belgian ipa?

[nico soze]

So I'm gonna be fermenting entirely too hot for us05 on my batch this weekend. Thinking of pitching wlp550 instead. Haven't fully formed a recipe, but I want to use up some of what I got laying around. Simcoe, Columbus and cascade. 6 lb light dme. 1.5 lb honey. Palm and corn sugar.

[lexuschris]

Controlling fermentation temp is very important to the finished beer. However, I did most of my early beer making at 'room temp', so I understand the limitations of people's fermentation environments.

Stone Brewing makes a real nice hoppy belgian beer called 'Cali-belgique'... I love it... So perhpas the 550 is worth a try? Especially if it will tolerate some higher temps...

If you don't already drop your fermenter in a plastic tub with water, and wrap a towel around it ... that may save a few degrees of temp volatility on your ferementing wort...

Good luck!
--LexusChris

[bwarbiany]

As with any yeast, you should be careful to control your temp during the early fermentation when it is in its propagation phase, i.e. the first day or two. This is when you get the bulk of off flavors if you're running hot. Beyond that, fermentation temp is important, but obviously a good Belgian yeast can run up into the mid-high 70's and be fine, while US-05 might not be as comfortable.

So I'd do whatever you can to keep it low (<70) until fermentation kicks off, then let it ramp up...

As far as a recipe is concerned, I've done a Belgian IPA, and the fruity esters of the yeast IMHO tend to really accentuate Crystal malt in a Belgian IPA. The fruity sweetness of the yeast makes it unnecessary to add Crystal at all. I think you're fine with your extract without any specialty grains, but wouldn't go overboard with the sugars. You want it to be dry, but not TOO dry.

I'd consider this:
6# DME
1.5# Honey
Bitter using the Simcoe to ~70 IBU
2 oz Columbus @ flameout
2 oz Cascade -- dry hop

[nico soze]

went in to ahp, and changed my recipe all around. here's the new recipe.

6 lbs light dme

.45 lb crystal 15l

.45 lb crystal 30l

.2 lb crystal 40l

.2 lb special aromatic

1oz simcoe at 60

.5 oz simcoe at 20

5 tsp yeast nutrient 15

1 whirfloc at 10

1 oz cascade+.5 oz simcoe at 0

1.5 lb honey at 0

.5 lb brown sugar at 0

wlp009 australian ale yeast (they say it ferments cleanly at high temps)

calculated og at 1.053 before adjuncts. don't know with them. i'll check it when i transfer

1 to 2 week primary,

2 week secondary

(some hops i havent decided on yet, last week of secondary)