New England IPA

The base of the Beer style guidelines are based on measurable parameters:
Original Gravity(ºPlato)

Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (ºPlato)

Alcohol by Weight (Volume)

Bitterness (IBU)

Color SRM (EBC) -"Beer color intensity on a sample free of turbidity and having the spectral characteristics of an average beer is 10 times the absorbance of the beer measured in a 1/2 inch cell with monochromatic light at 430 nanometers."

Note that I included the definition for SRM since it indeed is a measure "free of turbidity", and is the only measure that can be quantified that would be affected by the trademark cloudiness of the beers in question.

From Wiki: "Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by large numbers of individual particles that are generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air."

So, literally speaking, seems to me cloudiness is out as a reference measure for beer style. Hop flavor perceptions are subjective and not measurable, so we default to IBU to define style for hoppy beers. Perishability should be constant in a given substyle. Now there are certainly secondary descriptors in the defining beer styles that note on carbonation, hop flavor perception, etc...to give the judge some more information to go on. But I digress, as we have been seeing so many of the "styles" (IPA in particular) get muddied about with their sub-styles. So, what is a beer style in and of itself?Let's look at what the BA has to say about the matter.

I'd say the jury is still out on whether they will be adding this and only time will tell.

 

There's a homebrew store near me selling Teddy Hopper kits.

 

Northern Brewer calls their kit: Off the Topper IIPA Homebrew Kit

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/off-the-topper-iipa-homebrew-kit

Cheers!

 

Appearance is 3 points out of 50.

 

Alright, just spitballin' here, but what's the difference between BJCP separating Hefeweizen from American Wheat and doing the same with IPAs? In the former case, isn't the main difference the yeast used and the lack of yeast in suspension? If so, isn't that the same diff b/w NE-style (or other regions that do similar-style IPAs) IPAs and more traditional IPAs (which use different yeast strains and don't leave so much yeast in suspension)?

Not saying I want another style, per se, just trying to figure out why we've decided to differentiate in other styles (American wheat vs. hefeweizen) but not here.

 

Modest correction on this point. Hop flavor perceptions are subjective but they are in fact measurable (in principle at least). Lots of subjective properties have been measured in meaningful ways. Its just that nobody is willing to invest the time and/or money it would require to do so in this particular complex situation and to make the measurements meaningful/useful.

 

psh, I thought AHA members were supposed to stick together...

 

We drink with our eyes. I might be looking intently for flaws in a beer that is turbid, and not so much in one that has brilliant clarity.

 

The difference between a Hefeweizen and American Wheat is a marked difference in the flavor profile. A Hefeweizen will have flavors of banana and clove. American Wheat beers will not have these flavors.

I am not aware that anybody has stated that there is a marked difference in the flavor profile between New England IPAs and non-New England IPAs.

Cheers!

 

It's not just that- on more than one occasion I've had a less than perfect experience with a cloudy (unfinished) IPA where the suspension affected the taste. I'll quote myself from another recent thread in relation towards pouring a Heady Topper:

And that's just from a decanted pour- I can imagine those getting the bottom glasses from a keg are getting less than they expect.

 

Could your experience be that the beer in the can had hazy flavor simply because you were drinking it from thee can and effectively cutting your sense of smell off?

 

I doubt it- I reflexively exhale through my nose as I swallow these days, and it was just two different experiences for me.

 

Enjoying an exceptional Trillium GDHFPPA tonight in my new TH Teku. Hazy, yellow, and bursting with citrus....anybody else drinking a NE style hoppy ale tonight?

 

Finishing up w this little Baby Genius from BB tonight. 4%... but still hazy, yellow and gorgeous....bursting w citrus....whirlpool from Nightshift is similar..and Eureka w Citra from TH too. Great super hoppy low abv brews. Seek them out NE IPA lovers....

 

Just back from FD training and enjoying a nice Mastermind from Fiddlehead...

not yeast...that's hop polyphenols in suspension

 

Agree with others posting here, American IPA is a sufficient category. Because, where does it really end with styles? I don't think styles by region is manageable.

 

I would be curious if you would have the same experience if both samples were consumed from the same vessel, but thats another discussion for another thread. :-D

 

The masses dont care what it is, they still call it yeast.
In your experience with these beers does it seem yeast choice influences polyphenol suspension though?

 

That as well

 

To be fair, if a beer is unfiltered, and there's been rampant talk about yeast like London III or Conan not clearing very easily/quickly, it's not unreasonable to suggest yeast is at least part of the haze. Sure, that might be an incomplete thought -- it might well be hop polyphenols/yeast/proteins/whatever. But I don't think calling it yeast is so egregious a misstatement.