IPA Poll

[bobbrews]

For the most part that is untrue though... unless you're barraging the lower fg beer with a ton of crystal malt whereas the higher fg version gets none. It really depends on the recipe. I don't see how "body" should have fg next to it versus residual sweetness (generally speaking).

 

[Cromwell]

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

 

[afr0byte]

For the most part that is untrue though... unless you're barraging the lower fg beer with a ton of crystal malt whereas the higher fg version gets none. It really depends on the recipe. I don't see how "body" should have fg next to it versus residual sweetness (generally speaking).

I'd argue, given the same grain bill, but a varying mash temp, the biggest effect would be on body. In fact, on a Can You Brew It Episode, Tasty McDole ended up with a higher FG on his clone attempt (using the grain bill provided by the brewery), but the perceived level of sweetness was the same. Unfortunately I can't remember the episode.

 

[bobbrews]

There are always going to be exceptions to the rule.

I believe Green Flash WCIPA is mashed quite high and contain up to 15% cara- malts. That beer is certainly drier on the palate than lets say Dogfish 60 or 90 IPA, which use absolutely no crystal malt and mash lower. I accept that... but it's not too common to compare two beers with vastly different mash temps and cara- malt %, yet the beer on the higher end of the spectrum ends up drier. That's rare as far as IPAs go. I recognize that higher mash temps create more body. That is not my argument. Rather, (in general) the higher the fg, the higher the residual sweetness leftover in the beer. And that residual sweetness is not always synonymous with more body, but it can be a factor.

 

[afr0byte]

There are always going to be exceptions to the rule.

I believe Green Flash WCIPA is mashed quite high and contains up to 15% crystal malts. That beer is certainly drier on the palate than lets say Dogfish 60 or 90 IPA, which use absolutely no crystal malt and mash lower. I accept that... but it's not too common to compare two beers with vastly different mash temps and cara- malt %, yet the beer on the higher end of the spectrum ends up drier. That's rare as far as IPAs go. I recognize that higher mash temps create more body. That is not my argument. Rather, (in general) the higher the fg, the higher the residual sweetness leftover in the beer.

See, I don't agree that dry == not sweet (unless you're talking champagne). Lots of belgians are dry, in that they have a low FG, but they're definitely still sweet.

 

[Katahdin]

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

 

[bobbrews]

Compare a Tripel finishing at 1.008 vs. a Tripel finishing at 1.017 and then come back and tell me which one is sweeter. It's like comparing Westmalle vs. De Dolle... night and day.

 

[afr0byte]

Compare a Tripel finishing at 1.008 vs. a Tripel finishing at 1.015 and then come back and tell me which one is sweeter. It's like comparing Westmalle vs. De Dolle... night and day.

Yes, a higher FG can equal a higher level of sweetness. However, the point is that it doesn't necessarily. I'd wager that De Dolle uses a lot more crystal. If they'd used carapils there likely wouldn't be much of a change in residual sweetness.

 

[inhousebrew]

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

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

 

[pjj2ba]

The yeast can play a significant role is sweetness as well. Some of the strains I use leave a certain sweetness to the beer, even in very low FG beers. Other strains I use do not do this. My hypotheses are that the yeast are producing/modifying something that has a sweetness (along the lines of xylitol or sorbitol) and also, the yeast themselves taste sweet. One strain in particular I use definitely tastes sweet. I had a keg working, about half-empty, pouring crystal clear until I had to move the keg. For the next couple pints, the beer was a little cloudy and noticeably sweeter. The sweetness went away when the beer cleared up.

 

[jhimstedt]

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

 

[NoCornOrRice]

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

 

[pm5k00]

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