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IPA's - Is it just me that doesnt get the hype?


Fergy1987

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Everywhere I look everyone is going on about IPA's and how they are the greatest beer and it seems that I am the only one that just never turns to an IPA when I want a beer.

 

I just find them really bitter...like TOO bitter...and I never really enjoy them when I drink them. But I see so many recipes to brew them that I feel I keep having to give them a chance. The last one I had was so bitter and had such a high ABV that after 1 I just felt gross and like I was off my t1ts.

 

Is there something I am missing? Is there a particular IPA I should be going out and buying to give me the true sense of what a good IPA is.....

 

Is anyone else in the same boat?

 

 

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Hey Fergy1987. Sounds like IPAs aren't you're thing, and that's the great thing about beer. You don't have to like everything, but there are so many styles and brewers out there that you can (and have) found a style that you do like. Out of curiosity, what is your go to drink if you are out a a good craft beer pub?

 

Do you like the hoppy American Pale Ales that don't have the bitterness of an IPA? Tried any NEIPAs which are bursting full of hop flavour and aroma, but have none of the bitterness?

 

It's hard to pick a favourite from the many American IPAs brewed by Aussie craft brewers. If pressed, possibly Modus Operandi Sonic Prayer IPA. I can always source fresh cans from a local bottleshop and they are consistently great.

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I am with you, Fergy. I am not a fan of IPAs either. I much prefer my brews around 4.5%. I like a mildly hopped APA in the summer. I use the APA kit as a base and, between the late hops and DH additions, rarely use more than 30-45gm , even if I am using multiple hops. A lot of mega-swill drinkers who try one of my brews make comments like, "That is nice, not too bitter." I am not a fan of how resinous large DH additions can get.

 

I like Oktoberfest, Irish Red, and English Bitter, in the winter, with the odd porter or stout around Christmas. I like the idea of porters and stouts, but I usually struggle to finish a batch.

 

Cheers,

 

Christina.

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I don't mind an IPA but I don't like those ridiculous ones where they're like 1000IBU and 150% ABV, or so it seems. It just looks like a pissing contest between breweries to see who can make the bitterest and highest ABV beer and they often turn out rubbish... too bitter, not bitter enough and too much cloying malt sweetness which is worse. Unbalanced crap... I've tried a number of them over the years.

 

If you get a decent one they're quite a nice beer. I like the Sierra Nevada Torpedo, it's up there at about 7% ABV but it's balanced and doesn't taste too bitter or too sweet, and has plenty of hop flavor and aroma as well.

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If you are a member of any craft beer groups on Facebook you will realise that IPAs don't cut it anymore. At a minimum you need to drink IIPAs and if not you are treated as lowly as a VB drinker tongue

 

Taste is personal. Like most things, if you drink enough IPAs you will build up a tolerance for it. But just drink what you enjoy. I love a good IPA but my favourite beer that I make is an ESB.

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Yeah I guess that is the great thing about beer. If you don't like one - you just drink something else.

 

Even since I started brewing I have learnt of brews I didn't even know existed. My knowledge was basically its a Lager if its gold, Amber if its brown, and Stout if its black. Now hearing about Saisons, Red Ales, Porters and things like Oatmeal Stouts etc really opened my eyes to how little I ever knew about beer. I used to drink wheat beers like Erdinger or Weihenstephaner at the local German club and never had any idea it was a wheat beer :P

 

My goto beer when out tends to be a Pale ale, but if its a bit cold or at night Ill hit up the red and amber ales. Have not had the b@lls to get into the stouts etc, just a bit much for me. And being in Queensland we don't really seem to have the weather for it.

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couple ive tried

- tower 10 IPA (nice drop, good hop hit, piney bitterness)

- war hog (feral hog brew) tried one the other day...tasted a lot like my Lotso brew just with more abv

 

There are a few session IPA around to get you into the taste of them...normally around 3.5-5%

 

I think they are all just about big bold flavours that hit hard...if your happy with pales...thats fine! At least its not megaswill hahaha

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Hi Fergy, I suspect you may like a Murrays 'Fred' IPA from Nelson bay north of Sydney.

 

My test is, can I drink it by itself without resting my palate with a bite to eat through the IPA.

 

Most IPA's should be so strong that you can't really enjoy it just by itself, that is the style, you pair it with some fish and chips or a steak etc and take your time having one bottle.

 

That's how I like to have mine, but yeah that Fred is one of the only beers that could still be called an IPA but is not overwhelming. Still bags of flavour, but well balanced. I think they use that falconers flight US hop blend for that one.

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You can make IPA's any number of ways now. With modern hopping techniques you can produce vastly different levels of bitterness in varying degrees of malt depth & character. I do feel that an IPA should have a noticeable bitterness (that doesn't mean unpleasant) or else it really is a Pale Ale of sorts (IMHO).

 

I've sampled quite a few over the years, & there are some terrific IPA's out there, but my favourite would still be Sierra Nevada's Torpedo Extra IPA.

 

Really delicious malt character, lovely hop integration, & smooth as. love

I must get around to making a clone of this someday. Obviously without the Magnum. wink

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

Lusty.

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You can make IPA's any number of ways now. With modern hopping techniques you can produce vastly different levels of bitterness in varying degrees of malt depth & character. I do feel that an IPA should have a noticeable bitterness (that doesn't mean unpleasant) or else it really is a Pale Ale of sorts (IMHO).

 

I've sampled quite a few over the years' date=' & there are some terrific IPA's out there, but my favourite would still be Sierra Nevada's Torpedo Extra IPA.

 

Really delicious malt character, lovely hop integration, & smooth as. love

I must get around to making a clone of this someday. Obviously without the Magnum. wink

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

Lusty.

 

No Magnum? w00t

 

What about the torpedo? unsure

 

Cheers,

 

Christina.

 

 

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No Magnum? w00t

Yes. Without the Magnum' date=' the beer will obviously be an improvement on the original. [img']biggrin[/img]

 

What about the torpedo? unsure

No torpedo as such. Just what my homebrew equipment & technique can produce. A little hop rocket & pump would be nice to try this though.

 

Cheers & good brewing' date='

 

Lusty. [/size']

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All about what you want to drink .

I'm a huge hophead and really enjoy a big ballsy hopbomb

I can also appreciate a well made Hëfe , lager or malty brew as well though .

Currently have a Munich Dünkel and a version of Ottos red ale on tap and lament the fact a keg of ESB lasted only 9 days but was its own fault for being so delicious !

 

For Christmas celebrations I'm supplying a raspberry Berliner wiess to help keep the WAGS happy , only a little tart and about 4% for my first attempt at a kettle soured beer and a keg of my near perfect clone of Coopers Pale ale as another lower ABV option .

 

Craft brewing has become a bit of an arms race , doesn't mean you have to join in

 

 

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Is anyone else in the same boat?

 

Yep - I'll take a Guinness over a Passiona any day.

 

However' date=' I brew a new world IPA a couple of times a year to feed to the friends. Last one was a compromise: Imperial Pilsner/IPA with lots of Saaz and a bit of Dry Hop Amarillo. Turned out well.

 

I had a taster glass at a bar in the US: - of a 110 IBU IPA - and it was a nice [i']drop[/i]. But no way could I have got through a middy of it. And it did me in for beer that evening.

 

 

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Fergy - I had a bit of a love affair with IPA type beers since starting my latest return chapter to home brewing around 2 years ago. I had a lupulin shift and craved more bitterness and hop flavour

as my brewing evolved, especially into all grain. Now my taste buds have gravitated back down to where they once were in regard to bitterness, but I still crave little hop bombs in American style Pales. I find that for me bitterness can be accumulative with each beer consumed and after a few to half dozen the build up on my palate can be way too bitter. I was brewing 50+ IBUs but I am now back around 30IBUs with my ales and may even be heading into the mid 20's.

 

I find I can get great hop flavour without adding too much bitterness by keg hopping. My latest keg hop was 60 grams of Galaxy and this beer is just bursting with hop flavour and no perceived increase in bitterness.

 

 

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Love my IPAs! Different strokes thoigh and I pretty much enjoy all styles. IPA is probably my go to though. My current favourite is the Akasha Hopsmith, so good! Also love the Blackman's brewery Reginald IPA - Torquay brewery with some really nice drops. Will be spending Christmas in that area and will definitely be dropping in for some Christmas brews.

 

I am yet to brew an IPA though and I think I will put one on in the next few days. Anyone got any recommended recipes? I want to go big on the hops and a decent bitterness.

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Ballast Point Sculpin is probably my favourite IPA at the moment.

They do bloody excellent beers.

 

2.5 years ago I could not stand fruity hoppy ales, but now I think I have turned into a bit of a hop head, since embarking on this homebrewing journey.

I might be suffering from a bit of hop fatigue though as my last few brews were ~60-70 IBUs / 7%ABV plus keg hopping as well.

Put down my usual IPA recipe last night but made all the hop additions at 10 minutes and under to drop the IBUs to around 45.

Love the hops, love the malty beers too.

Dont really like lagers any more they just seem too thin for me now, since I have been homebrewing.

Not everyone will like the new world ales / IPAs, as some people think they taste like drinking orange peel, and just can't stand them.

If you don't like American IPAs, I would try Shepherd Neame IPA, it's English and delicious, well balanced and full flavoured.

 

Need to give Wheat beers another chance maybe, it will be hard work but someone's gotta do it!

 

Cheers

 

James

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I do like a good IPA :D

 

Like everyone says, it's all a matter of taste

 

I'm currently making my way through a batch of Young's American IPA which is a lovely brew, nice balance to it at around 6.5%

 

My go to Beer though would be a nice Ale like a HobGoblin. Which is probably why I liked the Festival Ales' Father Hooks Best Bitter so much.

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  • 1 month later...

As I have gotten older my tastes have certainly changed, I have definitely become a bit of a hop head and IPA is one of my favourites.

Today I went to visit Uncle Dans, I picked up a can of Pirate Life IIPA, 8%, wow that has some flavour! But at $11 for a 500ml can it won't be my go to beer.

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