For an excellent,
complete discussion of Pale and India Pale Ales, see the Classic
Beer Styles Series: Pale Ales book pruduced by Brewers Publications.
For a list of this series and other references, check out our
Brewing Books section.
INTRODUCTION
"...like
bringing hops to Yakima"
Brewer's
in any geographical area tend to add materials characteristic
of their locale rather liberally. Wild yeast and airborne bacteria
tend to define the beers from many areas of Belgium. Full, rich
sweetness from barley locally grown and malted tends to define
many German lagers. The flavor profile of the beer brewed around
Milwaukee, St Louis, and Golden, Colorado tends to closely resemble
the flavor profile of the local water supply. And brewers in
the Northwest--home of the Yakima Valley--are said to be heavy-handed
with their hops. It's natural.
Although
the hop harvest festival held each fall in Yakima attracts
hop farmers, hop brokers, and hopheads from around the country
and across the globe, this event is not the largest or best
known celebration of the hop. The true celebration of the
hop is called India Pale Ale, and you don't need to be anywhere
near the fields of Washington to attend. Microbreweries are
serving up little bits of beery bitterness everywhere.
The quality
of the average IPA currently made available by the U.S. craft
brewing scene is very high. However, IPA's are famous for
their bitterness, an attribute which probably turns away twice
as many tasters as it intrigues. Any microbrewery will attest
to the fact that the blandest beer in their arsenal is the
one they can't make fast enough. True, a brewery's IPA may
never be the flagship beer, bringing in the cash to keep the
business afloat. Looking at the most succesfull breweries
in America (the big boys), it is plain to see that distinctions
of flavor pale in comparison to distinctions of packaging
and marketing image. Focusing on the name of the beer
is often placed in a higher priority than focusing on the
flavor. And let's face it: India Pale Ale is a great
name. As we'll see below, it's also a great story. It may
be inevitable, but we hope not to see gradual decrease in
IPA gravities and hopping rates as larger breweries dress
up standard (if not downright watery) pale ales with the mystique
of IPA.
In a country
where entire advertising campaigns (see: Keystone) are centered
around the near-absence of one of the main ingredients of
beer, there may be no hope for us. Then again, as craft brewing
sweeps across the nation, beer appreciation and education
are gaining footholds that they've never had. Despite the
many imposters sure to come, it's safe to say there will always
be good, full-flavored IPA's.
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HISTORY
"The
pale ale, prepared for the India Market...forms a most valuable
restorative beverage for invalids and convalescents." - J.
Pereira, 1934
The end of
the 18th century was a hotbed of momentous history. In America,
a revolutionary war was fought, and the framework of a new country
was built. Across the sea, Mozart created some of the great
masterpieces in music history. Kant published his philosophical
treatises, while Blake wrote and painted many of his enduring
works. Most importantly, George Hodgson conceived the recipe
for the first India Pale Ale.
By this
time, the British Empire had expanded to every corner of the
globe, including India. The soldiers and British expatriates
living there, long accustomed to the fare of their local English
pubs, found themselves without a brewery in sight. Meanwhile,
back in merry old England, breweries were growing to immense
capacities, fueled by the fires of the industrial revolution.
Beer had become big business. All that was needed was a link
between the expanding market for beer in India and the producers
of beer in England.
There
were huge profits to be had in other trades. One of them was
the importation of highly valued silk and spices from India,
and many a shipping company involved itself in the Indian
trade. Occupied India, however, had survived on its own for
centuries, and there was little demand for British goods there.
Trading ships loaded with Indian bounty on their return trip
were heading to India virtually empty. This meant shipping
to India was cheap, even for a brewery. However, the Indian
market presented one unique problem to the brewer: India was
one of the more distant corners the Empire had spread to.
Not only did it take months to get there, but the tropical
seas needing to be navigated made for very poor storage conditions.
How could the beer survive?
The beer
survived by packing extra hops and an alcoholic punch. It
so happens that both hops and alcohol are preservatives, perfect
for counteracting a beer's malt sugars, which would otherwise
feed wild yeast and bacteria. Although humans can ingest alcohol
in moderation with little damage suffered save a hangover,
single-celled organisms often cannot survive in the presence
of any alcohol. By definition, alcohol is a preservative.
Hops also have preservative qualities. The acids naturally
present on the hop flower not only deter predatory animals
in the fields and lite beer drinkers in the bars: they also
deter many microbes that would otherwise spoil beer within
days. That's one of the reasons they were chosen as a main
ingredient in beer, and the main reason why they were central
in the recipe for IPA.
If there
is one name most associated with the beginnings of IPA, it
is George Hodgson. He is known as the originator of the style,
seizing the economic moment by capitalizing on the market
in exporting microbiologically stable beer to the India market.
He dedicated his London brewery to brewing beer that would
weather the voyage, and created something of an Empire of
his own. The beer market in India belonged to Mr. Hodgson
for years. Of course, others eventually caught on, most notably
major Burton breweries like Bass. Although Hodgson pulled
out all the stops to control the market entirely, his competition
eventually gained a foothold. By the 1820's, more and more
breweries had edged in, and more and more "India Ales" had
come to be. Thus, India Pale Ale, one businessman's solution
to a problem of distribution, went from being a recipe to
being an entire style.
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STYLE
DEFINITION
"Hairspray,
Imported Hairspray, and Historically Correct Hairspray"
Yes, to hop-phobic
beer drinkers, there may be little or no distinction among the
varieties of IPA. However, it has been argued that the IPA category
should be divided to better encompass the variety of beer that
falls under this name. Usually sited is the character difference
between most American IPA's and those made in England. On the
other hand, many (including the AHA) see IPA as just a subcategory
of the English Pale Ale. Suffice to say, there's lots of room
to move in this style, provided mostly by the wide variety of
hop strains available today.
American
Homebrewer's Association Style Guidelines
INDIA PALE ALE
|
India
Pale Ale |
| Color |
Pale
to Deep Amber/Copper |
| Body |
Medium |
| Flavor
Profile |
- Medium
Maltiness
- Fruity/Estery
- Alcoholic
Strength Evident
|
| Hop
Bitterness |
High |
| Hop
Flavor/Aroma |
Medium
to High |
| Original
Gravity |
1.050
- 1.065 |
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BREWING
PRACTICES
"Brewers,
Don't Lose Your Marbles"
Hopping rates
in this beer are commonly 40-60 IBU's, or about 10-15 HBU's.
In addition to the increase in bittering hops, there should
be a very present hop flavor and aroma in the profile. This
is where the English and American versions really diverge. English
IPA's are brewed almost exclusively with Kent Golding and Fuggle
hops, while American brewers have their "4 C's"--Chinook, Centennial,
Columbus, and the everpresent Cascade. The American-bred varieties
are known for the citrusy and floral qualities of their aroma,
which marks quite a departure from the classic, spicy English
hops.
The character
of the hop can be brought out using flavor and finishing hops
to some extent, but the real personality of the hop plant
comes through most purely and strongly by dry-hopping--the
addition of fresh hops to the secondary fermentor.
DRY HOPPING
Pellets are
the easiest hop form to use for dry-hopping. Although many argue
that pelletization alters or destroys the essential oils responsible
for fresh hop aroma, pellet hops actually do impart a nice flavor
(though it may differ from that of leaf hops). Pellets can be
added directly to the secondary fermentor and left behind with
the rest of the sediment when bottling or kegging.
There
are some hurdles to jump when dry-hopping with whole leaf
hops. For one, a few ounces of dry hops packed into a hop
bag is a pretty bulky package to shove through a carboy neck
in either direction. Once you've worked them in, they need
to be weighed down in some way--otherwise, they tend to float
on the top of the beer, making little contact with the beer.
Marbles, which are easy to come by and easy to sterilize,
are the anchor of choice for dry-hop bags.
Another
possibility for dry-hopping available to brewers who keg their
beers is to put whole leaf hops or hop plugs into the dispensing
container. This is the traditional advantage of the hop plug,
a compressed puck of whole leaf hops which fits perfectly
through the bung hole in a conditioning keg for real ale.
Of course, it'll also make it through the top of your Cornelius
keg. Keg-hopping beer can be considered the height of fresh
hop flavor. And, although our Corny kegs are worlds removed
from the shipbound barrels of yesteryear, keg-hopping provides
yet another link to the history of this beer style.
USE OF
OAK
Some degree
of controversy exists over the use of oak in brewing traditional
IPAs. The notion of IPA journeying for many moons around the
Cape of Good Hope to India, all the while sealed up in oak barrels,
suggest to many that oak flavor and tannins must play a part
in historical interpretations of the style.
Opponents
argue from several sides, but generally propose that oak flavor,
if any, would have been at an absolute minimum. The reasons
are that the barrels, re-used over and over again just like
modern day kegs, could not possibly have had many of their
flavor compounds left to impart. Secondly, as any winemaker
or cask-conditioning expert might tell you, European oak has
a much more subdued, subtle flavor than American Oak. The
harsh tannins and vanilla notes of American oak have no place
alongside the sweetly aromatic spiciness of the classic English
hops.
How about
European oak, then? Well, you will find that oak chips in
U.S. wine supply shops are generally either American or French
oak, not English. But there's no harm in trying out French
oak. However, like in winemaking, the addition of Oak chips
to your fermentor will require regular sampling until the
desired flavor is achieved. Our recommendation is to find
or develop an IPA recipe that you are happy with, and then
begin experimenting with oak. You may find that it adds another
level of complexity to perfectly complement the flavor, or
you may find that it's best to leave well enough alone.
Brewing
from Malt Extract:
Almost any
quality pale extract will work for an IPA, although traditional
IPA's should include only British-made products. Since a higher
alcohol content is normal for the style, larger quantities of
extract are required. A gravity of 1.060 can be achieved with
6 2/3 pounds of dry malt or 8 1/3 pounds of extract syrup (use
an extra pound if the syrup is Alexander's brand).
Specialty
grains like light crystal malts and dextrin may work well
with this style, although they should be avoided in an historical
interpretation.
Brewing
from Grains:
Traditional
IPA's usually include only English pale, with no specialty grains
added. Modern interpretations may gain by addition of dextrin
malt, very light crystal malts, etc.
Because
an IPA is made with fully modified pale malt and little or
no specialty grains, a single-step infusion mash at 150-158
F for one hour is all that is required for English Pale. If
American 2-Row is substituted for English Pale, a step-mash
is recommended for clarity (Hazes are particularly noticable
in a pale beer like an IPA).
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RECIPES
Rainy
Day IPA
Our Rainy Day IPA recipe represents a good mix of American
and English qualities.
RAINY
DAY IPA
India
Pale Ale (Extract)
| 6
lbs. |
British
Bulk Malt Syrup |
| 1
lb. |
Munton
& Fison Light Dry Malt |
| 1/2
lb. |
English
Crystal, 50-60L |
| 1/2
lb. |
Munich
Malt |
| 2
oz. |
Chinook
or Columbus Hops (Boiling) |
| 1
oz. |
Kent
Golding Hops (Finishing) |
| 1/2
oz. |
Kent
Golding Hops (Dry Hops) |
| 3/4
cup |
Priming
Sugar |
| 1
pkg. |
Whitbread
Dry Ale Yeast or
British Ale Wyeast |
O.G.
1.060 - 1.065
RAINY
DAY IPA
India
Pale Ale (All-Grain)
| 9
lbs. |
English
Pale Malt |
| 1/2
lb. |
English
Crystal, 50-60L |
| 1/2
lb. |
Munich
Malt |
| 2
oz. |
Chinook
or Columbus Hops (Boiling) |
| 1
oz. |
Kent
Golding Hops (Finishing) |
| 1/2
oz. |
Kent
Golding Hops (Dry Hops) |
| 3/4
cup |
Priming
Sugar |
| 1
pkg. |
British
Ale Wyeast |
O.G.
1.060 - 1.065
Round
the Horn IPA
This recipe
was designed by staffmember Kevin Norman to approximate the
highly regarded local beer, Diamond Knot IPA. As "micro" as
"micro" gets, this brewery (which began as two guys in their
basement moonlighting from their jobs at Boeing) pumps out a
few barrels a week to select local pubs. When it was released,
their IPA became an instant favorite among Seattle hopheads.
Naturally, we had to pin down the recipe.
This recipe
is definitely an example of the American approach to the style,
but very heavy handed with regard to both malt and
hops. The aggressive flavor mellows with a few weeks' aging.
ROUND
THE HORN IPA
American
IPA (Extract)
| 6
lbs. |
British
Malt Syrup |
| 2
lbs. |
Munton
& Fison Light Dry Malt |
| 1/4
lb. |
German
Light Crystal |
| 1/4
lb. |
Dextrin
(Carapils) Malt |
| 1
3/4 oz. |
Galena
Hops (Boiling) |
| 1
oz. |
Willamette
Hops (Finishing) |
| 1
3/4 oz. |
Columbus
Hops (Dry Hops) |
| 3/4
cup |
Priming
Sugar |
| 1
pkg. |
Edme
Dry Ale Yeast or
London Ale Wyeast |
O.G.
1.060 - 1.065
ROUND
THE HORN IPA
American
IPA (All-Grain)
| 9
lbs. |
English
Pale Malt |
| 1
lb. |
Munich
Malt |
| 1/4
lb. |
German
Light Crystal |
| 1/4
lb. |
Dextrin
(Carapils) Malt |
| 1
3/4 oz. |
Galena
Hops (Boiling) |
| 1
oz. |
Willamette
Hops (Finishing) |
| 1
3/4 oz. |
Columbus
Hops (Dry Hops) |
| 3/4
cup |
Priming
Sugar |
| 1
pkg. |
London
Ale Wyeast |
O.G.
1.060 - 1.065
Hodge-Dodger
India Ale
This is an
attempt at an historically accurate IPA, which limits the diversity
of ingredients to some extent. However, the simplicity does
not diminish the flavor--hops are the focus anyway. The exclusive
use of traditional English hop varieties lends a flavor which
more than departs from the American IPA's you may be familiar
with. The use of hop plugs during keg conditioning (as mentioned
above) is recommended. However, if you do not keg your beer,
you may substitute standard dry-hopping techniques using the
same quantities specified below.
HODGE-DODGER
INDIA ALE
Classic
India Pale Ale (Extract)
| 6
lbs. |
British
Light Malt Syrup |
| 3
lbs. |
Munton
& Fison Light Dry Malt |
| 2
oz. |
Kent
Golding Plug Hops (60 Minute Boil) |
| 2
oz. |
Fuggle
Leaf Hops (60 Minute Boil) |
| 1/2
oz. |
Kent
Golding Plug Hops (30 Minute Boil) |
| 1/2
oz. |
English
Fuggle Plug Hops (30 Minute Boil) |
| 1
oz. |
English
Fuggle Plug Hops (15 Minute Boil) |
| 1/2
oz. |
English
Fuggle Plug Hops (Dry or Keg Hopping) |
| 1/2
oz. |
Keng
Golding Plug Hops (Dry or Keg Hopping) |
| 3/4
cup |
Priming
Sugar |
| 1
pkg. |
Edme
Dry Ale Yeast or
London Ale Wyeast |
O.G.
1.065 - 1.070
HODGE-DODGER
INDIA ALE
Classic
India Pale Ale (All-Grain)
| 11
lbs. |
English
Pale Malt |
| 2
oz. |
Kent
Golding Plug Hops (60 Minute Boil) |
| 2
oz. |
Fuggle
Leaf Hops (60 Minute Boil) |
| 1/2
oz. |
Kent
Golding Plug Hops (30 Minute Boil) |
| 1/2
oz. |
English
Fuggle Plug Hops (30 Minute Boil) |
| 1
oz. |
English
Fuggle Plug Hops (15 Minute Boil) |
| 1/2
oz. |
English
Fuggle Plug Hops (Dry or Keg Hopping) |
| 1/2
oz. |
Keng
Golding Plug Hops (Dry or Keg Hopping) |
| 3/4
cup |
Priming
Sugar |
| 1
pkg. |
London
Ale Wyeast |
O.G.
1.065 - 1.070
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