Specialty IPAs
by the numbers
OG, FG, SRM, IBU, ABV will vary.
The BJCP is currently considering three strength categories:
Session:3.0–5.0 ABV
Standard:5.0–7.5% ABV
Double:7.5–9.5% ABV
When I started brewing, there was only one style category for India pale ale. Just a single category, no subcategories. Several years later, people had begun talking about the differences between English and American IPA, and eventually imperial IPA entered the mix. It stayed that way for quite some time. Years went by and people began making hoppier and hoppier versions of red ales, brown ales, Belgian ales, and stouts, but we talked about them as being “American” or “West Coast” variants of those styles. Eventually, those hoppier brews kept climbing up the hoppy ladder. They left the “it’s too hoppy for style” world and at some point we started calling them black IPA or red IPA or white IPA or something else that is descriptive but also oxymoronic. After all, how is it possible to have black pale ale? That did not matter to us brewers. In fact, this new style of IPA became so popular that the Great American Beer Festival added an “American Black Ale” category to handle it. Of course, that does not make a lot of sense either, as it leaves all of the other IPA-ish ales and even IPA lagers out in the cold. So what do we call it then? I thought of calling them New World IPAs, but even that might not be inclusive enough. The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) added a new category called “Specialty IPA” and while not a very sexy name, it certainly is inclusive. The key thing to know about this new category is that IPA does not literally mean India pale ale, but rather is a descriptor, meaning a hop-forward, firmly bitter beer, with a relatively dry finish. With that in mind, black IPA does not seem so silly.
The question is how do you know you have brewed a great specialty IPA? There is a lot of room for interpretation. For example, the bitterness may be balanced with other flavors, a little more malty, like an English style IPA, or it could be much sharper, with just a light background hint of malt sweetness to balance, more like a West Coast IPA. Regardless, a good example needs firm bittering and the same goes for the hop character. A good example should have more hop character than other non-IPA styles, but balance is still critical even in a hoppy beer. For example, when making a Belgian-style IPA, the flavors of the hops cannot completely overwhelm any perception of the Belgian yeast character. Likewise, when making a red IPA, there should be some crystal malt flavors present through the hoppiness. If you cannot perceive those other flavors, then the beer has lost its balance. Another balance to think about when brewing a great specialty IPA is the finish. An IPA should never finish sweet and heavy. That is more American barleywine than it is IPA. It is okay to have some sweetness, but you want to keep it in check; you want enough attenuation and a dry enough finish to allow the hops to be a signature item in the beer.
Regardless, when you envision a specialty IPA you want to think about how the key elements of the IPA style work alongside any other character you are introducing into the beer. For example, at Heretic Brewing Company, we have a red IPA called Evil Twin. The concept I came up with was to have tropical fruit, melon, and citrus hop notes balanced against a caramel malt flavor. I did not want to focus on the piney, cat urine, resiny types of hops in Evil Twin, because I felt it would overwhelm the caramel malt flavor. If I tried to increase the caramel malt flavor enough to balance those types of hops, the beer would become too heavy and full to finish IPA-like. I had a vision in mind and worked toward that balanced vision in the ingredients we used.
I think the overall concept of specialty IPA is still wide open, but I do doubt certain things will work well. For example, would smoked malt work well with a bold West Coast style IPA? I do not think so. The bold hop character full of pine and citrus would clash with the smoke creating a harsh finish. Of course, I said the same thing about Belgian-style beers being very hoppy. I claimed that the phenolic character of the yeast would clash with the hop character. Well, I was right in that it can clash horribly, but I was wrong in thinking that some great brewers would not eventually figure out the balance and the types of hops needed to make it work beautifully. So, perhaps you should ignore what I say about limits.
Black IPA
There have been all sorts of suggestions for other names for this category. Rather than go into all that, I am just sticking with the label the BJCP plans to use. When brewing a black IPA it is important to avoid just making a very hoppy American stout, but that does not mean a complete lack of roast character. My good friend Travis, who really loves this style, likes to push the boundaries of the roast level in his black IPA. That can be fine, but the more roast character you include, the more you want to avoid too much of the dry, acrid, bitterness that is part of stout. The key is to use huskless/debittered black malt to develop color without too harsh of a roasty flavor. One of my new favorites is Briess Blackprinz®. It is made from huskless barley and even in larger quantities it provides a mild roast character without the harsh bite of traditional black malt. Debittered roast malts still contribute some roast flavors and will give a beer a distinct chocolate/coffee flavor if you use enough. Generally, about 5% of the grist will give a dark color without too much roast flavor. You can add other character malts to build interesting background notes that might be biscuit- or bread-like. Crystal malt is a good addition in black IPA because it adds a balancing sweetness to the dryness that is created by the roast malt. Again, about 5% is a good ballpark measure.
Hop selection is wide open, but I would stick with hops that have more American-type character. Look for hops with citrus, piney, resin, fruity, or melon characteristics. I would avoid using too large an addition of hops that have a spicy note to them. Spicy/clove notes and dark malt character do not always blend well. If you are going for competition, select those hops with persistent aromatic qualities, but always look for balance. Sometimes all it takes is adding more hops, but sometimes less is more. If you overload your beer with too much vegetal matter, it can mask some of that great hop character you are trying to achieve.
When selecting yeast, I steer towards those that make great stouts. These tend to be either a clean American-style yeast or a British-style yeast. Avoid highly phenolic or extremely funky yeasts that would clash with the dark malt character.
Red IPA
Many assume there is already a category in the style guide for red IPA. They will point to American amber, which is nowhere near a red IPA. The style guide for the Great American Beer Festival includes a red ale and imperial red ale category, but they seem to include everything but red IPA in the description. Red IPA, while being hop-forward, needs to have some malt balance yet still finish dry, like an IPA. The problem with the imperial red category is that it relies on a much bigger, heavier beer, too malty-rich to be an IPA. The amber category is a lighter beer, not big enough or hoppy enough to be an IPA. Between those two styles is where red IPA lives.
Every red beer needs some crystal malt not only for color, but for the expected flavor. The trick is to have enough crystal malt to produce the color and caramel flavor you want, but a dry enough finish for an IPA. There are a couple tricks to achieving the right finish. One method is to go with a low mash temperature, perhaps some dextrose added, and have the beer attenuate out as dry as possible. The remaining (mostly unferment-able) caramel malt character is the balancing sweetness left. This can work well, but there is another technique to consider — adding highly kilned malts. As in the black IPA, highly kilned malts always add some dryness to a beer. In a red IPA, you can add a little roasted barley or huskless roasted barley. This will add both color and a touch of dryness that helps balance the sweetness from the caramel malt.
The hop selection is similar to black IPA, but try to balance the hop character with the malt character. Choose hops that complement and add focus to the caramel and other malt flavors rather than just blasting away with any hops. Try to achieve a hop-forward beer, but with balance. Imagine your beer is like a painting. You have painted this lovely landscape with malt, but when it comes time to add hops, do not pour a bucket of green paint over the top. Instead, use a brush and paint with thought and purpose. Use more than one shade of green to enhance your painting, not overwhelm it.
When selecting yeast, keep in mind the balance of hops and malt. Some yeasts, such as White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) are popular because they tend to allow both the hops and malt to come through, although the balance tends to favor hop character. There are other yeasts that might work equally well or better, but they will have a different effect on the hop/malt balance. Some will be much more malt-forward and others can be much more hop-forward. That does not mean they are bad choices, but you will need to account for the effect of your chosen strain when trying to balance the malt and hops in your recipe.
White IPA
Half of the people I talk to about white IPA think of it as a Belgian-style witbier that is hoppy and brewed to a higher ABV. Then the other half believes a white IPA is an IPA made with wheat. I am going to stick with the former definition for purposes of this article. In a Belgian-style white beer, you need to focus not only on the malt character, but also on the yeast character and some spicing.
Your malt choice should be a 50/50 blend of unmalted wheat and continental Pilsner malt. You can add in some other grains, such as oats, to add to mouthfeel, but overall this is a simple recipe. Where it starts getting funky is the yeast and spicing. I would go with witbier yeast, as any other yeast really will not provide the proper fermentation character of a witbier. For spicing, I would stick with the standards of coriander and orange peel. If you are feeling bold, perhaps chamomile flowers as well. Keep in mind that your goal is a balance of the malt, the spices, the yeast character, and finally the hops. The hops should be evident, but you need to be careful not to overwhelm the other characteristics of the beer. I would focus on hops with floral, citrus, and melon character for this style.
Belgian IPA
The most certain path to success on Belgian-style IPA is to use a light color base beer. The grist should be mostly continental pilsner malt, perhaps a little bit of other light color specialty malt, and possibly some simple sugar. Think blond, tripel or golden strong as a base. Keep in mind you want a drier finish in an IPA, so do not create wort that will have lots of residual sweetness. For yeast selection, you will want to select a Belgian strain that attenuates well but does not produce a large amount of phenols, such as White Labs WLP530 (Abbey Ale). A large amount of spicy, clove-like phenols can make the beer more difficult to balance. For the hop selection, steer away from hops that have a similar spicy character. Go more toward the floral/citrus and less toward the spicy, piney, and resin.
Double Black IPA
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.085 FG = 1.018
IBU = 100+ SRM = 37 ABV = 9.3%
Ingredients
13.2 lbs. (6 kg) North American pale malt (2 °L)
1.1 lbs. (0.46 kg) crystal malt (40 °L)
14.1 oz. (0.4 kg) huskless black malt (500 °L)
1.7 lbs. (0.75 kg) dextrose (5 min.)
34 AAU Columbus pellet hops
(60 min.) (2 oz./57 g at 17% alpha acids)
1 oz. (28 g) Columbus pellet hops (0 min.)
1 oz. (28 g) Amarillo® pellet hops (0 min.)
1 oz. (28 g) Simcoe® pellet hops (0 min.)
2 oz. (57 g) Amarillo® pellet hops (dry hop)
2 oz. (57 g) Simcoe® pellet hops (dry hop)
Irish moss (15 min.)
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Wyeast 1056 (American Ale)
Step by Step
My base pale malt and crystal malt comes from Great Western. I use Briess Blackprinz® when I need huskless black malt. Feel free to substitute any high quality malt of a similar flavor and color from a different supplier. My hops are in pellet form and come from Hop Union, Hopsteiner, or Crosby Hop Farm depending on the variety.
Mill the grains and dough-in targeting a mash of around 1.5 quarts of water to 1 pound of grain (a liquor-to-grist ratio of about 3:1 by weight) and a temperature of 149 °F (65 °C). Hold the mash at 149 °F (65 °C) until enzymatic conversion is complete. Infuse the mash with near-boiling water while stirring or, with a recirculating mash system, raise the temperature to mash out at 168 °F (76 °C). Sparge slowly with 170 °F (77 °C) water, collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is around 6.5 gallons (25 L) and the gravity is 1.055.
The total wort boil time is 90 minutes. The first hop addition comes with 60 minutes remaining in the boil. Add Irish moss or other kettle finings and the dextrose as per the schedule. Add the second hop additions at flame out. Chill the wort to 67 °F (19 °C) and aerate thoroughly. The proper pitch rate is 3 packages of liquid yeast or 1 package of liquid yeast in a 4.5-liter (1-gallon) starter.
Ferment at 67 °F (19 °C) until the yeast drops clear. At this temperature and with healthy yeast, fermentation should be complete in about one week. Allow the lees to settle and add the dry hops. You can first
transfer the beer to a second vessel, if you prefer, but the dry hopping should be carried out at around
60-65 °F (16-18 °C) for about a week. Then rack to a keg and force carbonate or rack to a bottling bucket, add priming sugar, and bottle. Target a carbonation level of 2.5 volumes.
Double Black IPA
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.085 FG = 1.018
IBU = 100+ SRM = 36 ABV = 9.3%
Ingredients
8.75 lbs. (4 kg) pale liquid malt extract (2 °L)
1.1 lbs. (0.46 kg) crystal malt (40 °L)
14.1 oz. (0.4 kg) huskless black malt (500 °L)
1.7 lbs. (0.75 kg) dextrose (5 min.)
8.5 AAU Columbus pellet hops
(60 min.) (2 oz./57 g at 17% alpha acids)
1 oz. (28 g) Columbus pellet hops (0 min.)
1 oz. (28 g) Amarillo® pellet hops (0 min.)
1 oz. (28 g) Simcoe® pellet hops (0 min.)
2 oz. (57 g) Amarillo® pellet hops (dry hop)
2 oz. (57 g) Simcoe® pellet hops (dry hop)
Irish moss (15 min.)
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Wyeast 1056 (American Ale)
Step by Step
For most extract beers, I use ultra-light extract made by Alexander’s (California Concentrate Company), but any fresh, high quality light color extract will work well. Always choose the freshest extract that fits the beer style. If you cannot get fresh liquid malt extract, it is better to use an appropriate amount of dried malt extract instead. My crystal malt comes from Great Western. I use Briess Blackprinz® when I need huskless black malt. Feel free to substitute any high quality malt of a similar flavor and color from a different supplier. My hops are in pellet form and come from Hop Union, Hopsteiner, or Crosby Hop Farm depending on the variety.
Mill or coarsely crack the specialty malt and place loosely in a grain bag. Avoid packing the grains too tightly in the bag, using more bags if needed. Steep the bag in about 1.5 gallons (~6 liters) of water at 165 °F (74 °C). After about 30 to 60 minutes, lift the grain bag out of the steeping liquid and rinse with warm water. Allow the bags to drip into the kettle for a few minutes while you add the malt extract. Do not squeeze the bags. Add enough water to the steeping liquor and malt extract to make a pre-boil volume of 5.9 gallons (22.3 L) and a gravity of 1.060. Stir thoroughly to help dissolve the extract and bring to a boil.
The total wort boil time is 60 minutes. Add the first hop addition once the wort starts boiling. Add Irish moss or other kettle finings and the dextrose as per the schedule. Add the second hop additions at flame out. Chill the wort to 67 °F (19 °C) and aerate thoroughly. The proper pitch rate is 3 packages of liquid yeast or 1 package of liquid yeast in a 4.5-liter (1-gallon) starter. Follow the fermentation and packaging instructions for the all-grain version.