Final Gravity for IPA - what is too high?

[Michael S. Henry]

This is a cool post from the past to come back and discuss. NEIPA has been the sole style I have been brewing of late. Looking back at the posts on this style from years back, it would seem that the 1.012 final gravity range was everyone's target but my experience with the style tells me that 1.017-1.020 seems to produce the best NEIPAS (for the record, I'm specifically talking about beers in the 7-8% ABV range). I have one kegged now that has a wonderful flavor but dried out to around 1.011 and it is definitely too dry for the best examples of the style. I am moving my next batch to a mash temp of 156 and may even go bolder at 158. Thoughts on this fellow NEIPA brewers?

 

[thehaze]

Depends on the recipe, hops, hopping rates, your taste, etc.

I brewed a 5.5% IPA that finished at 1.022. It was a grapefruit bomb, crisp and easy drinkable.

I brewed a 7.1% that finished at 1.007 ( high on sulfate, Chinook and Columbus hops ) and I thought it was too dry, although it tasted very good.

I think it's relative from person to person, recipe and so many other factors. I would say anything between 1.010 and 1.020 would be OK.

 

[TheAleRunner]

This is a cool post from the past to come back and discuss. NEIPA has been the sole style I have been brewing of late. Looking back at the posts on this style from years back, it would seem that the 1.012 final gravity range was everyone's target but my experience with the style tells me that 1.017-1.020 seems to produce the best NEIPAS (for the record, I'm specifically talking about beers in the 7-8% ABV range). I have one kegged now that has a wonderful flavor but dried out to around 1.011 and it is definitely too dry for the best examples of the style. I am moving my next batch to a mash temp of 156 and may even go bolder at 158. Thoughts on this fellow NEIPA brewers?

I didn't notice the dates when reading, but the whole time I was thinking to myself that I design several of my IPAs to finish around 1.020, so why would this be a problem.

 

[Calder]

I think it is a matter of personal taste. I think 1.020 is way too high, but I confess I have never made an IPA (or any beer for that matter, even a 12+% Barley wine) that finished anywhere near that.

I like them dry and 1.008 is probably my upper limit for an IPA. But I like everything dry, I like really dry wines, and I find extra dry Champagne too sweet. There are also a lot of Commercial IPAs/PAs that I find just too sweet.

I think it is personal taste, but maybe I should try and make a couple of beers that finish a little higher to see how I like them.

 

[tld6008]

I just kegged a Hopslam AG clone and it finished after 17 days at .022, I was concerned because the prior 2 batches finished at .012 and .017 It definitely tastes a sweeter than the first 2 batches and had I known about the amylase trick I would have used it. OG was .085 and yeast was 2nd generation 1056. Still totally drinkable but the difference is perplexing.

 

[philipdesmondjohnson]

Just kegged an American IPA at 10.12 fg.Lots of hops in as well.Do you lot agree that i will be ok with these readings?

 

[Yooper]

Just kegged an American IPA at 10.12 fg.Lots of hops in as well.Do you lot agree that i will be ok with these readings?

1.012 is a perfect FG for IPAs.

 

[mankev]

An old post but I thought I would add to the conversation in case someone has a similar experience to me. My sudo NEIPA brewed with wheat and oats consistently comes in at around 1.025 and 1.033. I use Kveik and brew at around 36C. I thought this was high but I checked out a NEIPA from a local brew pub and it comes in at about 1.030. It is 6.4% and a really good juicy NEIPA, a really awesome beer. So what gives?
Proteins and fats are not soluble in water so that should not impact the S.G. Well maybe the fermentation stuck, I doubt it the last batch had a real bite, my son asked me if I spiked it with vodka. Possibly my instruments, no I checked against a known solution and used two methods. If it were not for the brew pub having the same S.G. I would think it was me, but their beer has the same ingredient profile.

 

[HM-2]

An old post but I thought I would add to the conversation in case someone has a similar experience to me. My sudo NEIPA brewed with wheat and oats consistently comes in at around 1.025 and 1.033. I use Kveik and brew at around 36C. I thought this was high but I checked out a NEIPA from a local brew pub and it comes in at about 1.030. It is 6.4% and a really good juicy NEIPA, a really awesome beer. So what gives?
Proteins and fats are not soluble in water so that should not impact the S.G. Well maybe the fermentation stuck, I doubt it the last batch had a real bite, my son asked me if I spiked it with vodka. Possibly my instruments, no I checked against a known solution and used two methods. If it were not for the brew pub having the same S.G. I would think it was me, but their beer has the same ingredient profile.

Nothing gives. It's pretty common for hazies from commercial breweries to be north of 1.020, you need the extra gravity to provide boty the necessary mouth feel and to push the hops into juiciness.

1.033 is pretty high though! The highest I ever shoot for is about 1.025 and that's in 10-12% TIPAs.

I'm mostly impressed you're getting Kveik to crap out at like 58% attenuation. I can never get less than 80% out of mist strains even when I want to.