Opinion: Focusing on India Pale Ale

India Pale Ale: Where to start and how do I brew it?

Preface: Don't you just love opinion pieces? In my (inaugural) limited edition segment, I focus on things that interest me, then write it down here in the hope it may interest you, the home brewer. No doubt there is plenty of debate with multiple solutions, but this is merely my interpretation, my opinion. After all, it is an opinion piece, right? :-)

Today's update focuses on how to brew a good India Pale Ale (IPA) or Imperial IPA/Double IPA. Granted, there's enough information out there to put you to sleep and make your head spin! Still, to try and stop you snoring and getting a headache, I'll also focus on my 'method of madness' in approaching this style of beer. There is a lot to cover, so let's forge ahead and have fun while we learn.

Brewing an IPA can be as straight forward or as difficult as you want. I've come across certain resources over time that have good, solid and reliable information. Mix that information with your burning desire to give things a shot means you'll get a lot out of this and you'll come out a winner, just like me :-)

Let's start off with one book I fully recommend. I found Mitch Steele's research on brewing techniques and recipes (and the evolution of India Pale Ale) to be a great resource for both information on how the IPA come about and general recipe information. I experimented with ingredients mentioned in his book and found that I got better results. I suggest you grab this book and have a read. It is definitely worth your time and effort. 

If there is one person who is knowledgeable on everything, it's Gordon Strong. I've listened to Gordon on many occasions and he allows you to really focus on aspects of a particular style. He really goes into detail of what you need to do and what others expect from a style. He'll give you many ways to approach a style you're brewing, and that is always a great benefit. 

Yep, I'll mention it: Pliny the Elder. I remember hitting the US back in 2010 and trying, for the first time, Pliny the Elder. Words cannot describe how amazing that beer was (and still is). I fully recommend you Google this beer and experiment with the recipe when you brew it.  This beer is very much an inspiration and Vince at Russian River Brewing should stand proud.

A fun way to learn about an IPA is to actually buy the beer and critique it yourself. Ask yourself: was it something I liked? Did I dislike it? Why did I like it? Why didn't I like it? How was it brewed? Could I clone it? Indeed, is there a clone recipe already available to help me learn? Ask all the questions to help you establish what IPA you like, then aim for that style when you brew it. Critique it. Review it. Brew it. That's my motto.

An example of my own inspirations come from both the USA and Australia. Surly Abrasive clearly sticks out in my mind as an extraordinarily light yet hoppy Imperial IPA. Locally, the best Imperial IPA that's touched my lips has to go to Riverside Brewing in North Parramatta. Former Head Brewer, Dave Padden, created the 777 and it has to be one of the best beers in Australia - bar none. 

Both BeerSmith and 'Designing Great Beers' by Ray Daniels are excellent resources. The BeerSmith websites gives you a really good overview of the IPA style and provides some basic information to get you going. In fact, the website is an excellent resource in general for any style. I'd certainly recommend you visit it and support it. 

Although Ray Daniel's 'Designing Great Beers' book is quite advanced, it's worth every penny. It covers the majority of styles and has in-depth discussions on a variety of topics. As such, you cannot ignore this book...even if it means skimming through to the pages that you want to read. Over time you'll get to understand more, so it is worth your time and effort. 

My approach? Well, my love for both the IPA and Imperial IPA is well known. I've managed to get a fantastic base recipe for any occasion and I'll try my best to explain the 'method behind the madness'. Strap up, buckle in and enjoy the ride!

Understanding what each ingredient does to a beer, particularly an IPA or Imperial IPA is crucial. It's important that you choose your ingredients carefully. Get to know your base malts and what they do. Get to know your specialty malts and what they do. Get to know your yeasts and what they do. Get to know your hops and know what they do. Get to know your water, too (although water will not be covered in this blog). 

Start off with a good, neutral yeast. US-05 is an excellent go-to yeast. I predominantly use this in my beers that requires neutrality. I've also been known to use WLP007 Dry English Ale yeast. I came across this yeast back in 2010 when drinking a Surly Furious in Minnesota. Looking at the recipe ingredients back then, the WLP007 yeast popped out. 

Having loved the Surly Furious, how could I not look into using it in my beers? Another to consider is the WLP001 California Ale yeast. I haven't used this personally, but it is yet another trusted neutral yeast strain used by many brewers. Look out for those neutral yeast strains, give them a shot and find the one you prefer. Always have a backup yeast strain on hand, too.

Malt is the next step in my thought process. When I began all grain brewing I used Pale malt, and for quite some time. As I progressed, my brewing needs changed. I turned to Pilsner malt. As it stands, I exclusively now use Pilsner as a base malt in most of my beers. I'm comfortable using it and like the profile it produces. 

Let me be straight with you: I'm not a fan of using Crystal malt. Full stop. Far too many times have I tried an IPA that had Crystal malt in it and wasn't up to par. Yes, I've had examples which were beautifully married in an IPA, but those were few and far between. My suggestion? Munich malt. Munich malt provides that extra malt backbone without the cloying sweetness, which Crystal malt provides and should not be misrepresented as 'malty'. 

Adding too much Munich can kill an IPA or Imperial IPA, in my opinion. The correct amount is crucial. I had to brew with it a few times to get it right. I screwed up a few times, played with it a few more and then nailed it. I think Munich provides a magnificent golden glow and malt backbone to this style.

Mashing is my next train of thought. For me, I use a low 60's Celsius as a general rule of thumb. Given the right percentages of grains to begin with, that low 60's temperature is sufficient. The length of time to mash is probably a sticking point. I've heard only 25 minutes is all that's required. For the sake of not wanting to argue with anyone, a full hour of mashing is what I do.

Going back a bit, the Surly Furious recipe which provided me with the WLP007 yeast also gave me a new malt I hadn't heard of or used: Aromatic. If you've ever drank a Surly Furious then you'll know this is the malt that gives it body. I use it sparingly in this style of beer, but if you get the amount right it'll make a difference.

My next thought process? Hops. This is probably the trickiest of the lot. So many combinations and so many varieties can give you a massive headache. Hops is such a subjective topic that it'd be stupid for me to say what's right and what's not right. What I can tell you is that you need to find this out yourself. 

By 'finding out for yourself', I mean brewing things to learn for yourself. Some of the hops I have learned to love and cherish are the ones I've used for quite some time. I'm always open to trying different things, so be on the lookout for any fruit-like or citrus-like American hops. Be it bitter, flavour or aroma hops make sure you give them a shot. I've been known to use CTZ, Simcoe, Amarillo, Centennial, Cascade, Apollo, Warrior...just to name a few. You can even try out any Australian or New Zealand hop. How awesome would that be? 

Moreover, the hop schedule during the boil is critical. I generally stick to the theme of one early addition bittering hop, one addition of a flavour hop and multiple late hop additions. I'm a believer in halving the flavour addition to that of your bittering addition - but go crazy on the late additions. I'm also a huge fan of dry hopping. That essentially means putting hops in your beer post fermentation. I always add mine to the keg while they are in a hop bag, tied to the dip tube.....prior to transferring the wort to your keg. 

Dry hopping is the best way to get your aroma. For any IPA, dry hopping is mandatory (in my books). Depending on your tolerance, I generally dry hop a beer for at least five to seven (5 to 7) days. I've known others to dry hop again after this for a further five (5) days to increase the intensity of the aroma. I have no doubt it will certainly become more intense!

The amounts of hops you need to use is really up to you. The differences in alpha acids means you'll certainly need to put in some 'hard yards' to figure out what suits you most. That's the beauty of brewing. Play around and see how you go! Granted, there are people out there that use brewing software. I don't care much for that, really. I avoid it. I think I have learned much more by not using it. 

Over time I have come to realise that most of my beers will ferment quite well at the 19C mark. This beer style is no different. What I would strongly suggest, however, is the length in which you ferment. A big beer like an Imperial IPA is worth fermenting for two weeks. Yes, 14 days. I’m a big advocate of long Primary fermentation and no secondary fermentation. The yeast will flocculate out quite well and the beer should clear naturally over time, without the need for clarifying agents.

So to sum up: 

• Choose a neutral yeast
• Choose a simple base malt
• Add a bit more malt backbone to your base malt (I recommend Munich malt)
• Optional: Add a specialty malt in case you  feel the urge to do something extra
• Get your malt percentages right 
• Mash in the low 60's
• Get your hop additions right (and use the correct percentages)
• Ferment at 19C for 14 days. 
• Drink fresh!
• Repeat until you have your beer down perfectly!

Easy, huh? Well, not quite but at least this gives you the opportunity try new and exciting things in the IPA world of brewing.

Good luck, have fun!

dannbrew@gmail.com