BeerBorg

Killed the Drop Kick Nate keg and have something ready in about week to fill it but I'm about to kick the Black IPA so I need to brew again soon....maybe Memorial Day.
So, I need to get rid of some older grain and hops so here's my first look at another session brew. Of course, I will OCD over the next week and make some changes.
I'm going for something very tropical with lots of Calypso and Belma hops I have. I'm saving the Nelson Sauvin and Honey Melon for a pale ale later in the summer. My hope is that the MO gives it a bit more flavor and the Victory and Munich some body and the C80 just some color.
Comments, queries, bitches and gripes?????? They are always welcome.

Oh, I may use 007 yeast instead of 001 just to give it something more but I am concerned the 007 will cover up the tropical hops so it'll likely be 001.


BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Summer Session IPA-Disciples of Hop Series 2
Brewer: Paul
Asst Brewer:
Style: American Amber Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 7.65 gal
Post Boil Volume: 6.45 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 6.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 6.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.045 SG
Estimated Color: 7.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 114.8 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 76.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 78.5 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 51.3 %
3 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 2 30.8 %
8.0 oz Borlander Munich Malt (Briess) (10.0 SRM Grain 3 5.1 %
8.0 oz Victory Malt (biscuit) (Briess) (28.0 SR Grain 4 5.1 %
8.0 oz Wheat, Red (Cargill) (2.9 SRM) Grain 5 5.1 %
4.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 6 2.6 %
1.00 oz Magnum [12.00 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 7 45.5 IBUs
1.00 oz Belma [9.80 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 8 20.4 IBUs
1.00 oz Calypso [13.00 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 9 27.1 IBUs
0.50 oz Belma [9.80 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 10 6.1 IBUs
1.00 oz Belma [9.80 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 11 6.7 IBUs
1.00 oz Calypso [13.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 12 8.9 IBUs
2.00 oz Belma [9.80 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 0.0 mi Hop 13 0.0 IBUs
2.00 oz Calypso [13.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 0.0 Hop 14 0.0 IBUs
2.00 oz Belma [9.80 %] - Dry Hop 0.0 Days Hop 15 0.0 IBUs
2.00 oz Calypso [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 0.0 Days Hop 16 0.0 IBUs


Mash Schedule: BIAB, Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 9 lbs 12.0 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Saccharification Add 33.45 qt of water at 158.9 F 152.1 F 75 min
Mash Out Heat to 168.0 F over 7 min 168.0 F 10 min

I have two comments...

First, looks pretty good. Love the MO in the grain bill.
Second...I would be careful with the full ounce of Magnum at 60 minutes. Since it's a session IPA and the OG is pretty low, that might be a little overpowering. Your getting quite a bit of IBU's from your 20 minute additions. A lot of the session IPA recipes I've researched didn't have much of a bittering charge. Seems like they use plenty of hops later on and just let that do the job. And don't forget, you'll get some IBU's from the whirlpool even though your recipe isn't showing it (see comment below). If you're looking for a really tropical flavor, I would almost drop out the biscuit malt too, you probably wouldn't need it with the MO and the Munich in there.

Overall...looks pretty tasty.

Steep/Whirlpool comment....your showing 0.0 time for the steep/whirlpool, if you give that a time frame, BeerSmith will figure the IBU's that you'll get from that step.

Thanks for the comments. I've actually thought about that and thought maybe the FWH would soften the bite. May just reduce it to 1/2 oz.
I planned on a 20 minute steep. I may reduce the 2 oz to 1 oz at steep and increase the dry hop for more aroma.
More OCD is needed before brewing.

I concur on going to 1/2 ounce at FWH. I think the rest looks pretty darn good.

Nice. I'll second (third) the cut on the Magnum - good call for what you are looking for. I don't think you can go wrong either way on the steep/dry hop amounts.
A nice good amount in the steep really locks in the aroma and flavor so I think you'd be fine leaving it as-is if you desire.

My only concern is the concentration on the 2 hops.....Belma and Calypso. I've only used them in small amounts before and really couldn't tell what they brought to the beer. Of course, if you read the info on the hops, you can get varying opinions but they are all very tropical. I am hoping to catch a slight whiffy-poo of Enjoy By tropicalness. That's my desire but only time will tell in a session style beer.

Ah, there I can't help you. I've not brewed with either of them myself.

Calypso has a resinous hop bitterness that lasts well into the finish. It has a fruity and earthy hop character that has hints of pear, melon, with a light spicy finish.

Belma A very clean hop, with a very orange, slight grapefruit, tropical pineapple, strawberry, and melon aroma

I've used them together in small amounts in my coconut IPA. I've read often that Belma is strong of strawberry.

I use Belma a lot in my pale ale and IPA and I don't pick up much on the strawberry, but I do get a lot of canteloupe and pineapple from it.

Beer-lord wrote:

Calypso has a resinous hop bitterness that lasts well into the finish. It has a fruity and earthy hop character that has hints of pear, melon, with a light spicy finish.

Belma A very clean hop, with a very orange, slight grapefruit, tropical pineapple, strawberry, and melon aroma

Thanks wiseguy, I have Google, too!

I just meant that without having personal experience with them I wasn't going to comment. Descriptions can be misleading and some hops are good in any amount and others get funky if you use to much (where's Swen??). A good example I've seen is that BlackDuck and I perceive Mosaic a bit differently. Now I'm just babbling, though....carry on, sir.

Actually, while I'd love to pick on you like a bugger, I posted those hops quotes to explain the reason I'm using them in this brew.
Man, how selfish you are to think everything is about you.

What?!?! The world doesn't revolve around me? Dammit, my wife was right....

That has to be the lowest OG of any beer you've brewed in recent memory, yeah?

Yea, low recipe but it always manages to end up higher with my efficiency but with lawn mowing season already here, I have to be ready.

Got such a busy weekend I decided to get some stuff ready for Monday brewday. A moment of silence for some very old hops I had to trash today. They were hidden in the back of the fridge and were very old. Good news, I have plenty of stock and it was only about 3 oz of stuff I really don't use, crystal, saaz and hallertauer.

Also changed the FWH from Magnum to Warrior since I didn't have magnum. Not a true substitution but it is used often for bittering so no worries there. .5 oz at FWH won't really make any difference.
But, 60% chance of rain Monday so clean up will be a fun time but it will at least keep the temps to the low 80's.

First time using my pump to recirculate the mash.