Imperial India Pale Ale

[Trizza]

Hey All!

Haven’t been brewing much lately, so though I'd get back into the business with an Imperial IPA.
What are everyone's thoughts on the recipe below...

Mash
0.50 kg Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM)
0.50 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 30L (30.0 SRM)
0.20 kg Special B Malt (180.0 SRM)
Malt
6.00 kg Pilsner Liquid Extract (3.5 SRM)
1.00 kg Light Dry Extract (8.0 SRM)
Hops
80.00 gm Northern Brewer [9.60%] (60 min) 78.8 IBU
15.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [4.80%] (30 min) 5.7 IBU
15.00 gm Fuggles [4.20%] (30 min) 5.0 IBU
10.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [4.80%] (25 min) 3.4 IBU
10.00 gm Fuggles [4.20%] (25 min) 3.0 IBU
10.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [4.80%] (20 min) 3.0 IBU
10.00 gm Fuggles [4.20%] (20 min) 2.6 IBU
10.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [4.80%] (15 min) 2.4 IBU
10.00 gm Fuggles [4.20%] (15 min) 2.1 IBU
10.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [4.80%] (10 min) 1.8 IBU
10.00 gm Fuggles [4.20%] (10 min) 1.6 IBU
10.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [4.80%] (5 min) 1.0 IBU
10.00 gm Fuggles [4.20%] (5 min) 0.9 IBU
15.00 gm Fuggles [4.20%] (Dry Hop 14 days)
15.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [4.50%] (Dry Hop 14 )

Yeast WLP099 - Super High Gravity

Batch Size: 23.00 L
Estimated OG: 1.096 SG
Estimated Color: 15.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 111.3 IBU

It’s just a small 60 min partial and 60 min boil. I think the balance between the hops and malt is about right. Would anyone suggest adding brown sugar or any other adjuncts?

Any Suggestions?

[drsmurto]

I personally wouldn't go above a BU:GU ratio of 1 for this style.

Knock it back to 80-90 IBU (adjusting the 60 min addition) and it will be more balanced IMHO.

I just racked my Imperial Landlord (TM) which is an IIPA using Fuggles, EKG and Styrian Goldings. OG 1.082 and 71 IBU. Have made it before and its lovely.

What you have will be similar but bigger than Meantime IPA which is one of my favourite beers.

[warra48]

One of my recent brews was an AIPA

OG 1.060
FG 1.015
IBU 78.2
Bitterness Ratio 1.155 IBU/SG

It drinks very very nicely, but I wouldn't want to go any higher with the hops.
I consider it doesn't show as much bitterness as one would expect, as I added 20 gr Chinook as FWH, and used Magnum for the 60 minute additions. I think it's responsible for the relatively soft hop character, but it's one I really enjoy.
Strangely, it has an almost sweet type of hoppy aroma, but it's well balanced with the malts, in my view.

I agree with DrS. About 80 IBU should be plenty.

[drsmurto]

Did you have munich or vienna malt in your AIPA Warra?

If so, you can push the BU:GU ratio above 1 as they are uber malty malts.

[Bizier]

Interesting that you are using UK hops in a double IPA, which is west coast US's gift to the world.
Good to see you are using an aggressive yeast to dry it out.

I find I get some strange and often undesirable flavours when I use UK hops in very high levels. I am interested to hear how you go.

[warra48]

Did you have munich or vienna malt in your AIPA Warra?

If so, you can push the BU:GU ratio above 1 as they are uber malty malts.

DrS,
83% Pale
10% Munich
7% Crystal (Medium & Dark)

I'll definitely brew this one again.

[drsmurto]

Bizier - get your hands on a bottle if Meantime IPA. If it was judged via the BJCP guidelines it would be an imperial IPA. Whatever you choose to call it i love it. Fuggles and EKG and lots of them.

Warra - nice, simple grist and i agree, with the Munich you could go over the BU:GU ratio of 1

[Bizier]

Bizier - get your hands on a bottle if Meantime IPA. If it was judged via the BJCP guidelines it would be an imperial IPA. Whatever you choose to call it i love it. Fuggles and EKG and lots of them.

I have had it, but I can safely say that the bottle I tried was tired and weary, so not representative. Thanks Doc for reminding me of them, because I am putting UK hops into nearly every one of my US beers, I might have to re-visit their examples. My definition of Imperial IPA might be skewed towards the upper end of the style. I brewed what I called a pale ale the other day and a brewing mate came over and said "that is a really nice IPA"... oh well.

[Trizza]

Update,

Put this brew down last weekend, lowering the bitterness to 100 IUB's and increasing the malt to give me an OG of 1098.
I still figure that this brew will need some 6-18 months of maturing for the bitterness to balance out and for it to really taste great, but I’m happy to wait. I’ll enter this brew in the Vicbrew 2011 when it rolls around.

This'll be in primary for 2 weeks, secondary for 2 weeks (aroma hops added), and tertiary for 4 before bottling.
(Big brews need 2 rackings in my opinion)

Trizza.

[Finnagann]

Wow that's a long time to mature, will there be much hop flavour/aroma left?