English IPAs

[Gameface]

I'm only brewing styles from the British Isles, so English IPA's, and ESB's, are very often either in fermenting vessel, in keg, or on deck. I kegged my MO SMaSH IPA a few days ago, using Maris Otter malt, EKG hops, and Wyeast 1882-PC Thames Valley II yeast. I do agree that malt and yeast choices are important, but so is the hop selection. Especially when you're adding the flavor and aroma hops (or dry hopping). My only deviation from the published style is I used the hop bursting technique. 7.5oz of hops all 20 minutes from the end (2oz @20, 1.5oz @15, 1oz @10, 1oz@5, and 2oz @1). This is for a 6.5-7 gallons (to keg) batch. The EKG harvest was at 7.20% AA (so you know). Came out to about 48-49 IBU's (almost the middle of the range) but the hop flavor (from the sample I took at kegging time) is great. Looking forward to having it by the pint. I also mashed at 154 with this batch, to retain more malt flavors. My previous MO SMaSH (ESB) I mashed at 150.

I would advise getting all English/UK ingredients for your English IPA. IMO, going with US hops takes away from what it could have been. Maris Otter malt, and EKG hops are NOT difficult to find/get all over the place. If your LHBS doesn't have both, I'd be surprised. If they don't, then just order it up online and don't worry about it.

I too brew almost exclusively British Isles varieties of beer. I think I made a mistake this year and purchased a bunch of US Goldings in place of East Kent Goldings. I had read several opinions stating that it made almost no difference or that people couldn't really tell the difference. Well, I brew ESBs every 2nd or 3rd batch and the two I've brewed with US Goldings were VERY different than the ones I've been brewing for the last 3 years with EKG. Possibly my older EKG had lost some kick and I snagged this US Goldings the day it was released on hopsdirect. I also upped my hops a bit. I'm trying to tell myself that if I reduce the hops a little I might be back where I was, but so far I'm very disappointed and I'm considering biting the bullet and getting a bulk order of EKG, which would mean my 2lbs of USG would probably go to waste.

Anyway, do you have an opinion on EKG vs USG? I use 1469 West Yorkshire yeast, MO a little British crystal malt and Biscuit malt.

 

[JonM]

Check this out. I have the ESB sitting in the fermenter right now, so I can't say how it is, but looks like a solid recipe. And I subbed Fawcett Optic for the Maris Otter.

www.byo.com/component/resource/article/2398-fuller-s-the-pride-of-london

Also, to the OP, I think Furthermore brewing has a nice English style ale. And if you can find Fuller's ESB on tap, it is freakin' awesome.

 

[JonM]

Oh, and Maris Otter extract is a Northern Brewer exclusive.

 

[Whippy]

I am certainly coming back to read this whole thread and have subscribed, but I did want to make an observation while I am drinking on this...

I went for a growler of Southern Tier 2xIPA yesterday, but the beer store was out...so on a whim I picked up the Sierra Nevada NH Harvest Ale pretty much expecting another "torpedo/celebration."

Wow, I am delighted with this beer, as it strikes me as an excellent English IPA brewed with (i think) American ingredients....but the yeast must surely be British?

...anyway, have any of you had similar impressions?

 

[JonM]

I had some of SN's Harvest on tap and I def agree - it was awesome.

 

[jonmohno]

I think Im gonna make an all Saaz IPA. Im feelin it. Although I just made and all fuggles IPA.wlp060 liquid blend yeast,and Organic Breiss 2 row/8%crystal malts. I forgot,think I was going to toast some of it,but im going more for the fuggles single hop to get to really see what this hop is like,although it seems unliked. It did well in an irish blonde i made but didnt really use that much in it.

 

[stevedore]

I am certainly coming back to read this whole thread and have subscribed, but I did want to make an observation while I am drinking on this...

I went for a growler of Southern Tier 2xIPA yesterday, but the beer store was out...so on a whim I picked up the Sierra Nevada NH Harvest Ale pretty much expecting another "torpedo/celebration."

Wow, I am delighted with this beer, as it strikes me as an excellent English IPA brewed with (i think) American ingredients....but the yeast must surely be British?

...anyway, have any of you had similar impressions?

It's English? Are you sure? I haven't seen that one around but I'll keep an eye out. I do have a Southern Tier 2x in the fridge waiting for a tasting..

 

[mewithstewpid]

It's English? Are you sure? I haven't seen that one around but I'll keep an eye out. I do have a Southern Tier 2x in the fridge waiting for a tasting..

Northern hem harvest is brewed with all cascade and centennial with their chico strain. So no I'd say its definitively us

 

[bobbrews]

Southern Hem is the more grassy, subdued of the two. But it's NZ or AUS inspired. Northern Hem is pungent & American.

 

[Whippy]

Wow, it must be the fresh hop character that changes it so much. It does not taste like the run-of-the-mill American IPA at all to me.

I am very interested in British styles recently, mainly because I have trouble brewing them for some reason. My intention is to work on these almost exclusively in 2013. I will first work out a couple of recipes and find a yeast I like, then start playing with the water out of interest.

 

[Cider123]

I've made an extract version of Yooper's English IPA. Here is the original recipe:

10 pounds maris otter
1 pound torrified wheat
1 pound victory malt
8 ounces crystal 80L

1 ounce EKG 60 minutes
1 ounce EKG 30 minutes
1 ounce EKG 15 minutes
1 ounce EKG 5 minutes

London ESB yeast Wyeast 1968 (big starter)

OG 1.050
FG 1.012


Converted it to an extract recipe as follows:

6 lbs Light LME
12 oz torrified wheat
12 oz victory malt
4oz crystal 150L
4 oz Crystal 60L

White labs London Ale yeast(WLP 013)

Same hops and hops schedule, plus 1 oz of irish moss at 15 min. Steeping at 150 F for 30 min.
One can of LME (3lbs) at first, then the second can at 15 min left of boil.

Came out very good. I now have BIAB capability and will try the AG version. I'd also like to find a Fullers ESB AG recipe to try.

BTW my wife came come today with a couple beers to try. They were this American IPA called "something bitch" with a wild dog on the label. Geezus, it was so damn bitter and citrus pukey that I couldn't swallow it. Of course she loved it. Go figure, my wife is a Hop head. There was a kolsch left in the fridge, I drank that.

 

[JKaranka]

The two IPAs I see the most often in shops here are the Fuller's Bengal Lancer and the Marston's Old Empire. Old Empire has a finishing of cascade (well, hops have been brought to the UK since who knows when)... but you'd probably judge both a bit maltier than the US IPA versions I've tried. They're both great on cask, specially when Wetherspoons is selling them at two quid a pint :-D

Also, I've seen they're available online in the US, as I ordered some for a friend in Pennsylvania!

http://www.fullers.co.uk/rte.asp?id=296
http://www.marstonsbeercompany.co.uk/our_brands/marstons/oldempire.asp

 

[jammin]

Anyone interested in doing an English IPA swap?

 

[Padalac]

some good english ipas available commercially:
bengal lancer from fullers (first time i tasted this, i was like WOW)
fullers india pale ale (bottle conditioned)
meantime ipa (in the big champagne bottle)
worthingtons white shield
jaipur from thornbridge

in terms of grist... i know for sure that fullers use all pale ale malt, no crystal, in their IPAs. white shield on the other hand, uses some crystal apparently.

as for hops.. bengal lancer uses fuggles and goldings for bittering, and has quite a good size dry hop with goldings and target. target is quite underrated as a dry hop btw.

white shield uses challenger and northdown apparently...

the fullers yeast strain is a good one to use for an english IPA - wlp002 or wyeast1968

if i was planning one just now (and i've done a little bit experimentation on the topic)..

i would go with something like this

-all Maris otter in the grist
-bittering with challenger
-hop burst with a big whammy of different UK hops, a "best of" if you will. this could include:
east kent goldings
challenger
fuggles
first gold
northdown
target

then finally do a dry hop with a mixture of goldings and target..

i haven't done this yet but i think it has a lot of potential!

 

[JKaranka]

Hey Padalac

I find the ones that mix a tad of heavier malts in the grist pretty good (5-10% vienna or munich), and usually some normal crystal will do but that's up to taste.

 

[Padalac]

Yea you know what I just listened to a podcast with one of head brewers from meantime giving the recipe about the meantime ipa and they use english Munich in there, and sugar. Recipe from 19th century apparently!

 

[JKaranka]

I might be a novice brewer but I'm a pro drinker