Beer Forum

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%

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!

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

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

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).....

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.

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

Any word on how it turned out?