IPA Poll

What is your preference? I am curious what the tally would look like after 100 votes.

No rounding, fractions, or decimals; solid numbers please.

Select 1-10 based on the areas listed below (1 = less/light - 10 = more/heavy)

Malt Sweetness:
Malt Character:
Hop Bitterness:
Hop Character:
Yeast Character:
Residual Sweetness (FG):
Alcohol Level:
Body:
Color:
Carbonation:

bobbrews said:

Select 1-10 based on the areas listed below (1 = less/light - 10 = more/heavy)

Click to expand...

Malt Sweetness: 4
Malt Character: 6
Hop Bitterness: 9
Hop Character: 10
Yeast Character: 2
Residual Sweetness: 3
Alcohol Level: 7
Body: 8
Color: 5
Carbonation: 1

Malt Sweetness: 3
Malt Character: 4
Hop Bitterness: 9
Hop Character: 10
Yeast Character: 2
Residual Sweetness: 1
Alcohol Level: 6
Body: 3
Color: 4
Carbonation: 4

Malt Sweetness:3
Malt Character:4
Hop Bitterness:9
Hop Character:10
Yeast Character:3
Residual Sweetness:1
Alcohol Level:8
Body:4
Color:3
Carbonation:2

Malt Sweetness: 3
Malt Character: 6
Hop Bitterness: 8
Hop Character: 9
Yeast Character: 3
Residual Sweetness (FG): 1
Alcohol Level: 5
Body: 4
Color: 1
Carbonation: 3

Malt Sweetness: 4
Malt Character: 2
Hop Bitterness: 8
Hop Character: 10
Yeast Character: 2
Residual Sweetness (FG): 3
Alcohol Level: 8
Body: 5
Color: 7
Carbonation:5

No rounding, fractions, or decimals; solid numbers please.

Select 1-10 based on the areas listed below (1 = less/light - 10 = more/heavy)

Malt Sweetness: 7
Malt Character: 5
Hop Bitterness: 8
Hop Character: 10
Yeast Character: 2
Residual Sweetness (FG): 7
Alcohol Level: 6
Body: 8
Color: 2
Carbonation: 5

Malt Sweetness: 4
Malt Character: 6
Hop Bitterness: 9
Hop Character: 10
Yeast Character: 1
Residual Sweetness (FG): 5
Alcohol Level: 8
Body: 7
Color: 3
Carbonation: 2

Malt Sweetness: 7
Malt Character: 6
Hop Bitterness: 9
Hop Character: 10
Yeast Character: 2
Residual Sweetness (FG): 7
Alcohol Level: 5
Body: 7
Color: 2
Carbonation: 3

bobbrews said:

What is your preference? I am curious what the tally would look like after 100 votes.

No rounding, fractions, or decimals; solid numbers please.

Select 1-10 based on the areas listed below (1 = less/light - 10 = more/heavy)

Click to expand...

Malt Sweetness: 5
Malt Character: 5
Hop Bitterness: 3
Hop Character: 10
Yeast Character: 1
Residual Sweetness (FG): 4
Alcohol Level: 6
Body: [B3[/B]
Color: 3
Carbonation: 7

I don't know how to separate malt sweetness from the combination of malt character and residual sweetness.

Malt Sweetness:2
Malt Character:4
Hop Bitterness:7
Hop Character:9
Yeast Character:2
Residual Sweetness (FG):2
Alcohol Level: 7
Body:5
Color:2
Carbonation:7

Malt Sweetness:2
Malt Character:3
Hop Bitterness:6
Hop Character:10
Yeast Character:1
Residual Sweetness (FG):3
Alcohol Level:5
Body:3
Color:3
Carbonation:7


Pale, dry, clean & bitter, toasty and very hoppy please!

1 = less/light - 10 = more/heavy

Malt Sweetness: 2
Malt Character: 3
Hop Bitterness: 6
Hop Character: 11
Yeast Character: 0
Residual Sweetness (FG): 0.5
Alcohol Level: N/A
Body: 5
Color: N/A
Carbonation: 7

Malt Sweetness: 3
Malt Character: 4
Hop Bitterness: 6
Hop Character: 10
Yeast Character: 2
Residual Sweetness (FG): 3
Alcohol Level: 5
Body: 4
Color: 7
Carbonation: 5

bovineblitz said:

1 = less/light - 10 = more/heavy

Malt Sweetness: 2
Malt Character: 3
Hop Bitterness: 6
Hop Character: 11
Yeast Character: 0
Residual Sweetness (FG): 0.5
Alcohol Level: N/A
Body: 5
Color: N/A
Carbonation: 7

Click to expand...

Malt Sweetness: 1
Malt Character: 2
Hop Bitterness: 8
Hop Character: 10
Yeast Character: 2
Residual Sweetness (FG): 1
Alcohol Level: 7
Body: 4
Color: 7
Carbonation: 6

Malt Sweetness: 2
Malt Character: 2
Hop Bitterness: 7
Hop Character: 10
Yeast Character: 2
Residual Sweetness (FG): 2
Alcohol Level: 7
Body: 2
Color: 2
Carbonation: 5

passedpawn said:

I don't know how to separate malt sweetness from the combination of malt character and residual sweetness.

Click to expand...

Malt does not always equate to sweet. Get that connection out of your head. Golden Promise malt is a lot sweeter and more characterful than American 2-row. But if you mash pure Golden Promise at 147 F and include a lb. of sugar VS. pure American 2-row with no sugar, then residual sweetness has increased with the latter example, though malt character has suffered, and the sweet taste of the malt itself is not as obvious. The sweetness you're tasting is mainly the non-fermentable, residual sugars left in the beer that did not have a chance to ferment further. This results in a higher FG. For example, Pliny the Elder finishes around 1.010 / 1.011. Imagine if it contained the same exact ingredients, but finished at 1.018. That would be higher residual sweetness, but the malt character and malt sweetness would be unchanged because you're using the same ingredients at roughly the same percentages. The only difference is the mash temp would be increased, they may leave out the sugar, and use a less attenuative yeast. That creates a higher residual sweetness.

For me, a beer like Pliny the Elder would finish as follows:

Malt Sweetness: 2
Malt Character: 3
Residual Sweetness: 1

It doesn't use a lot of characterful malts. Boring American 2-row, boring carapils, boring sugar, and a touch of crystal 45 for added character. The true beauty of this beer is making the hops the star without drowning you with bitterness. It makes someone who hates hops turn to love hops.

Others may turn to a beer like Dogfish 90 Minute, which would be more like:

Malt Sweetness: 7
Malt Character: 6
Residual Sweetness: 5

The beer is still heavy on the hops and smooth on the bitterness, but more malty goodness comes to party to keep things interesting. You get the hops and the malt at the same time. A mutual respect of ingredients.

It boils down to preference. Two iconic beers with a clear favoritism among consumers. Now, you can use them as an example for how you answer the poll.

Duplicate post.

Malt Sweetness: 3
Malt Character:5
Hop Bitterness: 8
Hop Character: 9
Yeast Character: 2
Residual Sweetness (FG): 2
Alcohol Level: 7
Body: 6
Color: 4
Carbonation:6
I dont have a set preference really, because I like variety and appreciate one from the other so this is my inaccurate guess.

Malt Sweetness: 2
Malt Character: 3
Hop Bitterness: 9
Hop Character: 10
Yeast Character: 1
Residual Sweetness (FG): 2
Alcohol Level: 7
Body: 3
Color: 3
Carbonation:4

Malt Sweetness: 3
Malt Character: 4
Hop Bitterness: 7
Hop Character: 10
Yeast Character: 1
Residual Sweetness (FG): 1
Alcohol Level: 8
Body: 4
Color: 3
Carbonation:5

Malt Sweetness: 4
Malt Character: 6
Hop Bitterness: 7
Hop Character: 10
Yeast Character: 2
Residual Sweetness (FG): 3
Alcohol Level: 7
Body: 6
Color: 5
Carbonation:4

Here's what the collective results look like up to this point:

Malt Sweetness: 4, 3, 3, 3, 4, 7, 4, 7, 5, 2, 2, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 2, 3, 4 -> = 3
Malt Character: 6, 4, 4, 6, 2, 5, 6, 6, 5, 4, 3, 3, 4, 2, 2, 5, 3, 4, 6 -> = 5
Hop Bitterness: 9, 9, 9, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 3, 7, 6, 6, 6, 8, 7, 8, 9, 7, 7 -> = 9
Hop Character: 10, 10, 10, 9, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 9, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 9, 10, 10, 10 -> = 10
Yeast Character: 2, 2, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2 -> = 2
Residual Sweetness (FG): 3, 1, 1, 1, 3, 7, 5, 7, 4, 2, 3, 1, 3, 1, 2, 2, 2, 1, 3 -> = 1
Alcohol Level: 7, 6, 8, 5, 8, 6, 8, 5, 6, 7, 5, 5, 7, 7, 7, 8, 7 -> = 7
Body: 8, 3, 4, 4, 5, 8, 7, 7, 3, 5, 3, 5, 4, 4, 2, 6, 3, 4, 6 -> = 4
Color: 5, 4, 3, 1, 7, 2, 3, 2, 3, 2, 3, 7, 7, 2, 4, 3, 3, 5 -> = 3
Carbonation: 1, 4, 2, 3, 5, 5, 2, 3, 7, 7, 7, 7, 5, 6, 5, 6, 4, 5, 4 -> = 5

is there going to be a recipe based on this?

Most of my IPA recipes kind of look like that anyway... you?

I like lots of different styles but in general I like more malt sweetness than average and very little malt character(3 floyds dreadnaught is a good example). The IPA I have fermenting uses skeezers zombie dust malt bill which has munich, carafoam, melanoidin, and c-60...quite the opposite but still very tasty. I also used chinook, simcoe, citra, and amarrillo in it so I think I'm pretty pumped to taste it.


Can you link the tricerahops recipe in your primary? I have yet to brew the Belgian IIPA that you build for me but sometime this fall for sure.

What about hop aroma? - its one of the most important factors in an IPA

bobbrews said:

Residual Sweetness (FG): 3, 1, 1, 1, 3, 7, 5, 7, 4, 2, 3, 1, 3, 1, 2, 2, 2, 1, 3 -> = 1

Click to expand...

?

Edit: Never mind, you took the mode of each set, not the mean.

shoreman said:

What about hop aroma? - its one of the most important factors in an IPA

Click to expand...

That would fall under hop character.

Malt Sweetness: 6
Malt Character: 6
Hop Bitterness: 5
Hop Character (Aroma?): 8
Yeast Character: 1
Residual Sweetness (FG): 3
Alcohol Level: 6-7
Body: 4
Color: 4
Carbonation: 3

scoppi said:

?

Edit: Never mind, you took the mode of each set, not the mean.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I figured the most answered "answer" would be more accurate than an average of everything. Though "malt character" was more of a median response in that there were just as many 4's as 6's.

Malt Sweetness: 4
Malt Character: 5
Hop Bitterness: 6
Hop Character: 10
Yeast Character: 3
Residual Sweetness (FG): 3
Alcohol Level: 4
Body: 7
Color: 3
Carbonation: 5

Malt Sweetness: 2
Malt Character: 3
Hop Bitterness: 6
Hop Character: 8
Yeast Character: 1
Residual Sweetness (FG): 1
Alcohol Level: 6
Body: 2
Color: 2
Carbonation: 5

Malt Sweetness: 5
Malt Character: 5
Hop Bitterness: 7
Hop Character: 10
Yeast Character: 2
Residual Sweetness (FG): 3
Alcohol Level: 6
Body: 4
Color: 3
Carbonation: 5

My only complaint about the poll is the (FG) next to residual sweetness, since higher mash temps produce long chain dextrains that aren't as sweet. One could obviously have a higher FG without higher residual sweetness. Personally I'd put FG next to Body.

bobbrews said:

..............The sweetness you're tasting is mainly the non-fermentable, residual sugars left in the beer that did not have a chance to ferment further. This results in a higher FG. For example, Pliny the Elder finishes around 1.010 / 1.011. Imagine if it contained the same exact ingredients, but finished at 1.018. That would be higher residual sweetness, but the malt character and malt sweetness would be unchanged because you're using the same ingredients at roughly the same percentages. The only difference is the mash temp would be increased, they may leave out the sugar, and use a less attenuative yeast. That creates a higher residual sweetness.
...............

Click to expand...

I think this needs a little more explaining and clarification. Yes more non-fermentable, residual sugars will result in a higher FG, BUT, it is possible to have a high FG, and have the beer not be so sweet (and vice versa, low FG, but sweet).

Most of the non-fermentable SWEET-TASTING products are the result of the kilning process during malt production. The higher the Lovibond (color) the more non-fermentable sugars are present in that malt (until you get up to the dark roasted malts).

If you mashed an all 2-row malt bill at a high temp, say 156, you will likely end up with a high FG, and the beer will have a lot of body, probably very malty (depending on your hopping) and not sweet at all. You will get lots of unfermentable dextrins in this wort, but those are pretty much tasteless. Start subbing in some Vienna and Munich malts to the 2-row grain bill and you will start to get some sweetness. Add some crystal/caramel malts and you will get even more.

The take home lesson is that mash temperature does indeed have a big impact on body, BUT the grain bill has a larger impact on the sweetness of a beer than does the mashing temperature. (and hopping rates has the biggest effect on maltiness).

My votes:
Malt Sweetness: 5
Malt Character: 5
Hop Bitterness: 9
Hop Character: 10
Yeast Character: 2
Residual Sweetness (FG): 3
Alcohol Level: 5
Body: 5
Color: 3
Carbonation: 5

So a fuller bodied IIPA that was mashed at 149, but contained a good deal of carapils, and finished at 1.010 FG will have more residual sweetness than an IIPA with very little to no carapils, mashed at 156, and finished at 1.020 FG??

...Skeptical about that one. Body and residual sweetness are not always synonymous, but I agree there can be a linkage. Though you can certainly have an IIPA with 10% crystal at 1.016 FG taste sweeter than an IIPA with 0% crystal at 1.020 FG... even if differences in "body" were negligible from other factors, e.g. using a less attenuative yeast, more cara- malt %, high mash temps, stalled fermentations, high OG.

bobbrews said:

So a fuller bodied IIPA that was mashed at 149, but contained a good deal of carapils, and finished at 1.010 FG will have more residual sweetness than an IIPA with very little to no carapils, mashed at 156, and finished at 1.020 FG??

Click to expand...

I don't believe he actually said that, especially since we don't know what other grains are present in your example.

No, that was a reply to you.

bobbrews said:

No, that was a reply to you.

Click to expand...

I didn't say it either. I said it's possible to have a beer with a higher fg but lower residual sweetness (relative to some other beer with a lower fg).