Getting everything scheduled so that I can have things fermenting while I'm out of the house at the end of the year. Bought some hops a few days ago and I'm looking forward to using them. This is one I will brew a day or two before I leave for a week so I want it to be a nice simple brew. Thought I would throw it out here for any criticism. Really liking the single hop beers lately, gives me a good feel for hop flavors and such. Had a sorachi ace IPA at a homebrew fest and LOVED it so I am looking forward to using this one.

Style: American IPA
Batch: 2.25 gal Partial Mash

Characteristics
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Recipe Gravity: 1.061 OG
Recipe Bitterness: 48 IBU
Recipe Color: 6° SRM
Estimated FG: 1.015
Alcohol by Volume: 5.9%
Alcohol by Weight: 4.6%

Ingredients
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Briess LME - Golden Light 3.30 lb, Extract, Extract
CaraPils 0.25 lb, Grain, Mashed
Two-row (US) 0.50 lb, Grain, Mashed

Sorachi Ace 0.25 oz, Pellet, 0 minutes
Sorachi Ace 0.25 oz, Pellet, 7 minutes
Sorachi Ace 0.25 oz, Pellet, 20 minutes
Sorachi Ace 0.25 oz, Pellet, 60 minutes

Prolly a 60 min mash at 152* then pour over sparge with a colander. The 0 min addition will be a dry hop that I will throw in once I get back from vacation.

Prolly gonna use US-05 on this, rehydrated. Should be nice and easy!! I MAY throw some DME in there to get the ABV up a bit more. We'll see.

Thinking about changing it to 1# of two row, need a bit more gravity for this IBU level.

Just out of curiosity, what is the percentage of the mash that needs to be 2 row vs specially? Isn't it 50% 2-row minimum?

looks to me that your mash is 75% 2row to 25% specialiaty

It really isn't 75% and 25% because of the LME. The LME has a high percentage of 2-Row in it. I don't do any extract brews anymore so I can help much, but if you can come up with a percentage of 2-row from your LME that might help me. I would make back off on the LME and up your grain bill. Use the LME to help where you equipment won't allow you to go. If you are already mashing why not mash more grain, if you can?

This recipe is mostly about using what i have. I dont have the time or money to order more 2 row and my LHBS is so much more expensive than ordering online that I can't buy there.

Cool, I have all kinds of base grain on hand. If you were any closer to my aunt and uncle I could give you some at cost. I think they are quite a ways from OKC.

I'm sure I'll stock up on base grain soon, I need to run a few PM and AG batches before I commit to 50# of two row though.

Depends on the 2-row and if you're testing for conversion with iodine. With a long enough mash and the right type of 2-row, you could, in theory, go down to 1/3 of the mash. That said, I wouldn't go below 1/2 most of the time.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out!

I'm still messing around with this and the amarillo pale ale recipes. Got my grain in today and I'll get it all figured out. Brewing one of the two on Wednesday!!

another way to tell when the mash is converted is when the bubbles get a little thicker, and get a rainbow sheen on them (like dish soap or car wash soap bubbles)... saw that on an episode of BrewingTV and i've been using it as an indicator ever since.

and the basic base grain to specialty ratio for partial mashes is 1:1... for every one pound of specialty grain, you'll need at least one pound of base grain... or so i've read.

The only thing I noticed is that 1 oz of hops for 2 plus gallons is hardly an AIPA. just saying.

I have a house ale that takes 4 oz for 3.5 gallons that is an APA

Now that I adjusted the AA levels in qbrew, I get an IBU of 37. I dont know how to calculate for FWH or dry hopping, both of which are going on in this batch. I may just leave it like it is or use another .5 oz of hops and hop burst.

Dry hops don't add any IBUs, and FWHing adds roughly the same IBUs as an addition the full length of the boil.

That's not to say that dry hopping won't add perceived bitterness or that FWHing won't smooth out the bitterness. But in terms of straight IBUs, that's how they impact things.

exactly! perceived bitterness is what recipe design is all about here. the FWH (so I have read/heard) adds about the equivalent IBU as a 60 minute addition, but with the characteristics of an aroma/finishing addition. I can't remember where I posted it (so I apologize if you saw this already), but my IPA is calculated at 65+ IBU, but I FWH, went heavy on late additions, and dry hopped...turned out VERY smooth in my opinion. whereas I have had commercial examples that were rated like 20 IBU less that IMO were much harsher on my palatte

so....dont worry about the numbers too much, just FWH, dry hop and get good smooth bitterness and flavor out of this? I still think I'll be ok using only 1 oz. Sure, it may not be to style but this recipe is mainly about trying out this hop and seeing what it tastes like.

yup! just have at it and see what you think of the hops and the technique. you are still making a nice pale ale, so only the same changes a bit

This is done!! Brew day didn't go to well but its over with now. Boiloff rate was wrong so I missed OG by a bit. After temp correction it was 1.065, shooting for 1.067 on 2.5 gal batch. Not a big deal.

I also pitched at 85*. I wasn't thinking and noticed that my timer for rehydrating went off and I just threw it right in!! I aerated it and then immediately put it in the fem fridge at 63*. Think it will be ok?

I also still didn't do the siphon right. The cold break was settling but it was settling in pockets, not in one area so I stirred it back up (bad idea) and it never settled back down. So I just put it all in the fermenter.

Oh well, I didn't screw anything up so badly that I won't make beer right?

just checked and the wort is down to 79* and fermentation hasnt started yet so I shouldn't get any off flavors.

Yeah, not ideal, but not bad. You'll have beer for sure.

down to 61* this morning and fermenting rapidly. Nice high krausen on it!!

I got it down below 75* before anything started I'm sure. I just hope it doesn't ferment out super quick. This one is supposed to sit for 3 weeks since I'll be out of town on the day I would bottle this.

did hydro test on this today, 1.014 so 6.6% abv. Right on where qbrew had it. Taster was good, no fusel flavors or anything. Lots of trub so I have this cold crashing and I hope to bottle tonight. Then I will have a fermenter open and ready for my first AG!!

this will get bottled today. I've had it cold crashing since yesterday trying to compact the trub. This will be my first time bottling with glass and a capper, hope it goes well!!

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but don't u only want to cold crash if ur goin to force carb? If the yeast settle out it may take a long time to carb up, if at all.

Nah, it's fine. If enough of the yeast settles out it MIGHT take a long time to carb up, but it will. Just use one PET bottle to monitor carbonation and you'll be good.

Tried a bottle of this yesterday. Needs more time to carb and will need some conditioning time. It was good, just need the flavors to come together a bit more ya know?

not sure how I feel about this hop. definitely get lemon pepper from it. we'll see how it ages. I'll prolly let them carb until the super bowl and then chill from there.