Simple all-grain American IPA recipe?

[kraftbrew]

Hello,

Does anyone have a proven, simple all-grain American IPA recipe for a 5-gallon batch mashed with a single-temperature infusion and a batch sparge?

Prost!

[hooky]

I started with this and have been tweaking it.

12 lbs 2 Row
1.5 lbs Crystal 40
1 lb Wheat

1.5 oz Northern Brewer (6.5%) at 60
1 oz Centenial (8%) at 20
1 oz Centenial (8%) at 5

Mash at 152

That comes in on the lower end of the style for both IBU's and Starting Gravity with my gear.

You can use just about any C hop you want.

[beerking]

This has worked many times for me. I have brewed it 4 times this year, with different hop profiles each time. This one is the best of the 4, using all Columbus hops:

12.5# 2-row Pale malt (I used Opticp)
0.75# Cara-Pils
1# Crystal, 60L

Mash in at 156F rest 00 minutes, dropping to 146F, raise to 170F for mashout.
60 min boil

0.5 oz Columbus (12.2% AA) for 60 min
2.5 oz Columbus for 30 min
2.5 oz Columbus for 20 min
1.66 oz Columbus for 15 min

The beer is "burst hopped." That is, most hops are added at 30 or less min left to the boil. It takes a lot more hops, but gives a big, juicy hop flavor with the bitterness, similar to what you find in Bell's Hopslam.

I figure this to have 99 IBUs. The hop flavor is fantastic, and it has gotten rave reviews, even from some professional brewers.

[kraftbrew]

Thanks hooky and beerking. I'm looking forward to giving these a try.

[markaberrant]

I think IPA recipes should be simple. I like this:

75-80% 2-row
5% crystal (30-60L)
10-15% munich
mash at 152 for 60 minutes
boil for 90 minutes
shoot for an OG of 1.065

Hopping:
2oz FWH
1oz 60
2oz flameout
2oz dry hop

Adjust your 60 minute addition depending on the AA of your hops, and for how bitter you like it, but 1oz is a good starting point. Keep all other amounts the same.

Use relatively high alpha citrus hops such as Centennial, Columbus, Chinook, Amarillo, Simcoe, Summit, etc. Cascades are good, but they have slightly lower AA, so only use them for flameout or dry hopping additions. You can go with a single hop, or any combination thereof... I like to use at least 1 of the more "fruity" or "floral" hops for the flameout and dry hop additions such as amarillo, centennial or simcoe.

The result is a well hopped beer, smooth bitterness, and a solid malt backbone that doesn't interfere with the hop profile. I can best describe it as "juicy," especially when using amarillo and/or simcoe with their sweet grapefruit and tropical fruit overtones.

[iahebert]

Not super picky about my grainbill, but it usually involves 10-12 lbs of 2row, a pound of Crystal 40 (or maybe a touch darker) and a bit of Cara-pils.

For me the hops are the key.

1 oz. Magnum 60
1 oz. Columbus 20
1 oz. Columbus 10

That hop combo is perfection for me.

[Mad Scientist]

The hops are the key in an IPA, since that is the flavor that you are brewing the beer for, so stick to the hopping advice that is given above. One thing that you'll need to make sure you do not over hop the beer is to use either Beersmith or promash to determine your approximate IBUs. The malt bill should be simple...I prefer 2-row, with a bit of crystal 40 or 60.

[markaberrant]

I haven't tasted an overhopped IPA yet...

[Mad Scientist]

It can be done...I know this from experience. But I've never over hopped an IIPA.....

[darylM]

It can be done...I know this from experience. But I've never over hopped an IIPA.....

I would be curious as to what you consider overhopped seeing as you are a hop fiend.

[Mad Scientist]

I would be curious as to what you consider overhopped seeing as you are a hop fiend.

At some point, you'll O.D....

it is kind of funny though...an IPA should be balanced, despite the favt that you'll have a higher BU:GU ratio. But you cannot just throw hops in all willy-nilly, as you could with a IIPA.

[markaberrant]

But you cannot just throw hops in all willy-nilly, as you could with a IIPA.

I agree with this. To a point. It all comes down to understanding your hop additions, what each one will contribute, and ultimately, what you like in an IPA. Or IIPA. You still need to have a purpose with your hop additions in a IIPA.

I like to load up on flameout and dry hopping additions... gives you insane aroma and fresh hop character. FWH gives a smooth bitterness and lasting flavour. And then a bit of a regular bittering charge, as I still like a little bite.

Frankly, some of the recipes that have been posted in this thread leave me scratching my head... no dry hopping, and making your final hop addition at 5, 10 or even as early as 15 minutes just seems odd to me for an IPA. But then I haven't tasted these beers, so who am I to say?

[hooky]

The hop schedule I posted in the recipe above has morphed into the following as of the last time I brewed it (10g):

2.00 oz Centennial [7.90 %] (60 min) 24.3 IBU
2.00 oz Centennial [7.90 %] (30 min) 17.2 IBU
2.00 oz Centennial [7.90 %] (20 min) 13.5 IBU
1.00 oz Cascade [6.90 %] (10 min) 3.8 IBU
1.00 oz Cascade [6.90 %] (0 min) 0 IBU
Dry hopped with 2 oz's of Cascade for 2 weeks.

I agree with what you're saying about the late additions and I've changed the recipe accordingly, but he was asking for simple and I took that to include fewer hop additions. The next brewday it will get some FWH with the Centennial and Magnum at 60.

[Mad Scientist]

Frankly, some of the recipes that have been posted in this thread leave me scratching my head... no dry hopping, and making your final hop addition at 5, 10 or even as early as 15 minutes just seems odd to me for an IPA. But then I haven't tasted these beers, so who am I to say?

I agree...dry hoping is almost a requiremnt of an IPA. It is one of the defining characteristics of the style.