India Pale Ale advice

[Replay63]

Hi all,
My next brew will be a John Bull India Pale Ale but I'm thinking of giving it a higher ABV :grin: than my Coopers English Bitter which is turning out at around 3.7%. Looking to get to around 4.8% Any ideas on best fermentables for this? Should I increase them and brew it short to, say, 21 litres? Any advice appreciated, thanks!

 

[clibit]

If you add 1kg brew enhancer and 500g spray malt and top up to 22 litres you should get 4.8%.

 

[Replay63]

If you add 1kg brew enhancer and 500g spray malt and top up to 22 litres you should get 4.8%.

Thanks clibit, which spray malt? I have a medium 500g bag but no light or dark.

 

[clibit]

I only ever use light so not sure how medium would affect things sorry, I believe it's highly flavoured. Maybe someone else can advise.

 

[Steviewell]

Just conditioning a John Bull IPA just now (actually after only a week outside I've just opened a small one!) possibly the colder weather but I found this VERY slow to ferment. 3 weeks in the bucket to be exact . OG 1.055, FG 1.016 (which is much higher than it should have been). I brewed up 18l to get the extra % too.

 

[clibit]

Lower temperatures do slow down fermentation, especially if you get down to 16 ish. It's not a bad thing, and rapid high temperature fermentation is not what you want, better low than high.

 

[Brewski]

As above, and...

I brewed a John Bull IPA in the new year and gave it 3.5 weeks in the fermenter even though I had it at a constant 19-20C in a water bath. I had added a lot of fermentables though (details in my signature) and it turned out that I'd brewed it slightly short at around 21.1L (I'd missed one 2L bottle of water). I really like it and will make it again sometime. When served quite cold at around 12C then everyone that's tried it has enjoyed it (hardly anyone I know has escaped without a bottle - even the lager drinkers get one :evil: , although I tell them to put it in the fridge). When I do it again I'll use 500g DME and 300g of dextrose instead of 850g dextrose, this will give it a bit more body and a little less ABV (I want something a bit more sessionable than 6.5%+. It's very drinkable and it carries the strength well but honestly, 6 of these and you're doing well, 8 and you're doing nothing :drunk: ), and I'll dry hop it too.

I reckon the kit + 1Kg Brew Enhancer + (500g DME or 350g dextrose) brewed to 20-21L would give a very nice pint around the 5% mark.

 

[Smileysmiles]

1kg malt extract. Bit more strength add extra. Dectrose could dry it out to much

 

[Steviewell]

Thanks for the input, I'm still learning about the sugars and what type does what. I will need to read up more on these...

Brewski 6 bottles of anything these days and I ain't doing well, let alone 6% ones! Ooft!