Difference between IPA and Pale Ale (brewing standpoint)

[Davevjordon]

I love IPA's. What I really mean is: I don't drink anything else. So as my first batch is just passed it's first day of fermentation, I wonder if someone can break down the difference between the two for me.
Would you mash one at a lower / higher temp than the other?
More bittering hops or added earlier for IPA's?
Or?... What differences?
Additional note: my first brew is all grain. I skipped extract altogether.
Thank you in advance for any info.

 

[Weezy]

A pale ale should have a more balanced hop and malt flavor and aroma. Traditionally, APAs are not dry hopped, as you'd expect to preserve that balance. You'll also likely have a richer malt bill with the APA, to accentuate the malt flavor and wven get some malt on the nose.

IPAs are all over the map.

 

[seabrew8]

In general IPA's are more hoppy then APA's and like weezy said usually a simpler grain bill.

This is a good resource:

https://www.bjcp.org/stylecenter.php

Brewing Classic Styles is a good book to pickup has well for time tested recipes.

 

[NSMikeD]

true, but in my experience, America Pale Ales (APAs) are indeed hopped up. We love our hops in the states. And the grain bills for both PAs and IPAs can get out of hand. Go to England and there is a true distinction between pale ales and IPAs.


British pale ale is a nicely balanced (hop to malt) beer. Legend has it (I recall learning that the story may be myth) that more malt and hops had to be added to the pale ales to make the long journey and quench the thirst of the British soldiers in India and along the way, the beer picked up oak flavoring from being in those oak kegs.

Leave it to we yankees to muck that all up and screw around with something so simple. While IBUS (bitterness) tends to be a major distinguishing factor, both styles can push the limits on the late additions hops creating big juicy spicy citrus beers throwing that malt to hop balance out the window.

Sierra Nevada is a classic APA. Now SN does not dry hop, but lots of clone recipes will dry hop. The Cascade hops are not shy and I presume the authors of these recipes think SPNA is dry hopped or they are simply addicted to dry hopping. Compare a Sam Smith or Fullers IPA to a SNPA and you would swear SPNA was the IPA.

New England IPAs (NEIPA) are a style onto themselves. No oak, and almost all hop forward - and while they are supposed to be pale, some look orange! Go figure

When is comes to pale ales and IPAs, you almost need some qualifiers as the styles can be pretty broad.

 

[mbobhat]

Generally an IPA will have slightly higher alcohol and possibly a bit drier to let the hops shine through. Of course with that grain bill you can add more hops as much as you want. That is the simplest difference I can think of. Pale ales are more balanced

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

The reality is that the distinction is virtually non existent on the shelves these days. Pseudo Sue and Zombie Dust are labeled pale ale when both are over 6% ABV and hoppy as hell. Trillion had pale ales that defy the rules as well. I think they label then that way to make then more approachable. I've heard people say they don't like IPAs but they like Pseudo Sue!

I don't really care about brewing true to style. I brew what I like which is why I started brewing. But the response abovr is very good. Use a style guide if that's important. Otherwise, brew what you like and label it as best you can.

 

[Revvy]

The reality is that the distinction is virtually non existent on the shelves these days. Pseudo Sue and Zombie Dust are labeled pale ale when both are over 6% ABV and hoppy as hell. Trillion had pale ales that defy the rules as well. I think they label then that way to make then more approachable. I've heard people say they don't like IPAs but they like Pseudo Sue!

THIS is the answer, there really is distinction anymore. I think there's a bleed through on everything everyone previously mentioned.

My current stock non-homebrew beer when I don't have anything hoppy of my own is Oddsides Citra Pale Ale and it is hoppier than several IPAs that I've picked up lately. In fact it seems hoppier to me than Founder's Centennial IPA which is another of my goto beers.

Someone mentioned earlier that they thought APAs were more balanced. That's one of the features of Midwest IPAs such as Founder's Centennial and Bell's Two Hearted, and strong malty backbone to balance out the hoppiness.

I think the borderline between the two styles these days is so blurry that I do wonder if it's become a marketing distinction now....

 

[TomVA]

It seems to me that a lot of style borders are blurry these days in the USA. Craft brewers need to distinguish themselves from the mass market commercial beers on the shelves at a low price. They certainly don't want to undercut the prices, and grain bill changes aren't as noticeable to many consumers. So they change what is most noticed and often make them darker, higher in alcohol, and hopped to the heavens. If you carry this trend to all of your style offerings, the differences become more subtle and the style lines are blurred.

I have given up on American craft beers as I find all I have tasted to be too strong, hoppy, and carbonated for my tastes, and now brew my own to the styles I like. Certainly there are still style differences and I'm sure there are some beers out there that I would enjoy, but why bother searching when I can make exactly what I want at home.

TomVA

 

[SGTSparty]

THIS is the answer, there really is distinction anymore. I think there's a bleed through on everything everyone previously mentioned.

My current stock non-homebrew beer when I don't have anything hoppy of my own is Oddsides Citra Pale Ale and it is hoppier than several IPAs that I've picked up lately. In fact it seems hoppier to me than Founder's Centennial IPA which is another of my goto beers.

Someone mentioned earlier that they thought APAs were more balanced. That's one of the features of Midwest IPAs such as Founder's Centennial and Bell's Two Hearted, and strong malty backbone to balance out the hoppiness.

I think the borderline between the two styles these days is so blurry that I do wonder if it's become a marketing distinction now....

I think it is marketing as much as anything now days. Since the styles have blended in the market and since its not like the BJCP have to approve you to label your beer as X or Y I think people realize IPA's are hot right now. I also think that a fair amount of it is customer ignorance, my wife for example has no idea what a Pale Ale is but when she sits down at a restaurant or bar she says "What IPAs do you have?" The fact that she'd like many many pale ales doesn't matter at that point, especially if you're a producer looking to get sales. You label the same beer an IPA vs. a PA your chances are 1000% better SWMBO'd will order it.

 

[jrgtr42]

As others have said, the line is very blurry these days, especially with the onset of Session IPAs(?)
IMO, a Session IPA really isn't much different from a hoppier pale ale. As with any style, there is a range.
So, from a brewing standpoint, a Pale Ale will have a smaller malt bill than an IPA, though the percentages won't be much different (mostly pale malt, maybe a touch of light (<40) crystal and possibly carapils or flaked oats / wheat / whatever for mouthfeel.
Hops again a bit lighter, but similar - bittering, aroma and flavor additions, with optional dryhop.

 

[Revvy]

As others have said, the line is very blurry these days, especially with the onset of Session IPAs(?)
IMO, a Session IPA really isn't much different from a hoppier pale ale. As with any style, there is a range.
So, from a brewing standpoint, a Pale Ale will have a smaller malt bill than an IPA, though the percentages won't be much different (mostly pale malt, maybe a touch of light (<40) crystal and possibly carapils or flaked oats / wheat / whatever for mouthfeel.
Hops again a bit lighter, but similar - bittering, aroma and flavor additions, with optional dryhop.

I didn't even factor in Sesson IPAs... but you're right.

(I tend to ignore sessions for some reason, they just seem too leave me wanting more.

 

[NSMikeD]

Dark India Pale Ales (DIPA)
Session IPAs

Need any more proof that styles names are getting silly.


I prefer regional styles. NEIPA you are sure to get an ale that pushes the forward hops to the limit

DIPA/Black IPA, really? How can a beer be both Dark/Black and Pale?????

I prefer the style name Cascadian Dark Ale. I know it's going to be a dark ale that features the hops of the Pacific Northwest.