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Author Topic: Belgian IPA Critique Please  (Read 4383 times)

Offline duboman

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Belgian IPA Critique Please
« on: December 15, 2012, 08:38:29 am »
So I put together a recipe modeled after Clown Shoes Tramp Stamp IPA after sampling a few and get a reply from the brewer that was kind enough to provide me the list of ingredients and the hops used in the recipe.

The only thing I added to the grain was the torrified wheat to try and bump up the richness of the head, not sure if it's really necessary though?

Looking for some input on the percentages/amounts used in the grain bill and thoughts asa well on what I came up with for the hop additions and amounts. Appreciate the feedback!

Recipe: Belgian IPA
Brewer: Commune Brewing Company
Asst Brewer:
Style: Belgian Specialty Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 9.25 gal
Post Boil Volume: 7.00 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 6.25 gal   
Bottling Volume: 5.75 gal
Estimated OG: 1.073 SG
Estimated Color: 7.4 SRM
Estimated IBU: 58.7 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 81.2 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
6.25 gal              Chicago, IL                              Water         1        -             
13 lbs                Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM)            Grain         2        71.9 %       
3 lbs                 Pale Malt (2 Row) Bel (3.0 SRM)          Grain         3        16.6 %       
1 lbs                 Caravienne Malt (22.0 SRM)               Grain         4        5.5 %         
10.1 oz               Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM)                 Grain         5        3.5 %         
7.0 oz                Wheat, Torrified (1.7 SRM)               Grain         6        2.4 %         
1.00 oz               Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - First Wo Hop           7        37.6 IBUs     
0.50 oz               Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Boil 30.0 min   Hop           8        8.0 IBUs     
0.50 oz               Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min     Hop           9        6.1 IBUs     
0.31 tsp              Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins)              Fining        10       -             
0.50 oz               Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min   Hop           11       3.8 IBUs     
0.50 oz               Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min      Hop           12       2.4 IBUs     
1.50 oz               Orange Peel, Sweet (Boil 5.0 mins)       Spice         13       -             
0.50 oz               Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Boil 2.0 min    Hop           14       0.9 IBUs     
1.0 pkg               Belgian Ardennes (Wyeast Labs #3522) [12 Yeast         15       -             
1.25 tsp              Yeast Nutrient (Primary 3.0 days)        Other         16       -             


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 18 lbs 1.1 oz
----------------------------
Name              Description                             Step Temperat Step Time     
Mash In           Add 5.65 gal of water at 163.7 F        152.0 F       60 min       

Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (1.15gal, 4.63gal) of 168.0 F water
Notes:
Peace....Love......Beer......

The Commune Brewing Company-Perfecting the craft of beer since 2010

Offline jamminbrew

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Re: Belgian IPA Critique Please
« Reply #1 on: December 15, 2012, 10:16:42 am »
My only comment would be the Belgian yeast. I have found that the hop profile in my IPA's tends to mask the flavors I would normally get from the yeast.  But otherwise, looks tasty. But it doesn't look like a real heavy hop profile, so maybe the yeast will shine through.
In caelo cerivisiae nil, hic igitur bibimus.

Offline denny

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Belgian IPA Critique Please
« Reply #2 on: December 15, 2012, 11:00:01 am »
My only comment would be the Belgian yeast. I have found that the hop profile in my IPA's tends to mask the flavors I would normally get from the yeast.  But otherwise, looks tasty. But it doesn't look like a real heavy hop profile, so maybe the yeast will shine through.

I've used 3522 to make a Belgian IPA many times.  It and the hops really complement each other.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline denny

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Belgian IPA Critique Please
« Reply #3 on: December 15, 2012, 11:01:12 am »
I'd say need more hops.  IMO, 58 IBU isn't enough for an IPA of that OG.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline duboman

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Re: Belgian IPA Critique Please
« Reply #4 on: December 15, 2012, 01:33:25 pm »
I'd say need more hops.  IMO, 58 IBU isn't enough for an IPA of that OG.

Thanks for the input Denny, Do you think if I get up around 70 IBUs would be good and should I just bump up the bittering additions and I've got enough aroma or should I bump up everything across the board?

BTW, I've got your Bourbon Vanilla Porter conditioning in bottles right now. The pre-bottle sample tasted amazing! It's only been a week so I'm hoping to try a bottle around the New Year ;D
Peace....Love......Beer......

The Commune Brewing Company-Perfecting the craft of beer since 2010

Offline denny

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Belgian IPA Critique Please
« Reply #5 on: December 15, 2012, 02:47:55 pm »
I'd say need more hops.  IMO, 58 IBU isn't enough for an IPA of that OG.

Thanks for the input Denny, Do you think if I get up around 70 IBUs would be good and should I just bump up the bittering additions and I've got enough aroma or should I bump up everything across the board?

BTW, I've got your Bourbon Vanilla Porter conditioning in bottles right now. The pre-bottle sample tasted amazing! It's only been a week so I'm hoping to try a bottle around the New Year ;D

I don't see any 60 min. addition at all.  Unless I missed it, I'd add enough at 60 to get to around 70 IBU.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline skyler

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Re: Belgian IPA Critique Please
« Reply #6 on: December 18, 2012, 12:05:48 pm »
I think I go a wholly different direction with my Belgian IPAs than most people, but my way of doing it is basically just brewing a very basic IPA - something like 95% 2-row, 5% crystal, and a simple hop bill with a big flameout dose, a big dry hop addition, and no more than 2 varieties - then I just swap out the yeast for something Belgian. I got the idea from Double Mountain's India Red Ale, which is basically a crystal-heavy IPA bittered with brewer's gold, and then dosed with simcoe throughout the boil and after. I like the results and so have most people who have tasted my BIPA's, but they taste NOTHING like Belgo, if that's what you're going for.

Offline dmtaylor

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Re: Belgian IPA Critique Please
« Reply #7 on: December 18, 2012, 03:03:13 pm »
I think you've got a great basis for a recipe there, duboman.  A few comments:

1) I agree with Denny that there doesn't seem to be enough hops in there.  Personally I would double the last 4 additions, which will bring you up into the 65-70 range for IBUs.

2) 7 oz torrified wheat isn't doing much for you.  Why not increase this to 1.5 lb, then reduce your base malt (pilsner) by the same amount to even out the intended OG.

3) Increase the Caravienne to 1.5 lb.  This will add more color and caramelly sweetness.  It's okay for this beer to be a little caramelly sweet to help balance out all the hops that we're recommending.

And that's it!  Looks like a solid recipe.  The hopping schedule appears appropriate to me, and Amarillo and Centennial are the hops I would have picked out.  My own tasting notes for the real Clown Shoes beer state simply, "lemon and tangerine".  To me, "lemon" = Centennial and "tangerine" = Amarillo or Warrior.  So this really seems to validate the brewmaster's info.  I think you will come really really close to the real thing with this recipe, with or without my suggested tweaks.  Nice work and thanks for sharing.  I might have to brew this sometime -- I've entered into my database for safekeeping.  :)
Dave

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Offline duboman

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Re: Belgian IPA Critique Please
« Reply #8 on: December 20, 2012, 07:42:42 am »
@Skyler, Thanks for the input and your idea is a great one, however this time around I am really shooting for the Belgian

@Dmtaylor, I really appreciate the additional recommendations on the grain bill adjustments as well as the hops schedule from you and Denny. Exactly the type of input I was hoping to get. I'm going to do a little tweaking and plan on brewing this after the New Year with a cousin that wants to learn All Grain.

Cheers to All! I 'll let you all know how it turns out.
Peace....Love......Beer......

The Commune Brewing Company-Perfecting the craft of beer since 2010

Offline duboman

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Re: Belgian IPA Critique Please
« Reply #9 on: January 31, 2013, 10:00:17 am »
Thought I would provide a little update to this recipe:

The brew day went very well albeit quite cold and as a result the boil off ran a little higher than expected so I wound up with a little less than calculated in the primary, but hey, it's still beer!

Fermentation started at 68F and was slowly ramped up to 72F and it has completed. The yeast attenuated all the way to 1.008 leaving me with a 9.8% Belgian IPA. Today's gravity sample tasted great but I was missing the aroma impact so I decided to toss 2 oz of citra in the primary this morning and will leave it sit for 7 days, crash for a couple after that and then bottle it up.

Looking very forward to the final product!
Peace....Love......Beer......

The Commune Brewing Company-Perfecting the craft of beer since 2010

Offline Iliff Ave

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Re: Belgian IPA Critique Please
« Reply #10 on: January 31, 2013, 10:57:44 am »
Can you post your final recipe? I am interested to see how it ended up.
On Tap/Bottled: IPL, Adjunct Vienna, Golden Stout, Honey Lager
Fermenting: IPA
Up Next: mexi lager, Germerican pale ale

Offline duboman

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Re: Belgian IPA Critique Please
« Reply #11 on: January 31, 2013, 03:32:53 pm »
Can you post your final recipe? I am interested to see how it ended up.

Yup, Here's the final version!

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 9.25 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.81 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 6.25 gal   
Bottling Volume: 6.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.084 SG
Estimated Color: 8.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 74.6 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 80.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 83.2 %
Boil Time: 75 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
6.25 gal              Chicago, IL                              Water         1        -             
11 lbs 8.0 oz         Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM)            Grain         2        63.4 %       
3 lbs                 Pale Malt (2 Row) Bel (3.0 SRM)          Grain         3        16.5 %       
1 lbs 8.0 oz          Caravienne Malt (22.0 SRM)               Grain         4        8.3 %         
1 lbs 8.0 oz          Wheat, Torrified (1.7 SRM)               Grain         5        8.3 %         
10.1 oz               Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM)                 Grain         6        3.5 %         
0.75 oz               Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Boil 60. Hop           7        28.2 IBUs     
1.00 oz               Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Boil 30.0 min   Hop           8        17.5 IBUs     
1.00 oz               Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min     Hop           9        13.3 IBUs     
0.31 tsp              Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins)              Fining        10       -             
1.00 oz               Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min   Hop           11       8.3 IBUs     
1.25 tsp              Yeast Nutrient (Boil 10.0 mins)          Other         12       -             
1.50 oz               Orange Peel, Sweet (Boil 10.0 mins)      Spice         13       -             
1.00 oz               Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min      Hop           14       5.4 IBUs     
1.00 oz               Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Boil 2.0 min    Hop           15       1.9 IBUs     
1.0 pkg               Belgian Ardennes (Wyeast Labs #3522) [12 Yeast         16       -             
2.00 oz               Citra [13.70 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days       Hop           17       0.0 IBUs     


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 18 lbs 2.1 oz
----------------------------
Name              Description                             Step Temperat Step Time     
Mash In           Add 5.67 gal of water at 159.1 F        148.0 F       75 min       

Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (1.26gal, 4.75gal) of 168.0 F water
Peace....Love......Beer......

The Commune Brewing Company-Perfecting the craft of beer since 2010