Beer Magazine Anatomy Series – India Pale Ale (IPA)

Beer Anatomy – India Pale Ale (IPA)
The Traveling Beer
Words: Mike Velez

From issue #2 of Beer Magazine

When you hear the word “bitter,” positive thoughts usually don’t come to mind. Of the five basic tastes, it’s probably the least pleasant. In fact, some biologists have theorized that our distaste for bitter substances evolved as a defense mechanism against accidental poisoning. However, it seems that many of us have taken a particular liking to foods and beverages that are bitter, such as unsweetened chocolate, coffee, mineral water, and most importantly, IPAs. Yup, the king of bitter beer is the IPA. Thanks to an abundance of hops, IPAs have a “great” bitter flavor that some beer connoisseurs have grown to love. This Beer Anatomy features everything you need to know about IPAs. Use this newfound knowledge wisely the next time you’re looking to pucker up or impress your friends with some British colonial trivia.

History
The first IPA was brewed in the 1790s by George Hodgson, a brewer at the Bow Brewery in East London, England. Back then, the British were pretty busy running their empire, and nothing fed a thirsty imperial army like beer. The long 3 to 5-month trip from London to India was taking its toll on the beers brewed at the time (porters and ales) while they were being shipped. The tropical climate surrounding the ports in India prevented successful brewing, so a solution had to be found. Brewers back home in England tried different packaging methods, keeping the ales on the coolest, lowest levels of the ships’ hulls. But even then the beer arrived musty, flat, and sour.

Before refrigeration, there were two tricks a creative brewer could use to fight spoilage: the use of hops, and alcohol content. Hops contain isohumulone, which is the substance that gives hops their bitterness. Isohumulone is also a natural enemy of lactobacillus, one of the bacteria that spoils beer. Alcohol is an enemy of bacteria as well. Mr. Hodgson recognized this and modified his pale ale recipe. He increased the hop content considerably, and also raised the alcohol content by adding extra grain and sugar before fermenting. The result was a very bitter, sparkling ale that could withstand long trips and unfavorable conditions. Both the recipe and the process have evolved, resulting in the modern IPA we’ve grown to love.

The Ingredients:
Water: When Mr. Hodgson first brewed his original IPA, he used what was available in London—water that was high in carbonate and low in sulfates. Over time, brewers found that higher sulfates and less carbonate resulted in a more pleasant hop bitterness. Today, American brewers use soft to moderate water to buffer the sulfate levels.

Hops: The magic ingredient that helps make an IPA an IPA is hops. The first IPA started as a pale ale that was heavily hopped, and this step in production still holds true today. In American IPAs, no particular strain of hops is routinely used to make this beer. However, one of the first American IPAs, Ballantine IPA, was brewed using Bullion hops. These hops are grown in England, and can also be found in Washington and Oregon. They are very bitter and perfect for an IPA. Cascade hops, grown in the Pacific Northwest, are used by many brewers for their bitterness. They’re not as bitter as Bullion hops, but they get the job done.

Malt: The malt used in the IPA brewing process is typically standard pale ale malt. This is usually two-row pale barley, the most common malt used in beers today.

Yeast: Like the malt used in pale ales, IPAs are made with the same type of yeast used to produce pale ales. This means top-fermenting brewers yeast that ferments quickly. It’s called top-fermenting because of the foam that forms at the top of the wort during fermentation. Top-fermenting yeast can produce the higher alcohol needed for the IPA, and is fermented at a higher temperature than a lager.

The Process
Remember, there are two distinct elements that separate an IPA from just any pale ale: a greater quantity of hops and a higher alcohol content. In the brewing process, more hops are added when the wort (what you get after the malt’s been mashed) is boiling. When boiled, the natural acids in the hops are converted into more soluble iso-alpha acids that help flavor the beer. Since boiling removes a significant amount of the flavor and aroma characteristics of the hops, more hops are added at different points during the boiling process. The first addition of hops gives the beer its bitterness. Later in the process, the hops that are added contribute to the hop flavor and aroma. The higher alcohol content comes from the fermenting process. IPAs are typically fermented at a higher temperature than most pale ales, and this higher temperature produces the higher alcohol content found in IPAs.

Common IPAs
English: Burton Bridge Empire IPA, Goose Island IPA, Samuel Smith’s India Pale Ale, Three Floyds ThulzaDoom English IPA

American: Stone IPA, Harpoon IPA, Avery IPA, Victory Hop Devil, BridgePort IPA, Great Divide Titan IPA, Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, Brooklyn East India Pale Ale, MacTarnahans IPA, Sierra Nevada IPA, Flying Dog Snake Dog IPA

Imperial/Double: Dogfish Head 120 minute IPA, Stone Ruination IPA, Southern Tier Un*Earthly Imperial IPA, Midnight Sun Gluttony, Bristol Edge City 1.5 IPA, Green Flash Imperial IPA, Smuttynose Big A IPA, Hair of the Dog Blue Dot Imperial IPA, Rogue Imperial India Pale Ale, Founders Imperial IPA, Full Sail Slipknot Imperial IPA

Variations
There are three basic variations of IPAs: English, American, and Imperial.

< ENGLISH
The English IPA has assertive hop bitterness, a moderate earthy and floral aroma, and a British flair of bread-like or biscuit flavor. It tends to go well with those crumpets. The beer typically has a medium finish with a hoppy aftertaste, but there’s nothing too harsh on the palate for those new to hoppy beers. This variation most closely resembles what George Hodgson brewed a few hundred years ago. The hop characteristic is not quite as intense as American IPAs, as English IPAs have a somewhat fruity taste.

< American
The American IPA is the most common of the IPAs and tends to have characteristics that make it a bit more intense than the English version, but less than the Imperial. It has a medium to high hoppy taste coupled with a low malty flavor that provides good balance. It’s typically reddish copper in color and has a high carbonation level. Thanks to the American hops used, this beer gives off an intense citrusy, piney, or floral aroma. For those looking to sample something hoppier than a pale ale, and with a bit more potency, the American IPA is a good place to start.

The Imperial IPA is the granddaddy of hoppiness. While its color may resemble that of the American or English IPAs, its absurdly high hop bitterness is impossible to mistake. The smell of the hops in this beer is very robust and pleasing to the senses, and it should be served in a brandy snifter glass to fully enjoy the aroma. The flavor explosion of an IPA can be attributed to an increase in the quantity and variety of hops, and the process of dry hopping, i.e., adding hops during the aging period, or after the wort has cooled and the beer has fermented.