Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Mitch Steele excerpt  (Read 3966 times)

Offline hopfenundmalz

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 10678
  • Milford, MI
Re: Mitch Steele excerpt
« Reply #15 on: April 06, 2014, 05:33:47 pm »
Yeah, it is his opinion. But it's also a pretty good guideline for brewing IPAs. Too many IPAs out there have too much crystal and are too sweet. If you are trying to dial in your IPA these are good guidelines to follow. Brew the beer you want, for sure! But most likely the beer you want won't be a crystal overloaded high finishing gravity IPA.

But crystal malt and sweetness don't necessarily go hand in hand.  You can use crystal for the flavor, and balance it with the rest of the grist, the hopping, the yeast, the mash temp.

I don't think crystal malt really adds sweetness, per se. But it does add flavors I find that clash with hops if used too much. As I said, I do think some is important. Around 5% is the key for me. Don't care for higher Lovibond crystals in IPA.

It depends on the IPA, and the amount of crystal malt. Have you ever made this one? It is a classic that old guys like me like. Just realized I need to do it again!
http://realbeer.com/hops/sister.html

Yeah, I always forget about English IPAs. I mean citrus hop bomb American IPAs. And even there a 1/4 lb of 120 crystal isn't going to sink the boat.

I also have a few recipes I have brewed over the years that break the mold I am talking about. But as guidelines, I think Mitch's advice is sound and mirrors my experience. If the OP is having trouble dialing in his IPA recipe maybe cutting back on the crystal or cutting back on higher lovibond crystal might be the key.

As an aside, I wonder what Denny would say about the wheat added to that recipe. ;)
When I brew it, I nix the wheat. No need in my book.
Jeff Rankert
AHA Lifetime Member
BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline klickitat jim

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8604
Re: Mitch Steele excerpt
« Reply #16 on: April 06, 2014, 06:04:25 pm »
Perfection is the destination of a journey never ending. Its a point on a map made by people who have never been there. Occasionally one must put down the map and enjoy the sights along the way.

I have a hard time accepting certain % of certain ingredients as baseline fact that must be followed. I think very few of us are willing to stop at the perfect recipe, even if we did find it.

Offline HoosierBrew

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 13031
  • Indianapolis,IN
Re: Mitch Steele excerpt
« Reply #17 on: April 06, 2014, 06:16:10 pm »
I think very few of us are willing to stop at the perfect recipe, even if we did find it.


I agree. I've never brewed the exact recipe twice in 20 years. Even when I make a beer where I feel I nailed it ( doesn't happen very often - I'm my own biggest critic), I can't help but tinker with it the next time. I don't think anybody should feel they should use a certain amount of anything. I just know what I like.
« Last Edit: April 06, 2014, 06:29:01 pm by HoosierBrew »
Jon H.

Offline klickitat jim

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8604
Re: Mitch Steele excerpt
« Reply #18 on: April 06, 2014, 07:04:11 pm »
I was a bit hoy falloy in that post. I think I'm getting a bit rummy from lack of sleep.

Offline erockrph

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7788
  • Chepachet, RI
    • The Hop WHisperer
Re: Mitch Steele excerpt
« Reply #19 on: April 06, 2014, 10:07:42 pm »
You can make a damn good IPA without any crystal malt, but that's not the only way to go about it. And even then, I think you still need something else to give it some malt backbone. My IPA is 2-row, Munich, Victory with no crystal at all. You could also probably make a solid IPA using 100% of a flavorful base malt like Maris Otter, or maybe a good continental Pilsner.

I've had a lot of IPA's and (even more often) IIPA's that have an unpleasant sweetness to my palate. I always used to write them off as having too much Crystal malt, but I've started to come over to thinking that it is more from underattenuation. The higher alcohol content of big IPA's and IIPA's already lends the impression of sweetness. Once you add hops and if you have any sweetness left in the beer, it starts to become a bit cough syrupy.

In the end, good fermentation always levels the playing field and is way more important than recipe design.
Eric B.

Finally got around to starting a homebrewing blog: The Hop Whisperer

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27093
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: Mitch Steele excerpt
« Reply #20 on: April 07, 2014, 10:24:15 am »
As an aside, I wonder what Denny would say about the wheat added to that recipe. ;)

I'd say it's unnecessary, but it's your beer if you want it in there.  FWIW, I keep the wheat malt in my Rye IPA recipe even though I really don't think it makes a difference.  I just don't want to mess with success!
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