ajbram

Recipes 

I've been looking at recipes on here and comparing them to what I just made, and I can't figure out at what point an IPA becomes a DIPA or an IIPA. Is it gravity? Is it grain bill? Is it IBUs?

I'm wondering partly because I think what I just bottled sits within this grey area, and if it's a DIPA that might influence the name I bestow upon it.

What is the general consensus on what makes an IIPA or a DIPA?

More particularly, my recent batch had an OG of 1.071 and an FG of 1.014. Calculated IBUs came in at 109. SRM ~ 7.2


I'd like to think that makes it a DIPA?

__________________
Back off man! I'm a Scientist.
On Deck:
Primaries: Invincible Double IPA, Agave Lime Wheat
Secondaries:
Bottled: Orange Vanilla Cinnamon Mead, Gentle Giant English Mild.
Kegged: Blackstrap Molasses Porter

cjb

Recipes 

It seems to be pretty arbitrary. A couple local examples:

Laurelwood Workhorse IPA : 7.5% ABV, 80 IBU
Hair of the Dog Blue Dot DIPA: 7.0% ABV, 80 IBU

BrewKnurd

Recipes 

Off the bat, I would say your IBUs put you solidly into DIPA mode.

Anyway, the BJCP guidelines are always a useful place to look when pondering such things. http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style14.php


American IPA:
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.056 – 1.075
IBUs: 40 – 70 FG: 1.010 – 1.018
SRM: 6 – 15 ABV: 5.5 – 7.5%

Imperial IPA:
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.070 – 1.090
IBUs: 60 – 120 FG: 1.010 – 1.020
SRM: 8 – 15 ABV: 7.5 – 10%

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Fake it til you make it.

scottland

Recipes 

There is definitely a little bit of crossover between the styles. You'll have some really big, really hoppy IPAs, and some drier, lower ABV Doubles, and the numbers might seem similar.

You have to judge it more based on what's in the glass. Double IPAs will have a definitely alcohol presence, IPAs might, but it won't be as strong (Neither should be assertive, just a nice warming). Doubles will be much more bitter. You're really looking for that tongue-stripping bitterness. Doubles will also be extremely hoppy. Hops should really, completely, dominate the beer.

In terms of numbers: Firestone walker Union Jack is 7.5 ABV, Green Flash IPA is 7 or 7.1%. Stone's Ruination (Double IPA) is 7.7% For me IPAs are usually under 7.5% and Doubles are usually over 8%, but there's obviously some wiggle room.

But ruination is much more bitter than a union jack, and the union jack has a more pronounced malt character. Ruination is just straight hops.

That's mostly how I think of it. Double IPAs are a showcase for hops. just all hops. IPAs, while being very hoppy, still strike a balance with the malt.

You'll just have to taste the beer. Personally I'd say that's a big IPA, not quite DIPA.

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ajbram

Recipes 

Case in point.

__________________
Back off man! I'm a Scientist.
On Deck:
Primaries: Invincible Double IPA, Agave Lime Wheat
Secondaries:
Bottled: Orange Vanilla Cinnamon Mead, Gentle Giant English Mild.
Kegged: Blackstrap Molasses Porter

BrewKnurd

Recipes 

But honestly, what does it matter? Call it whatever you feel like it is.

__________________
Fake it til you make it.

ajbram

Recipes 

You know, it really doesn't matter 90% of the time. I usually just write IPA and the bottling date on the cap and it's gone in a month anyways. I like to come up with clever labels for the ones I give to friends sometimes though, some of whom are beer snobs. That being said, even the BJCP guidelines show an awful lot of overlap between these two styles.

__________________
Back off man! I'm a Scientist.
On Deck:
Primaries: Invincible Double IPA, Agave Lime Wheat
Secondaries:
Bottled: Orange Vanilla Cinnamon Mead, Gentle Giant English Mild.
Kegged: Blackstrap Molasses Porter

BryceL

Recipes 

For me a DIPA needs to be at least 7.5%, leaning more toward 8%+. The more alcohol you have, the more hops you need to balance it out (usually). Just because something is highly hoped, I don't consider it a DIPA. I like to see the alcohol content to go along with it. That's my take on it.

mikeho

Recipes 

The only thing here that doesn't overlap is the ABV. 7.5% seems to be the dividing line between IPA and Imperial IPA.
OG of 1.071 - FG of 1.014 = 0.057
0.057 * 131 = 7.47%

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Primary: Simcoe APA, Smoked Porter
Bottled: Brown Ale, Imperial Red, Simcoe/Columbus APA, Breakfast Stout, Barleywine

ajbram

Recipes 

What is trump here? ABV or IBU?

If you're slightly below the ABV range for IIPA (depending on the calculator), but well above the IBU range for IPA, which way do you go, or are you outside of style on both (not that it really matters)?

__________________
Back off man! I'm a Scientist.
On Deck:
Primaries: Invincible Double IPA, Agave Lime Wheat
Secondaries:
Bottled: Orange Vanilla Cinnamon Mead, Gentle Giant English Mild.
Kegged: Blackstrap Molasses Porter