White IPA. Critique and suggestion please.

[NHbeerscene]

I am making a white IPA loosely based off of Deschutes Chainbreaker. I have maintained the IBU's and OG of the original recipe. However I switched up the hops using Magnum, Citra, and Sorachii Ace. I made SMaSH Beers with the Citra and Sorachii last year and enjoyed both. The Soracchi I felt needed a back up player though. I have found the bitterness from them is a bit on the hash side (more with the Citra) and so I am bittering with Magnum and using the Citra and Sorachii in the 15, 10 and 0 min additions.

The back story: The gents I brew with wanted to switch things up and have a friendly little contest to see who could brew the best IPA. We are all doing different recipes. I am doing a white, one is doing a heady topper clone, and the other will most likely do an English style IPA. The cavieat to this is in the 14 years I have brewed I have never brewed an IPA. It's not a particular favorite of mine though I do like heady topper and have generally enjoyed the white IPA's I have tried. So I feel this recipe could use a once over, I look forward to your critique and or suggestions.

This was going to be a 10 gallon batch that I would split between the us - 05 and Wyeast 3464 Forbidden Fruit strain. Below is the grain bill and hopping schedule. OG 1.056, FG 1.014, 53 IBU's, BU/GU .96. The FG seems a little high to me si I may add a little table sugar to dry it down some.

This was made on the brewtoad software btw.

2-Row (US) 13.0 lb 62 % Mash 37
Wheat (US) 5.0 lb 24 % Mash 38
Unmalted Wheat (BE) 2.8 lb 13 % Mash 36

Magnum (US) 1.5 oz 60 min Boil Pellet 13.0%
Sorachi Ace (JP) 0.5 oz 15 min Boil Pellet 10.7%
Citra (US) 0.5 oz 15 min Boil Pellet 14.4%
Sorachi Ace (JP) 0.5 oz 10 min Boil Pellet 10.7%
Citra (US) 0.5 oz 10 min Boil Pellet 14.4%
Citra (US) 1.0 oz 0 min Boil Pellet 14.4%
Sorachi Ace (JP) 1.0 oz 0 min Boil Pellet 10.7%

[Ale_Satan]

Looks like the right grist bill for the "style". I do not have much experience with the forbidden fruit strain, but when i make a white IPA it is usually after i make a Wit. I usually re pitch the wit yeast into the IPA and have gone as far as adding sweet/bitter orange peel to the boil. Citrusy and Piney hops always seem to lend themselves well, and i would suggest dry hopping with the same. If you can get your hands on some mandrin bavaria, i love the aroma it lends! The 05 (ringwood) strain is a decently estery strain, not my favorite for IPA's but floc's like a champ! I would add dextrose to dry it out, but i like a crisp IPA. Good Luck!

[Ale_Satan]

Forgot to mention, i add a small amount of acidulated malt to mine. Not that you have to do the same!

[BDawg]

Yes, I agree a Wit yeast strain is the way to go when trying to make something along the lines of Chainbreaker.

[NHbeerscene]

What about the hoping schedule? Some people have told me to move the 15 and 10 min additions to flameout and then dry hop ( another thing I have never done).....

[Ale_Satan]

I guess it depends on what you are trying to get out of them. I tend to hop pretty aggressively, but like to keep the IBU's within reason. Your hop schedule looks good, but i would definitely add some dry hop if it was me. An oz or two of citra can go a long way in secondary, especially with a beer like this. You could move an Ace addition to 25 mins if you are looking to add more hop flavor. Hope this helps, i feel this beer should be forgiving even if you don't get your hop additions perfect the first time.

[NHbeerscene]

So taking that advice (a few others have told me the same thing) I dropped the 15 min addition and added a dry hop addition to up the aroma.

Magnum (US) 1.5 oz 60 min Boil Pellet 13.0%
Sorachi Ace (JP) 0.5 oz 10 min Boil Pellet 10.7%
Citra (US) 0.5 oz 10 min Boil Pellet 14.4%
Sorachi Ace (JP) 1.0 oz 0 min Boil Pellet 10.7%
Citra (US) 1.0 oz 0 min Boil Pellet 14.4%
Sorachi Ace (JP) 0.5 oz 5 days Dry Hop Pellet 10.7%
Citra (US) 0.5 oz 5 days Dry Hop Pellet 14.4%

IBU's = 40
BU/GU = .72

Still plan to split the wort into 2 - 5 gallon batches with US-05 and Wyeast 3463 Forbidden Fruit

[spiderwrangler]

Any word on how it turned out?