Big thanks to BN. Almost ready to brew

[Rooster]

So I've made it to Portugal and I firstly wanted to thank all of you who initially pointed me in the right direction.

I managed to catch up with another BN member here in Lisbon, and I can only say it was a fantastic welcome. Unfortunately he has now departed, but not before leaving me a bunch of gear, ingredients, contacts and tips. Big thanks to Susquehanna!

My first all grain batch is now only a gas burner and a packet of yeast away, and that looks like happening this week!

So I thought I'd throw a recipe out there and see what comes back (hopefully a little reassurance). I'm using what I have been gifted and what I can get locally. Hopefully all the reading I've done here will help get me a drinkable result. All and any feedback welcome.

King Brown IPA (after the snake that should have, but couldn't, kill my English pointer this year)
24lt batch
60min Mash at 154 Deg C, batch sparge
2.5kg Maris Otter malt
1.75kg Pilsner malt
1.5kg Munich malt
0.5 Cara-pils
0.5 Crystal malt 148ebc
Safale US-05 dry yeast
30g Columbus leaf - first wort
20g Columbus leaf - 20 mins remaining
20g Simcoe pellets - 10 mins
30g Amarillo pellets - whirlpool
30g Cascade dry hop (if I make it to week 2 of fermentation)

[Ozwald]

I'm assuming that this is going to be a 'whatchagot' brew, but I'd use a lower color crystal for starters (or eliminate it completely). Secondly, a bit of sugar would help to dry it out a bit, as would dropping your mash temp a couple of degrees. If you're able to do a step mash I'd do 148-152-mashout & maybe replace a half kilo of the Munich with table/corn sugar. Other than that, it looks pretty close to me.

[mobrewer]

If you are aiming for a brown IPA then the crystal malt may get you there. If you can get some Carafa or other de-bittered/de-husked malt a few ounces can contribute some brown color with little flavor contribution.

[Afterlab]

Definitely like Ozwald said you will want to mash a few degrees lower so you can get a drier beer otherwise the hop flavors and aromas you're looking for will get lost in the mix. Having Maris Otter as a base malt along with a chunk of Munich malt will give you a great malt flavor but it is also going to give you a lot more body and mouthfeel compared to North American 2 row malts. To counter this make sure to mash lower to drive that attenuation. Not to mention the crystal will add (IMO unneeded) body and flavor as well. A lot of people will say crystal malt is one of the fastest specialty malts to oxidize your beer, so if you're looking to preserve that crisp hop flavor and aroma, back off on the crystal malt or just don't use it because a little goes a very long way in an IPA. Use 1-2% honey malt if you must.

[Rooster]

Hi All,

Thanks fellas.

What I've got is some Biscuit Malt, Cara amber, Amber, some Melanoidin Malt and some other higher ebc specialties. What I can get locally in base malts are: 15 ebc Munich, 7 ebc Belgian pale, 3 ebc Pilsner, and 50 ebc Amber.

I'm leaning towards the exclusion of the crystal as suggested. Being my first batch I should probably be keeping it simple. I will revise the recipe and re post.

Lee's step mash suggestion has prompted another question I've been wanting to ask -

My mashtun, (as soon as I work out the pic insert I will post a pic) is a stainless pot insulated with nitrile rubber all around so cannot be heated during the mash except by the addition of water to establish the mash temp. If I have a grist/water ratio of say 1kg:2.5lt, can I mash in for a 148 deg step with say 4/5ths of my total strike water, then use the remaining volume calculated to step up temp to 152? How will doing this affect things? Is there a minimum volume of water per kg of grain that should be used in the initial protein rest, given of course I need to at least be able to stir it through?

[Ozwald]

Hi All,

Thanks fellas.

What I've got is some Biscuit Malt, Cara amber, Amber, some Melanoidin Malt and some other higher ebc specialties. What I can get locally in base malts are: 15 ebc Munich, 7 ebc Belgian pale, 3 ebc Pilsner, and 50 ebc Amber.

I'm leaning towards the exclusion of the crystal as suggested. Being my first batch I should probably be keeping it simple. I will revise the recipe and re post.

Lee's step mash suggestion has prompted another question I've been wanting to ask -

My mashtun, (as soon as I work out the pic insert I will post a pic) is a stainless pot insulated with nitrile rubber all around so cannot be heated during the mash except by the addition of water to establish the mash temp. If I have a grist/water ratio of say 1kg:2.5lt, can I mash in for a 148 deg step with say 4/5ths of my total strike water, then use the remaining volume calculated to step up temp to 152? How will doing this affect things? Is there a minimum volume of water per kg of grain that should be used in the initial protein rest, given of course I need to at least be able to stir it through?

The amber *might* work, but I'd just leave it out completely. (One of my biggest pet peeves is the notion that an IPA is just a bigger version of a Pale Ale).

As for step mashing, that's exactly how I started step mashes with AG - dough in thick & add boiling water to do the steps while thinning out the grist ratio. I don't recall off hand what my targets were, but I know for something like that my first infusion would be less than 1qt/lb (~2L/kg).

[BDawg]

Yeah, I am kinda getting sick of so many IPAs being loaded with crystal.
I like them a lot paler and drier, not like strong Pale Ales or (worse) American Ambers.

Here's what the BJCP Style guidelines say for 14B (Am. IPA) flavor:

Flavor: Hop flavor is medium to high, and should reflect an American hop character with citrusy, floral, resinous, piney or fruity aspects. Medium-high to very high hop bitterness, although the malt backbone will support the strong hop character and provide the best balance. Malt flavor should be low to medium, and is generally clean and malty sweet although some caramel or toasty flavors are acceptable at low levels. No diacetyl. Low fruitiness is acceptable but not required. The bitterness may linger into the aftertaste but should not be harsh. Medium-dry to dry finish. Some clean alcohol flavor can be noted in stronger versions. Oak is inappropriate in this style. May be slightly sulfury, but most examples do not exhibit this character.

[Ozwald]

Ditto. An IPA is just as close to a saison as it is an APA.

From this recipe, I was thinking much more along the lines of an English IPA instead of American from the malt bill. It looks like it could be a fun blend of the 2 styles if done correctly.