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Ok, So this is the first recipe that I have designed using Beersmith and it turned out pretty good, it is a Red Racer IPA clone, using the base ingredients listed on their site and reworking some other recipes found around the net. It's definitely the best beer Ive brewed to date, my 5th brew and my 3rd all grain. I Will try it again at some point, but I found the beer came out rather thin, as in it doesn't quite have the same viscosity as the original, or most other IPA's I really enjoy. I am just wondering what I need to change about the recipe. The first thing that jumps out at me is raising the mash temperature, should I go up to 152 or 154? Seeing how inexperienced I am at all of this I was hoping to get some feedback on the grain bill. Is there anything that looks way out of whack or that should be adjusted first? the colour looks spot on and the bitterness seems to be about right maybe just slightly low. I may add a bit more flavouring hops but I don't want to mess with too many things at once. So any feedback would be greatly appreciated.





IPA
American IPA (14 B)
Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 6.78 gal
Boil Time: 60 min
End of Boil Vol: 6.24 gal
Final Bottling Vol: 4.60 gal
Fermentation: Ale, Single Stage

Equipment: 01 My gear ( 5 Gal/37.8 L) - All Grain
Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 86.4 %
Taste Rating: 30.0
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Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
6 lbs Superior Pale ale (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 48.0 %
5 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 2 40.0 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz CaraStan 30/37 (Bairds) (36.0 SRM) Grain 3 12.0 %
0.96 oz Magnum [14.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 39.7 IBUs
0.96 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 5 21.8 IBUs
1.20 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 6 -
0.96 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 7 11.9 IBUs
0.96 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 8 7.3 IBUs
1.0 pkg American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) [124.21 ml] Yeast 9 -
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 10 0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 11 0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 12 0.0 IBUs

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Gravity, Alcohol Content and Color
Est Original Gravity: 1.065 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.013 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.8 %
Bitterness: 80.7 IBUs
Est Color: 9.3 SRM
Measured Original Gravity: 1.046 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.7 %
Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz
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Mash Profile
Mash Name: 02 Light/ Medium Body 150
Sparge Water: 4.37 gal
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE
Total Grain Weight: 12 lbs 8.0 oz
Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Tun Temperature: 72.0 F
Mash PH: 5.20
Mash Steps
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Mash In Add 18.82 qt of water at 159.4 F 150.0 F 60 min

Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun , 4.37gal) of 168.0 F water
Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).
Carbonation and Storage
Carbonation Type: Keg
Pressure/Weight: 12.54 PSI
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 45.0 F
Fermentation: Ale, Single Stage
Volumes of CO2: 2.3
Carbonation Used: Keg with 12.54 PSI
Age for: 30.00 days
Storage Temperature: 65.0 F

What was your mash temp? Did you hit your desired temperature? Also is this accurate? If so you're beer is quite a bit under gravity based on estimate.

Measured Original Gravity: 1.046 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.7 %

I think the biggest reason I was missing my gravity targets early on was water volume. Either not accurately measuring strike or sparge water volume or messing up Beersmith volume values - like inaccurate values for mash tun dead space etc.

Unless you like your IPA's really sweet I would lower the carastan amount to about 5%

Were those measured gravity readings actual or just not updated in Beersmith? I rarely input actual readings into Beersmith (use a separate spreadsheet), so thought would ask...

Keith: Sorry those values must have not been updated, the original gravity was in fact low 1.060 and my final gravity as well at 1.010. I did hit my mash temperature but it did take some slight adjustments with my initial strike water. Steve: it is entirely possible that my equipment list calculations are way off in terms of dead space, efficiency, loss to trub and chiller etc. I guess I have some more reading/adjustments to do. Is there a simple way to input these values? I will be using a igloo 10 gal cooler (already in program) as well as a keggle for BK, and a homemade 25' copper/hightemp hose cfc. Also how do most people measure their strike water volumes (sight glass aside)? Brian I in fact don't like super sweet IPA's or beers in general, hence the reason for a low mash temp, I wasn't aware that CaraStan would affect the sweetness so much.