Pretty interesting article from a UK blog, told from the British perspective on American IPAs - not that that they’re too hoppy, that they’re too sweet and crystally. Of course I agree.
What are you all making yourselves? Have you been dropping the crystal malt in your IPA’s? I would love to see some sample grain bills expressed in percentages.
If you are going for a hop-forward IPA too much crystal can clash with the hops. There should be some maltiness there but finsing the balance is pretty important. My grain bill consists of something like 65% 2-row 30% Vienna and about 5% 40L or less crystal malt.
Interesting read, from my limited experience in English beers (spent a summer over there) I would have expected the reverse statement.
Personally I’ve abandoned Crystal in pales/IPA’s and a typical grist for me is 100% Marris Otter or an 85%/MO 15% Flaked Oats split (I know that much oats in a pale ale sounds like stupidity, I stole the idea from Tired Hands - Hop Hands and have been loving it).
Almost three years ago I entered an IPA in a competition. While they scored it in the upper 30’s, the judge’s comments were rather harsh. Keep in mind it used 6% C40, and finished around 1.012 (OG 1.065). The one judge (Certified, IIRC) specifically wrote, “Caramel malts and flavors have no place in an IPA”. No one said it was too sweet, but all said it shouldn’t have caramel. I had two Masters taste it after reading those scoresheets, and both thought the caramel was understated. Expectations for IPA are definitely changing!
I too believe that many modern America IPAs are too sweet. The sweetness is due to these beers having
undersized kettle charges and oversized late additions.
I brew British-style IPA almost exclusively. I rarely use crystal malt or German-style base/specialty malts in my British-style beers. I usually use 90 to 95% British Pale and 5% to 10% torrified wheat or flaked maize in a grist. I use a tiny percentage of pale chocolate when coloring is needed for a bitter.
Some of the Ron Pattinson or Mithch Steele British IPas are just Pale Ale Malt, a lot of EKG for bittering. Those tend to need some time in the keg to become a great beer. Once they do, those are very flavorful with a dry finish, almost Champagne like at times. If you want some hop aroma they can be dry hopped after aging.
To the comment about mash temps, what is everyone’s target for IPA, with 1.068OG? I know it should not make a huge difference between 148&150, so I’m just wondering. My next 2 are house: 75% 2row, 20% Weyermann Munich I, 5% victory; and German themed: same %s but pilsner, munich, vienna.
Founders Centennial IPA is on my too sweet list. Bell’s Hopslam is also on that list along with Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye. To be fair, the Sierra Nevada products that we receive on the East Coast are now brewed in NC. I have found that most of the Sierra Nevada beers that are produced in NC are sweeter than the Chico-brewed products that we used get before Sierra Nevada built their East Coast brewery. It’s almost like the NC-brewed products are interpretations of the Chico products. Lagunitas Sucks is too sweet as well.
The attribute that I find usually goes hand in hand with being too sweet is an over the top perfumeyness that makes the late hop additions seem fake. It’s like these beers were dosed with a substance that was chemically engineered to smell and taste like an exaggerated version of the real thing.