NE IPA keggings a must?

marjen · Feb 12, 2017

Hello, I am new to home brewing. I am going to be brewing a NE IPA soon and have gotten some feedback that it really does not work well if your bottle the beer, that it must be kegged to get the desired result. Is there a consensus on this?

I had not really thought about kegging at this time due to the extra expense, but also don't want subpar results. Honestly this will be the type of beer I will probably be making 99% of the time so want it to be worthwhile. Thanks.

Desertbrewer · Feb 12, 2017

marjen said:
Hello, I am new to home brewing. I am going to be brewing a NE IPA soon and have gotten some feedback that it really does not work well if your bottle the beer, that it must be kegged to get the desired result. Is there a consensus on this?

I had not really thought about kegging at this time due to the extra expense, but also don't want subpar results. Honestly this will be the type of beer I will probably be making 99% of the time so want it to be worthwhile. Thanks.

I've bottled one.

Went from being pineapple juice colored to brownish, red swamp water in the two weeks following bottle conditioning.

Also went from an amazing, filling up the room with tropical fruit aroma to "smells like an IPA" during that time.

When people say don't bottle them, they don't mean they will suck, they just mean these beers aren't meant for that type of treatment (I.e., warm storage, greater potential for oxidation when filling bottles vs keg, etc)

Next time I make a big hoppy beer like this, I'm gonna forgo the flaked adjuncts, which I believe add more oxidizing potential (I've had other hoppy beers that did not fall away so hard in color, flavor and aroma as the NEIPA). Haven't tested this yet, but I really think using the flavors (tons of hops, smooth maltiness) and most other contributing mouthfeel factors (yeast choice, grain choice, mash temp, water chemistry) will get you what you want out of NEIPA (at least what I want, an intensely fruity, hoppy, smooth beer) without adding so much potential for degradation (though know there will always be 'some' oxidation occurring, especially bottle conditioning).

My 2 cents. I'll report back here or in Braufessor's NEIPA recipe thread what the difference was for me in bottle conditioning one with/without flaked adjuncts.

I was hopeful like you, and really wanted to report back saying "see! You can do it!" to the haters. I'm still hopeful, but now I'm less interested in the hazy aspect and more interested in nailing a decent flavor/aroma until I can get kegging gear.

marjen · Feb 12, 2017

Well this is discouraging. How is extra oxidation in the mix? Is it because it takes longer to bottle?

whovous · Feb 12, 2017

I've bottled a few NEIPAs that did not go brown on me. That said, I had enough other problems with the style that I decided to do what Desertbrewer did: I copied the hop profile and played with water chemistry, mash temp and barley choices instead. It is too soon to judge the results. I've force-carbed part of the batch with my Synek and it tastes pretty darn good, but I am still a week away from putting any of the bottles in the fridge to cold condition for a week and even longer for it to have the chance to turn brown.

I do not think NEIPA kegging is mandatory, but if I had that choice, I'd take it.

marjen · Feb 12, 2017

Does it matter that I will be doing an extract version of the recipe, will that help?

elburrogrande · Feb 15, 2017

I was bottling them before I started kegging. They would be ready to drink 3 days after bottling and gone in 2 weeks. never had an issue with oxidation

bucketnative · Feb 15, 2017

Desertbrewer said:
Next time I make a big hoppy beer like this, I'm gonna forgo the flaked adjuncts, which I believe add more oxidizing potential (I've had other hoppy beers that did not fall away so hard in color, flavor and aroma as the NEIPA). .

I have been thinking about this "problem" of apparent oxidation susceptibility of NEIPAs, and I came up with a four wing test, if I were the testing kind:

Make a 5-gal batch with rolled/flaked adjuncts, and split it in two fermenters: A & B. A gets a dry hop schedule that involves hopping at high krausen (active fermentation) followed by a "traditional" dry hop when fermentation is complete. B gets no dry hop at high krausen, but the fermenter is opened for the same period time as A at that point (mimic oxidation exposure), followed by the "traditional dry hop later on.

Make a second 5-gal batch without the adjuncts, and split into two fermenters: C & D. Fermenters C is treated the same as A, while fermenter B would not be dry hopped at all (absolute minimum oxygen exposure).

I have been trying to figure out if it is the excessive opening of the fermenter at various points that increases oxidation susceptibility or if it is the compounds formed during biotransformation. Or, it could be as you suggest, something with the excessive flaked/rolled adjuncts... although my wits and saisons have similar grain bills without the excessive hopping, and they age very nicely in the bottle.

2.

NE IPA keggings a must?

Help Support Homebrew Talk:

marjen

Well-Known Member

Desertbrewer

Well-Known Member

marjen

Well-Known Member

whovous

Waterloo Sunset

marjen

Well-Known Member

elburrogrande

Well-Known Member

bucketnative

Well-Known Member

Similar threads

Latest posts