What’s next? An IPA!

So I’ve finally got the time to brew up my next batch.  My next batch is going to be a celebratory brew, a rather strong, very hoppy IPA but with enough malt to keep it from being one dimensional.  I’ll be brewing next Sunday.  Here’s the recipe I’ve worked out so far.

Beer Name: 1120 IPA

OG: 1.061

FG: 1.012

ABV: 6.5%

IBU: 53

Grains:

10# Maris Otter

1 # Flaked Barley

0.5# Victory

0.5# Crystal 40L

Hops:

0.50 oz Amarillo – 60 min

1.25 oz Cascade – 60 min

0.5 0z Amarillo – 15 min

0.5 oz Cascade – 15 min

0.5 oz Amarillo – 2 min

0.5 oz Amarillo – 2 min

0.5 oz Amarillo – dry hop

0.5 oz Cascade – dry hop

So I wanted to have a subtle, yet noticeable nutty/toasted malt flavor hiding beneath the all those citrusy hops, so the addition Victory malt seems reasonable.  To give the beer a silky mouthfeel I thought a pound of flaked barley would fit nicely, this is what they do in a beer like Guinness to give the creamy mouthfeel.

Now the yeast and here enters my problem.  Our new basement is quite a bit colder than our old one, I have moved my thermometers around and the basement ranges from 50F to 58F.  I wanted to use a British ale yeast, but most varieties recommend mid 60sF to low 70sF for fermentation temperatures, my basement is much too cold for that.  I could use Nottingham dry ale yeast or a clean American ale yeast, but I’m hoping for something different.  I’m thinking of going with an altbier yeast, it will be a bit different, still relatively clean and dry enough.  Although a Scottish ale yeast sounds good too.  I have a feeling this yeast selection will be a game time decision.  So do you have any comments about the yeast or anything else on the recipe?  If you brew it up, drop me a line.

Justin