actual recipe from the provided by the brewery if you want it. Not too different from the one you have, no extract and a different yeast.

 

[JockyBrewer]

I think that the beech smoked malt will clash with the hop profile in an unpleasant way.

Aside from that it all looks ok, although being called an ‘Imperial’ IPA I thought it would be a lot stronger than 6.8%. That might be because their recipe has a FG of 1.020, which seems quite high, although I regularly had high FG when I used the WLP028 yeast on their recipe.

It’s a good yeast, you just need to mash lower than normal (63 instead of 67) and for no less than 60 minutes to get the attenuation.

 

[crowcrow]

Yeah the book suggests 8.8 percent and a lower fg - hum torn on the smoked! Maybe I'll drop it to 500g and see. Going to open the bag now and have a good sniff and see where it takes me. Not sure when or why I ordered it a year or so ago, but it's been sitting around for ages so hoped to use it up. Maybe I'll save it for something else!

 

[Sadfield]

'Smoke and citrus flavours will clash' said no chef or whiskey distiller, ever.

 

[JockyBrewer]

'Smoke and citrus flavours will clash' said no chef or whiskey distiller, ever.

I think it’s more the pine you get from Simcoe and to a lesser extent Citra that concerns me.

I think it can be done, but it depends upon the hops and the smoke type.

 

[crowcrow]

Just made a mini mash in a mug - man that is a lot of smoke. But then I took a little and 'rinsed' in cold water and made a 2nd mini mash and the smoke was a lot lower.

Will give us a whirl. Feeling brave or foolish. I like a lot of flavour....

 

[Sadfield]

I think it’s more the pine you get from Simcoe and to a lesser extent Citra that concerns me.

I think it can be done, but it depends upon the hops and the smoke type.

Surely Piney (from trees) flavours are the last thing that will clash with wood smoke flavour? Again, taking inspiration from elsewhere, Lapsang souchong, tea smoked over pine, works.

 

[Sadfield]

Just made a mini mash in a mug - man that is a lot of smoke. But then I took a little and 'rinsed' in cold water and made a 2nd mini mash and the smoke was a lot lower.

Will give us a whirl. Feeling brave or foolish. I like a lot of flavour....

Next time you pour an IPA, try blending some of it with a bit of mini mash smoked malt, to see if it works for you.

My gut feeling is that your recipe would result in a beer version of an Old Fashioned.

 

[crowcrow]

Good idea - I had a very hoppy citra/cascade ipa that only had a pint or two left, so drabksome of that while sniffing from the Malt bag - I think it works but I am going to pre rinse the smoked malt tomorrow to be safe. My wife walked in the kitchen when I made the first mini mash and she thought it smelt strong just walking in...

 

[crowcrow]

For awareness, ended up using just 400g of smoked malt and topping up with dme. Of the smoked malt I washed half and put the other half in late in the mash. Tastes amazing.