Spring Point IIPA

[robcoombs]

Here's the recipe for the IIPA I brought to the last meeting.

Recipe: Spring Point
Brewer: Rob
Asst Brewer:
Style: Imperial IPA
TYPE: All Grain


Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 7.76 gal
Post Boil Volume: 6.76 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 6.00 gal   
Bottling Volume: 5.25 gal
Estimated OG: 1.070 SG
Estimated Color: 5.4 SRM
Estimated IBU: 127.2 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 78.5 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
10 lbs                Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM)            Grain         1        65.6 %       
4 lbs                 Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM)         Grain         2        26.2 %       
4.0 oz                Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM)             Grain         3        1.6 %         
4.0 oz                Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM)    Grain         4        1.6 %         
28.00 g               Warrior [15.00 %] - First Wort 60.0 min  Hop           5        44.1 IBUs     
12.0 oz               Corn Sugar (Dextrose) [Boil for 30 min]( Sugar         6        4.9 %         
1.00 Items            Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 10.0 mins)        Fining        7        -             
28.00 g               Falconer's Flight [11.00 %] - Boil 10.0  Hop           8        10.7 IBUs     
28.00 g               Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min         Hop           9        12.6 IBUs     
28.00 g               Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min           Hop           10       6.4 IBUs     
28.00 g               Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min          Hop           11       6.9 IBUs     
28.00 g               Citra 10 minute steep [12.00 %] - Steep/ Hop           12       5.8 IBUs     
28.00 g               Citra chiller start [12.00 %] - Steep/Wh Hop           13       9.7 IBUs     
28.00 g               Falconer's Flight 10 minute steep [11.00 Hop           14       5.3 IBUs     
28.00 g               Falconer's Flight chiller start [11.00 % Hop           15       8.9 IBUs     
28.00 g               Simcoe 10 minute steep [13.00 %] - Steep Hop           16       6.3 IBUs     
28.00 g               Simcoe chiller start [13.00 %] - Steep/W Hop           17       10.5 IBUs     
1.0 pkg               Safale American  (DCL/Fermentis #US-05)  Yeast 1L starter      18       -             
56.00 g               Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop Days 0-5     Hop           19       0.0 IBUs     
28.00 g               Citra [12.00 %] - Dry Hop Days 0-5     Hop           20       0.0 IBUs     
28.00 g               Falconer's Flight [11.00 %] - Dry Hop Days 0-5 Hop           21       0.0 IBUs     
56.00 g               Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop Days 5-10      Hop           22       0.0 IBUs     
28.00 g               Citra [12.00 %] - Dry Hop Days 5-10      Hop           23       0.0 IBUs     
28.00 g               Falconer's Flight [11.00 %] - Dry Hop Days 5-10 Hop           24       0.0 IBUs     


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 15 lbs 4.0 oz
----------------------------
Name              Description                             Step Temperature  Step Time         
Mash In           Add 18.13 qt of water at 163.7 F        152.0 F           60 min           

Sparge: Batch sparge with 1 step (drain mash tun, 5.21 gal) of 168.0 F water
Notes:
------

[Two Wheeler]

I enjoyed this... it was very smooth for such a big beer. That's a ton of hops 

[robcoombs]

I should mention this is a clone of Maine Beer Company's DIPA called Dinner. The recipe actually broke down to call for a full pound of dry hops! But I scaled it back to half that.

[Two Wheeler]

Haha, yeah that's an expensive dry hop.

That makes me wonder... where is the point of diminishing returns on dry hopping? You would think at some point the flavour/aroma is going to max out and then you're just losing beer to the hops.

[robcoombs]

Exactly. Even half a pound is likely past that point.

[pliny]

Interesting combination of hops. Looks great.

[Roger]

Interesting combination of hops. Looks great.

Tastes great too. 

[robcoombs]

It was the first time I had used Falconer's Flight. Really impressed by the flavor and aroma.

[Al-Loves-Wine]

Did you actually boil for 90 minutes with that much pilsner?

[robcoombs]

Did you actually boil for 90 minutes with that much pilsner?

No, it was a 60 minute boil. Did I put 90 minutes somewhere in the recipe? I can't seem to find that written anywhere.

[Al-Loves-Wine]

Did you actually boil for 90 minutes with that much pilsner?

No, it was a 60 minute boil. Did I put 90 minutes somewhere in the recipe? I can't seem to find that written anywhere.

Oh no, I was just curious. Pilsner is usually boiled for 90min, so I just assumed...lol

[robcoombs]

Actually I didn't know that. It's only the second time I've used pils.

[Al-Loves-Wine]

I love pilsner malt myself, sucking back a glass of a German pils I made 6 weeks ago. Only reason 90 minutes for pilsner is it drives off DMS which gives you that cooked corn flavor. But I doubt you are gonna notice any of that with that hop bill. It does sound really good, would have liked to try it.

[robcoombs]

I only have 5 bottles left. Definitely the fastest I've gone through a batch.

[Kyle]

Haha, yeah that's an expensive dry hop.

That makes me wonder... where is the point of diminishing returns on dry hopping? You would think at some point the flavour/aroma is going to max out and then you're just losing beer to the hops.

I have experimented a lot with dry hopping and finding the point of diminishing returns, generally speaking, the following applies, per 5 gallon batch, using pellet hops:

- 1oz is subtle
- 2-3 oz per dose is usually best bang-for-buck
- 2 * 2oz dose, five days apart is more effective than adding them all at once
- pay close attention to water chemistry, for example Freddy city water needs approx 3Tbsp gypsum in the mash water to really make the hops "pop"
- careful with amarillo and citra: too much of the first gives you a mayonnaise aroma, too much of the second may give you a magic marker aroma
- add a dose of dry hops to the keg, in a muslin bag
- 12oz of fresh (current year's crop) pellet hops, added in doses of 3oz at a time, the first 3 doses free floating, and the last dose in the keg, in a bag --> is at the far end of the point of diminishing return. I have incrementally added more hops, up to 2 pounds in a 5 gallon batch, but aside from giving the beer a green tinge, there was no real noticeable effect.
have a very large dry hop bag, or let them float freely (they will sink after a few days)