[gymrat]

This is the idea I am kicking around for my columbus single hopped IPA. Is this too strong on the hops?

BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Ralph's Wag Your Tail Columbus Pale Ale
Brewer: Roger
Asst Brewer: Ralph the Wonderdog
Style: American IPA
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 5.70 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.20 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal   
Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.069 SG
Estimated Color: 8.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 102.1 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 72.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
10 lbs                Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)           Grain         1        75.5 %       
2 lbs                 Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM)             Grain         2        15.1 %       
12.0 oz               Victory Malt (25.0 SRM)                  Grain         3        5.7 %         
8.0 oz                White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM)               Grain         4        3.8 %         
2.00 oz               Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Boil 15. Hop           5        47.9 IBUs     
2.00 oz               Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Boil 10. Hop           6        35.0 IBUs     
2.00 oz               Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Boil 5.0 Hop           7        19.2 IBUs     
1.0 pkg               Nottingham (Danstar #-) [23.66 ml]       Yeast         8        -             
2.00 oz               Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Dry Hop  Hop           9        0.0 IBUs     

I plan on mashing at 150

[Iliff Ave]

I personally like my IBU:OG to be near 1.0 for IPAs but that is personal preference obviously. Columbus can be pretty pungent so this would likely be to overpowering for my tastes

[gymrat]

Maybe I should back off an ounce or two?

[Iliff Ave]

I guess it all depends on what you are going for. I like my IPAs more balanced so I may not be the best person to ask. I think your grain bill looks great.

With a pale ale I might forgo a standard bittering addition but I would leave it in for an IPA. I have received advice in the past to bitter with enough hops to achieve 50% of your desired IBUs then use the rest within 10 minutes remaining in the boil + dry hop. This method works very well for me.

I think if you state what your goal is someone will be able provide better feedback.

[gymrat]

I hate the bitter bite of most IPAs. I did a cascade pale ale with this same grain bill and hop schedule. It is delicious but not quite as much hop flavor as I had hoped.

[yso191]

I have used First-wort hopping to minimize the bitterness successfully.  I love the flavor of hops, I just use a bittering amount enough to give a counterpoise to the beer.

[gymrat]

I FWH all of my red ales, amber ales, brown ales, porters and stouts. But when I tried it with my cirst IPA it still came out too bitter. I really like hop bursting my IPAs. I get good hop flavor without the bite. At least that is the way my citra IPA turned out.

[oly]

Over in the recipe section at Tastybrew there is an all Columbus IPA called Powderhead. I've made it more than once and it's good. It has 1.071 and 92 IBU, some of those as FWH (no 60min, just FWH 30min 5min and DH). Might be worth checking out.

[gymrat]

Thanks Oly

[brewmasternpb]

I have a lot of Columbus at home and have made a few all-columbus beers.  I actually think you're right on.  The one point I question is your malt bill...  I have great success with Base malt (half Marris Otter, have American pale) and some CaraPils, but that might be too light for your liking.  Who knows, the malt might balance the Columbus....

[erockrph]

If you want to cut the IBU's down a little, then you could simply move your 5 minute addition to flameout. Otherwise it looks pretty good to me. The grain bill is spot-on how I like my IPA's, although I don't bother with the wheat. The hops do plenty for head retention on their own.

I'd also double the dry-hops. I like at least 4 oz in my IPA's.

[redbeerman]

If you want to cut the IBU's down a little, then you could simply move your 5 minute addition to flameout. Otherwise it looks pretty good to me. The grain bill is spot-on how I like my IPA's, although I don't bother with the wheat. The hops do plenty for head retention on their own.

I'd also double the dry-hops. I like at least 4 oz in my IPA's.

^^^^^^^   IMHO an IPA should be more balanced than a DIPA for instance.  An AIPA should have lots of hop flavor and aroma and can be pretty bitter, but should not be astringent.  I find that over bittering can take the first layer of cells off your tongue.

[brewmasternpb]

Just from experience, I'd have to disagree with the 4 oz of Dry Hops if you're using Columbus... They have so much going on, it's almost a chemical, phenolic character if you use too much.

[gymrat]

I brewed this up yesterday. I did deviate a little from my rough draft. I FWH with 1 oz Mt Hood 3.6% AA hops.
The rest of my hop schedule was as follows:
All Columbus
1oz 20 minutes
2oz 15 minutes
2oz 10 minutes
1oz 5 minutes
My entire man cave smells like hops right now. This afternoon I had krausen in my air lock and had to put in a blow off tube. The tube is full of krausen and blowing into my jug like an aquarium pump.

[kgs]

Is that third addition actually at 10 minutes?