I am looking for a yummy beer to be brewed. As I love IPAs, was wondering if I could brew one of my IPA recipes but instead of using Ale yeast I would like to give a try to a lager one. Have any of you ever brewed the same recipe doing this change?. If so, what is your thought regarding this question?
I've never Brewer an IPL. I have drank a few. And I feel like intensely hopped IPL's tend to not taste "Lagery". Tends to cover up the malt that lager tends to accentuate and in the end it just tastes like an IPA. A modestly hopped IPA might be nicer??
What type of IPA's do you like? Piney/dank or tropical/fruity? There's a brewery in my town that makes a fantastic IPL called Gulo Gulo, it's the best of both worlds, crisp and refreshing, but still very piney and bitter. For my tastes, the piney hop flavor pairs well with lagers.
I have not homebrewed an IPL but based upon the commercial IPLs that I have consumed they have the unique qualities of being "crisp and clean". If these are qualities you desire in a hoppy beer than brewing an IPL would be a worthwhile endeavor IMO. Cheers!
Well, I am not so sure but I think I like both tastes(malt/hop) in a same beer, I mean one of them can overpower the other but I prefer both present. That`s why I add CaCl to my IPAs instead of Gypsum, I don`t want to erase(?ok) malt flavor , just let it go under hop flavor.
Sierra Nevada had a Beer Camp release a couple of years ago that was a IPL that I thought was great. Hope they bring it back sometime. I felt it had a good malt presence and excellent hop profile. Now if I could brew something like that.....
I have not brewed an IPL, but when I drink a commercial version I get a drier/less-sweet quality from the beer. For me to like any IPA/IPL, the hops have to be the right ones for my taste. If you have an IPA recipe that uses hops that you like, I say 'go for it' and brew the beer with only the yeast being switched out from an ale yeast to a lager yeast.
....you'd be one happy MoFo. I too wish I could brew something like that. I had a single of that beer and think about it often. I guess I need to brew a lager first.
Why choose? Tinkering with a cream ale recipe to accentuate hops should give you something in both the IPA/IPL categories. My impression is that Randy Mosher's cream ale recipe falls into this territory.
For hops I would use something like mandarina, a nice mild sort of citrusy hop (a lot less than typical American hops in my opinion). Hopefully you have a nice cold place to store your beer, I can only brew lagers in the coldest part of winter.
Imho, an IPL benefits from a slightly more judicious use of dry hops...maybe 2 oz if you normally use 4 oz in a 5 gal batch. The lack of fruity esters from most lager yeasts can make the hops seem more intense, especially if the maltbill is more restrained. IBUs should also be dialed back, imho.
Jack, Most of that opinion comes from the commercial IPLs I have had...although I have brewed a few myself including a recent hopbursted Simcoe Smash with S-189 that was delicious btw: I don't usually use my temp controller for fermentations so it will probably be next Winter before I brew another one.
In my experiences different lager yeast strains will subdue the hop flavor in your beers. I recommend The Budvar or Pilsner Urkel strain. Have fun!
Add me to the list of folks who have never brewed one but enjoyed them. I have found them to be a bit more crisp and a bit more austere than an IPA (sorta like the difference between a Kolsch and a Helles lager). Try it with your favorite IPA recipe and then adjust from there.
