So...what beer did I make?

[aqualung23]

Was going for an IPA but overshot my gravity. 1.075->1.012 left me with a beer that is 8.27%, over the BJCP style guidlines for an IPA. However, the IBUs are only 50, leaving me short of the 60 minimum required to define an imperial IPA. So, what is this beer?

 

[kaconga]

Those numbers are very hard to put into real flavors. I would say 50 IBUs is close enough in taste to 60 that I would call it an imperial IPA.

 

[all_about_stouts]

If you really want it to be an imperial IPA, couldn't you dry hop it and get some more IBUs in there?

 

[jro238]

I would probably call it a double IPA.

 

[mysteryshrimp]

It's hard to tell the difference between 7.5 and 8.25% ABV. Just by the numbers, I would call it an IPA or I would age it 6 months and call it a Barleywine. ABV is definitely harder to differentiate than IBU.

I am a BJCP judge, and I say not to be a slave to the style guidelines, especially if it's for your own enjoyment. I definitely have a few repeating recipes and commercial favorites that are way out of style for whatever they claim to be.

 

[aqualung23]

If you really want it to be an imperial IPA, couldn't you dry hop it and get some more IBUs in there?

I plan to dry hop, but that doesn't technically add any IBU's. Just curious. I'm going to say its a DIPA because there's not really anything else that it's very close to.