Maybe stupid question, but what makes a beer a "double" or "triple" beer?

[rednekhippiemotrcyclfreak]

I'm not gonna poke fun at anybody's beer preferences. I like what I like and so do you. I can't speak for triples (tripels) because I don't like Belgians, but, I think the reason for so-called doubles or Imperials is that the beer that results from these aggravations of recipes immediately falls outside of the style guidelines from which they originated. Rogue Dead Guy Ale and Rogue Double Dead Guy come to mind. Dead Guy is a Maibock. Double Dead Guy is a Strong Ale. This classification comes from Rogue and may or may not be accurate, but it does point to the style classification issue. All double or imperial reds suffer from this classification problem because the color and bitterness numbers push the beer into an apparently false brown category. I ain't no expert, but it seems that the style guidelines might need some updating and the rest of us drinkers ought to just drink what we like. Am I editorializing or just missing the point?

 

[squirrelly]

Jamil talked about this pretty extensively on "can you brew it" where they were trying to clone a Laganitas double IPA. He made the point that a brewer can not just double the malt and double the hops and call the beer a double whatever. For that beer to still fit within style guidelines it must be re-crafted often times with a couple different hop varieties containing higher alphas than those used in the previous version to offset the intense sweetness brought on by addition of the base malts. Too often do I hear brewers say their imperial such and such is an amped up version of their regular such and such. This usually results in low competition scores and a very unbalanced beer.

While my pale ale has many similarities as my imperial IPA they are not at all the same recipe. Both use American 2 row as base malts, both have carmel 60, 70, 80, dextrin malt; that's about the end of the similarities. In my pale I use 4 hop additions of perle, cascade, cluster, another cascade, and dry hop twice with cascade. My double IPA would be overly sweet if I kept that same hop regiment. Instead I use challenger, chinook, cascade, another challenger, and dry hop 3 times with perle for aroma.

 

[bovineblitz]

How many people on here do you think get that you have a skinhead title?

BTW, I just want to clarify for those reading this that are unaware of skinhead culture. Most skinheads are not racist...

Baldys ftw.

 

[Calichusetts]

I like this discussion...there really is a large gray area here...marketing or "coolness" play a factor on one side, but there really are guidelines for these things. Its a lot like language...they more we use (or misuse) words the more cemented they are in our vocabulary, sometimes at the cost of dilluting the intended meaning. (Example: Teen is not a word...its an abbreviation of teenager, but I'm pretty sure its made the dictionary by now...ironically enough there was a segment on words on the radio yesterday with the commisioner of the American Heritage dictionary...but I digress)

My first recipe is in its final stages of completion. Its an IPA but I deviate off the guidelines in some areas. I ended up calling it a "90 Minute NAPA"

Is there such thing as a North American Pale Ale....maybe not, but to me it just sounds better and it is truly not a standard IPA...meh!

PS- meh is now officially a word

 

[MoPhunk]

I myself am a fan if IPAs. But I prefer a big nose, big taste and just enough bitterness to mellow out the sweetness. My first recipe (that I came up with) had that balance. I can't stand IPAs that numb my tastebuds after awhile.

 

[two_hearted]

Its funny how after people go on harsh rants, grossly generalizing "all of the people who like x are knuckle dragging douchenozzles and they're ruining craft beer for everyone," they always add in a line saying something to the affect of "But I mean, if you like that crap more power to ya. Just don't come on here and retaliate (because you're totally wrong and a douchey ****** ******) and we'll be best buds bro! "

 

[mikeysab]

Wow, I think you totally missed the point of that post. I totally agree with Bob that some people really do think it makes them feel more manly to drink these amped up versions of normal beers. Russian Impirial Stout is a great beer style, and I've had some incredible examples of it. I've also had Imperial IPA's that were good, and some that were horrendous, more so the latter. I remember an article in BYO about session beers, and the general concensus among the brewers interviewed was that session beers are harder to brew than these hop bombs. In my experience, they're more enjoyable as well.

He said what bothered him about it was that when he says he doesn't like those riduculous beers, people call him a pu$$y. That's just ridiculous. But then again, do you ever hear anybody say "Dude, last night was crazy, I enjoyed moderate amounts of well crafted session beers all night, then picked up some average girl and had mediocre sex with her for a slightly lower than average amount of time"

For some people, it's all about the over the top nature of things. Not only beer, but everything. For me, I'll try anything. If I don't like it, I won't drink it again. It doesn't excite me to see "Imperial *" on a bottle. I like certain styles, and I'm not more likely to drink something because it says Imperial, double or tripel on it. As for where those names came from, I think Imperial was taken care of earlier in the thread. Double and Triple come from the belgian trappist beers that were called Enkel, Dubbel, Tripel, and Quadrupel. I think American breweries took the terms and applied them to their own beers. But that's just my opinion.

 

[two_hearted]

Oh I got the point of his post; I don't think you got the point of mine. I was just pointing out that I find it humorous when people post strongly worded opinions (complete with name-calling) always include a disclaimer of some sort at the end.

Name-calling:

I'm convinced most of the IIPA disciples are, at core, a bunch of tin-tongued charlatans who would happily beat their chests and Ook Ook Ook about some other Big Butch Manly Thing if they didn't have IIPA. Motorcycles or guns or some such drivel. They're drinking the beer not at all for the sensory input; they're drinking it for the status they believe is accorded to someone who drinks it. "It's twice the strength, five times the hops and twice the price! I am a Real Man! Look at me! Ook! I have a shiny red bottom! Ook!

Disclaimer:

Please note, if you actually like that stuff for some reason, more power to you. Don't be a ******-canoe about it and we'll get along fine!

******-canoe was a nice touch.

 

[Mac951]

Too bad we can't quite get it right, but Extreme brewing has a great recipe for
what is titled an "Imperial Pale Ale" (IPA haha) which it works for both categories.

Dopplebock has specific guidelines like over 18° plato to be doppel, where bock is 16-17°, but what really makes a beer a Double Pilsner? I find a beer with balance to be ideal, but I also like to brew off-centered to help find what my central borders are. That said, Am I correct in assuming that an Imperial Miller-lite might be something like Mickey's (or Colt45)? Does anyone know of BJCP guidelines to the double, tripel, nomenclature, or is it more of a, "oh, I brewed an 8.5%ABV beer, thus it will be a super dopple Quad Imperial Scottish lite?" I will reserve the right to keep that title for my beer when I clean out the storage in one batch. Maybe someone has access to the histories on these titles?

Finally, back to topic, Germany has the rules around Bock and Doppelbock by specific ° plato for category ranges, does Belgium do the same?

Thank you,
-Mac

 

[BBL_Brewer]

I just read this entire thread and here's what I got from it. Very educational

1. Imperial Miller Lite = 0^2 = water
2. ****** canoes make a funny sound when they talk. Most likely from the tin on their tongues.
3. Skin heads are anti-racist.
4. Doubles and triples were invented for mindless, macho beer drinkers and sell like hotcakes.
5. Good beer is in danger of becoming extinct.

 

[BaronVonMeisterburger]

Yep. My local beer store is ahead of the curve and only carries two beers now. Bud Light and Lagunitas Hop Stoopid.