Style of the Week 31/5/06 - IPA

[Stuster]

So kicking off the style of the week we'll tackle the India Pale Ale style. (Great suggestion Tony.) Here is a link to the BJCP style guidelines for IPA. To keep the discussion as general as possible, I thought we'd go for English and American style IPAs. Maybe leave Imperial IPAs till another time, but you can argue that if you like.

This article will give a bit more historical background to the style and this article discusses brewing IPAs.

What recipes do you have for this style? What yeasts do you like best? What hops? What kits are best? How can these kits be improved? What commercial IPAs do you like? Any info you'd like to share.

 

[RobboMC]

Kits:
I've made both the Coopers Brewmaster IPA and the Thomas Coopers IPA kit. The result of the Thomas Coopers kit was far superior and if brewing from kit would not even consider anything else.
Needs some additions to make true IPA, I added extra extra Brew Enhancer and a steeped Fuggles finishing hops bag to the listed recipe on the can which is straight LME.
Resulted in a pretty awesome beer for a simple recipe; and spot on IPA style according to some serious brewers that tasted it.

Possible needs more malts next time ( with more hops to balance ) to get ABV higher as only came out around 4% from kit.

 

[bindi]

Here is a Yanky IPA style? <_< I am doing next week called 'Cascade Neck Oil', hops thanks to Ross.
Don't know if it's to style, but I will do it anyway <_< .

5.75 kg. Powells Ale Malt
.250 kg. Cara Malt
40 g. Cascade 60
20 g. Cascade 30
20 g. Cascade 10
10 g Dry
Yeast : WYeast 1056 American Ale
IBU about 40, I will adjust it in Beersmith to be about 40

 

[Stuster]

I have done an IPA twice, both times with the ESB Fresh wort kits. (Planning an AG one quite soon). I find these kits good in general, but with the IPA I feel it's not quite right. It could do with a lot more hop character IMO. (maybe it's just my hop-frazzled taste buds though :unsure: ). The gravity is a little low when diluted but just in the style range if no water is added.

Commercially, I like the Worthingtons White Shield IPA. Really nice balanced ale.

 

[Steve]

Have also done a couple of the ESB Fresh wort IPA's - nice but not quite there? A bit bland. Still a good quaffer. Also have done the Grumpys Worthingtons White Shield IPA - bloody corker! To be honest im not too clued up on IPAs. Had a nice one at the Wig n Pen Brew day the other week but I was a bit addled/hazy by the time we sampled that one so cant really comment on taste etc!
Cheers
Steve

 

[Stuster]

Agree that the ESB one is a bit bland. Any recipes out there?

 

[berazafi]

Great idea guys

Here is a Yanky IPA style? <_< I am doing next week called 'Cascade Neck Oil', hops thanks to Ross.
Don't know if it's to style, but I will do it anyway <_< .

5.75 kg. Powells Ale Malt
.250 kg. Cara Malt
40 g. Cascade 60
20 g. Cascade 30
20 g. Cascade 10
10 g Dry
Yeast : WYeast 1056 American Ale
IBU about 40, I will adjust it in Beersmith to be about 40

With regards to recipies it would be good if you could include your estimated original gravity, and batch size.

 

[hupnupnee]

Having read the BT stuff on IPA's I'm not sure I have ever drunk an IPA that is true to style in the historic sense.

The James Squire is probably a bit to malty and dark to be to style although it is certainly bitter and alcholic, its hops flavour is certainly there, I wonder it it is a bit too aromatic.

What do others think about JS's IPA?
and

What do you think is a good commercial example that is readily available?

Floculator

Tim

 

[wee stu]

What do you think is a good commercial example that is readily available?

Tim

Worthington White Shield is good, when fresh. Emersons 1812 IPA from New Zealand is a pretty good one too. Depends what you mean by "readily available". Like a lot of the classic styles, they take a bit of beer hunting over here.

For those of you trying to brew the English style IPA, and looking for feedback on your efforts, it is one of the 17 featured styles in this year's BJCP sanctioned ANAWBS comp. Full details are on the ANAWBS website, which is, sadly, a bit unwell at the moment - though some of you might still be able to get through.

The style guideline used in ANAWBS is not exactly BJCP, but it is close and also borrows from some English style guidelines. The good thing about the ANAWBS class is that it is exclusively an IPA class, so you can be confident that your beer will be being judged consistently against a single guideline and against its peers.


edit: inappropriate smilie given plastic surgery!

 

[joecast]

What do others think about JS's IPA?
and

imo, its like they tried to do an american ipa with english hops. the only time ive been impressed with fuggles (and goldings for that matter) is in actual english brews. dont know what they do to them, but very tasty when done right.
in js ipa, the level of hop flavor isnt bad, but the usage of fuggles is a let down. the rest of the beer is about the same. not bad, but not impressive after you've tried other aussie craft beers.
joe

 

[Tony]

I brewed one a while back using a base of JW ale malt and about 5% of both TF crystaql malt and crystal wheat.

Didnt use enough hops and tried to burtonise the water by emptying a bucket of gypsum and epsum salt into the mash.

It was cloudy from the minerals and lacked hop character but had a sharp bittermess.

registered for the AABC where it promptly came last in style.

I have just brewed another one a week and a half ago and its almost done in primary. Havnt tried it yet but you couls smell the hops 100 meters down the road when it was boiling

hang on going to try it now

ok almost put my back out lifting 50 liters of IPA onto a table to get a hydromiter reading.

Targered 1.055 but got 1.060 and has dropped to 1.020. Still has a head on it and is bubbling so will leave another week and might rack it.

It is a big Malty beer with a great fruity fresh hop pressence to ballance with a bitterness seemimg a bit restrained but its not finnished firmenting yet so was a bit sweet.

Orange tint and looking the goods.

Still had that chalky yeasty "still firmenting" feel in the mouth but you get that.

I recon it will end up in the keg. Im really getting sick of bottling beer.

here is the recipe

Bulls EyePA 2

A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (L): 52.00 Wort Size (L): 52.00
Total Grain (kg): 12.40
Anticipated OG: 1.055 Plato: 13.60
Anticipated EBC: 20.0
Anticipated IBU: 48.5
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 75 Minutes


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential EBC
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
64.5 8.00 kg. TF Maris Otter Pale Ale Malt UK 1.037 5
24.2 3.00 kg. Weyermann Vienna Germany 1.038 7
5.6 0.70 kg. TF Caramalt UK 1.034 30
4.0 0.50 kg. TF Crystal UK 1.034 145
1.6 0.20 kg. JWM Dark Crystal Australia 1.036 230

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
40.00 g. Target Pellet 8.80 18.4 60 min.
30.00 g. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.20 4.9 20 min.
30.00 g. Wye Challenger Pellet 6.60 6.3 20 min.
30.00 g. Wye Northdown Pellet 7.20 6.8 20 min.
30.00 g. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.20 3.0 10 min.
30.00 g. Wye Challenger Pellet 6.60 3.8 10 min.
30.00 g. Wye Northdown Pellet 7.20 4.1 10 min.
30.00 g. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.20 0.4 1 min.
30.00 g. Wye Challenger Pellet 6.60 0.4 1 min.
30.00 g. Wye Northdown Pellet 7.20 0.5 1 min.


Extras

Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.09 Oz Irish Moss Fining 15 Min.(boil)


Yeast
-----

WYeast 1335 British Ale II


Mash Schedule
-------------

Mash Type: Single Step

Grain kg: 12.40
Water Qts: 32.76 - Before Additional Infusions
Water L: 31.00 - Before Additional Infusions

L Water Per kg Grain: 2.50 - Before Additional Infusions

Saccharification Rest Temp : 66 Time: 60
Mash-out Rest Temp : 76 Time: 10
Sparge Temp : 76 Time: 10


Total Mash Volume L: 39.28 - Dough-In Infusion Only

All temperature measurements are degrees Celsius.

 

[wee stu]

I suppose this one fits into the`BJCP guidelines to a degree, but I was really aiming for an ESB.

Which, perhaps, just goes to show that with the English Pale Ale substyles the boundaries are at best blurry, at worst non existant:


BeerSmith Recipe Printout - www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Twitter And Bisted
Brewer: wee stu
Asst Brewer:
Style: Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 23.00 L
Boil Size: 28.04 L
Estimated OG: 1.058 SG
Estimated Color: 8.5 SRM
Estimated IBU: 42.1 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.3 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
5.50 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 90.5 %
0.30 kg Crystal Malt - 60L (Thomas Fawcett) (60.0 Grain 4.9 %
0.28 kg Wheat, Torrified (1.7 SRM) Grain 4.6 %
50.00 gm Fuggles [4.50%] (60 min) (First Wort Hop)Hops 25.2 IBU
30.00 gm Fuggles [4.50%] (30 min) Hops 10.6 IBU
25.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [5.00%] (15 min) Hops 6.3 IBU
25.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [5.00%] (0 min) Hops -
0.58 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs British Ale (White Labs #WLP005) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 6.08 kg
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temp Step Time
Mash In Add 15.87 L of water at 73.9 C 67.0 C 60 min


Notes:
------


Beer only recently racked to a conditioning cube. So can't really comment on the final product. Should probably have dry hopped into the secondary to add a little bit of hop zing, but didn't.

Also no Burtonisation of the water, which makes me veer to the safer ESB side when I want to classify it.

 

[Duff]

This is a real nice American IPA, one I must make again soon. I used the Scottish Ale to try and accentuate the malt flavours up against the bitterness.



05-25 Imperial IPA

A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (L): 20.00 Wort Size (L): 20.00
Total Grain (kg): 5.92
Anticipated OG: 1.069 Plato: 16.84
Anticipated SRM: 8.3
Anticipated IBU: 66.9
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Formulas Used
-------------

Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
% Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.

Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Rager

Additional Utilization Used For Plug Hops: 2 %
Additional Utilization Used For Pellet Hops: 10 %


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
79.3 4.70 kg. JWM Export Pilsner Australia 1.037 2
13.6 0.80 kg. JWM Wheat Malt Australia 1.040 2
3.3 0.20 kg. TF Crystal UK 1.034 74
2.3 0.13 kg. Melanoidin Malt 1.033 35
1.5 0.09 kg. JWM Dark Munich Australia 1.039 13

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
10.00 g. Hallertau Northern Brewer Pellet 10.50 15.8 60 min.
5.00 g. Amarillo Gold Pellet 8.90 6.7 60 min.
5.00 g. Cascade Pellet 6.00 4.5 60 min.
5.00 g. Amarillo Gold Pellet 8.90 6.3 50 min.
5.00 g. Cascade Pellet 6.00 4.2 50 min.
5.00 g. Amarillo Gold Pellet 8.90 5.1 40 min.
5.00 g. Cascade Pellet 6.00 3.4 40 min.
5.00 g. Amarillo Gold Pellet 8.90 3.4 30 min.
5.00 g. Cascade Pellet 6.00 2.3 30 min.
5.00 g. Amarillo Gold Pellet 8.90 2.2 20 min.
5.00 g. Cascade Pellet 6.00 1.5 20 min.
5.00 g. Amarillo Gold Pellet 8.90 1.3 10 min.
5.00 g. Cascade Pellet 6.00 0.9 10 min.
5.00 g. Amarillo Gold Pellet 8.90 1.1 5 min.
5.00 g. Cascade Pellet 6.00 0.8 5 min.
5.00 g. Amarillo Gold Pellet 8.90 1.1 4 min.
5.00 g. Cascade Pellet 6.00 0.8 4 min.
5.00 g. Amarillo Gold Pellet 8.90 1.1 3 min.
5.00 g. Cascade Pellet 6.00 0.8 3 min.
5.00 g. Amarillo Gold Pellet 8.90 1.1 2 min.
5.00 g. Cascade Pellet 6.00 0.8 2 min.
5.00 g. Amarillo Gold Pellet 8.90 1.1 1 min.
5.00 g. Cascade Pellet 6.00 0.8 1 min.
10.00 g. Amarillo Gold Pellet 8.90 0.0 0 min.
10.00 g. Cascade Pellet 6.00 0.0 0 min.


Yeast
-----

White Labs WLP028 Edinburgh Ale

 

[bindi]

Great idea guys

Here is a Yanky IPA style? <_< I am doing next week called 'Cascade Neck Oil', hops thanks to Ross.
Don't know if it's to style, but I will do it anyway <_< .

5.75 kg. Powells Ale Malt
.250 kg. Cara Malt
40 g. Cascade 60
20 g. Cascade 30
20 g. Cascade 10
10 g Dry
Yeast : WYeast 1056 American Ale
IBU about 40, I will adjust it in Beersmith to be about 40

With regards to recipies it would be good if you could include your estimated original gravity, and batch size.

1.066 and the IBU only 31.6 with the above <_< I will up it little, it is in my 'pending recipies' at the moment.
And only a single batch 22L this time.

 

[Voosher]

I suppose this one fits into the`BJCP guidelines to a degree, but I was really aiming for an ESB.

Which, perhaps, just goes to show that with the English Pale Ale substyles the boundaries are at best blurry, at worst non existant:

I start with an ESB and shift it from there, but mine are kept pretty simple.
Basically more malt, more hops.

Something like this, which with the advent of this thread may now happen this weekend.

94% Maris Otter
3% Std Crystal
3% Dark Crystal

Challenger FWH to around 30+IBU
EKG/Fuggles @ 30m to around 20+IBU
1g/l Challenger @ 20m
0.5g/l EKG/Fuggles @ 10m
0.5g/l EKG/Fuggles Dry Hop secondary.

Target OG 1065
Target IBU's 55-60

Wyeast 1028.




Edit: Thanks to the American IPA contributors. Been thinking about one for a while.

 

[andreic]

Hi all,

I didn't reply to the original poll regarding "style of the week", but since this is the first one may I suggest the following.

Can someone nominate a couple of good commercial examples of the style so inexperienced brewers like myself can go out and taste them and decide if its a style we like.

This way the "style of the week" gets 2 different things happening - people start nominating recipes or start brewing the style of the week, and the rest of us just drink it (and then brew it later when we decide we like :super: )

cheers,

Andrei

 

[Stuster]

Can someone nominate a couple of good commercial examples of the style so inexperienced brewers like myself can go out and taste them and decide if its a style we like.

Sounds like a good idea to me.

As WeeStu said, Worthingtons White Shield IPA (fresh) and Emersons 1812 IPA. Both available somewhere near you, hopefully.

 

[andreic]

Can someone nominate a couple of good commercial examples of the style so inexperienced brewers like myself can go out and taste them and decide if its a style we like.

Sounds like a good idea to me.

As WeeStu said, Worthingtons White Shield IPA (fresh) and Emersons 1812 IPA. Both available somewhere near you, hopefully.

sorry, posting under the influence. will read ALL the post in the thread next time...

 

[Stuster]

Certainly nothing wrong with posting under the influence.

 

[wee stu]

Can someone nominate a couple of good commercial examples of the style so inexperienced brewers like myself can go out and taste them and decide if its a style we like.

Sounds like a good idea to me.

As WeeStu said, Worthingtons White Shield IPA (fresh) and Emersons 1812 IPA. Both available somewhere near you, hopefully.

Deuchars IPA from the Caledonian Brewery in Edinburgh is another top drop, although the hopping might be a bit refined for some. Well, it does come from Edinburgh

awrabest, stu

Edit: Thanks to the American IPA contributors. Been thinking about one for a while.

Voosh, this is my latest strike at the AIPA style, it started life as a wild variation on an old BYO Sierra Nevada Celebration Clone, and has just got a little more feral with each new generation.
The target hops are intended to give it a bit of English stiff upper lip, if not back bone - maybe making it more of transatlantic hybrid IPA than enaything else <_< .

Given therest of the hop and malt bill, you can see it is brewed in the proverbial kitchen sink too


BeerSmith Recipe Printout - www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Little Big Man 4
Brewer: wee stu
Asst Brewer:
Style: American IPA
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 23.00 L
Boil Size: 30.49 L
Estimated OG: 1.060 SG
Estimated Color: 16.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 70.0 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 67.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
5.00 kg Pale Malt, Galaxy (Barrett Burston) (1.5 SGrain 75.2 %
0.60 kg Vienna Malt (Weyermann) (3.0 SRM) Grain 9.0 %
0.50 kg Caramunich II (Weyermann) (63.0 SRM) Grain 7.5 %
0.30 kg Melanoidin (Weyermann) (30.0 SRM) Grain 4.5 %
0.25 kg Caraaroma (Weyermann) (178.0 SRM) Grain 3.8 %
50.00 gm Ahtanum [5.70%] (60 min) Hops 29.7 IBU
45.00 gm Cascade [5.50%] (30 min) Hops 19.8 IBU
15.00 gm Target [10.00%] (60 min) Hops 15.6 IBU
15.00 gm Amarillo Gold [8.50%] (10 min) Hops 4.8 IBU
8.00 gm Amarillo Gold [8.50%] (Dry Hop 14 days) Hops -
10.00 gm Amarillo Gold [8.50%] (0 min) Hops -
0.29 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs Safale us-56 (DCL) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 6.64 kg
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temp Step Time
Mash In Add 17.34 L of water at 77.6 C 67.8 C 60 min
Mash Out Add 9.71 L of water at 92.4 C 75.6 C 10 min