Chicagoland NE IPAs (2018)

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So, this is not meant to be a flame, so don't assume I have an agenda - I don't. with that said....true story....

Tonight, the better half poured a pint glass of a highly regarded (well north of 90 on the BA ratings), regionally-brewed, NE style IPA, and after a bit, she asked me why there was so much particulate (in her words - crappy bits) floating in the glass as she drank the beer. And, in fact, there was so much particulate settlement in the glass that it formed a thick black sediment in the bottom of the glass - definitely off-putting. (Tried to take a picture of it, but it didn't do the visual justice.)

I had no good answer for her, because, truth be told, I couldn't say for certain.

And herein lies my dilemma with NE IPA brews - I just can't believe that the haze / juice in many of the NE style IPAs that are popular isn't just the result of adjuncts, including the obvious ones (oats, wheat and spelt) but also flour, fruit puree, lactose sugar, and whatever...vs just the result of brewing with English yeast and less aggressive hopping than in West Coast IPAs?

Appreciate your thoughts on this - thanks. I want to embrace the style, but am now finding myself asking myself - self? Yeah? What's causing the haze?.....

 

If the sediment was truly black...you should take a better picture (if still possible). Save the bottle/can and contact the brewery asap.

Normal sediment from yeast, hop matter or clumping polyphenols is white, off-white, or greenish (hop matter).

 

I think some do in fact have some adjuncts. Like the ones that say oats added. But, in all seriousness - also not trying to be short, just saying think about it - do you think there's some massive conspiracy where Tree House, Trillium, Alchemist, AND Chicago brewers like Mikerphone, Noon Whistle, Forbidden Root, Hailstorm, Corridor AND brewers in other parts of the country all got together and said "let's brew this style that people will like with crazy adjuncts, to make the beer hazy, but never tell anyone. It'll work. Nobody will find out."

Are they all lying? I doubt it.

 

Anyone give QC Haze from Bent River a go? Dude from Binnys was really hyping it up. I haven't opened it yet but was only 7.99 for a bomber.

 

I agree - not saying they all are, nor most are, nor that there is a conspiracy. Merely suggesting that doing a NE style correctly is hard, and that there are some who will take a short cut.

 

It was black. Here's the pic - again, not a great pic, but I tried to isolate the black sediment against the lamp, so what you see in the bottom of the glass is what I'm talking about, and not a shadow.

I'll try and replicate with the same beer again tomorrow or Friday (I have a couple left).

 

I'm of the mind that how the beer is brewed makes no difference to me. Adjuncts, fruit, whatever.


If I like a beer that "has taken short cuts" more than a "true" one, I'll drink the first every time.

 

Are there NE Style IPAs brewed without adjuncts? I'm only a homebrewer but i have never seen a recipe for the style without wheat or oats as part of the grain bill.

There are specific strains of low flocculating yeast that are used in these brews that keep the beer cloudy through the completion of fermentation. The haze is a combination of the high amount of hops in the post boil, dry hopping, and the wheat and oats in the grain bill. It's kind of interesting that it is not considered a true style because it does require specific ingredients and methods to get the hazy results.

The difference between something like a porter and stout can be as little as a few percentage points of roasted barley in the grain bill with no other discernible changes.

 

Thoroughly mediocre is probably the best I can say about it, and that's almost a stretch. It's hazy and has a slightly citrusy aroma but completely misses on taste and mouthfeel. Its like they took a typical NEIPA and dialed the intensity of everything down to a 4.

 

It's not my intention to turn this into a homebrewing thread, but here is my latest homebrewed NEIPA. It's a 100% Pearl malt grain bill, citra/mosiac, and Wyeast 1318. The only adjunct I added was corn sugar to boost the OG. Brew Your Own magazine published a Focal Banger clone recipe that was made with all Pearl malt and Vermont Ale yeast. I wanted to see what a Focal Banger would be like with a more Tree House haze so I brewed it with Wyeast 1318. If you consider Focal Banger a NEIPA, I don't believe it has any oats or wheat adjuncts, and as you can see, you can get a Tree House haze without adding any. If I brew this again, I'll likely add some oats just to play with the feel.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/commun...omebrew-are-you-drinking.508399/#post-5435581

 

Oh, that looks like dark green hop debris. No need to alert anyone.

This is due to the cellarman pulling over too much trub into the packaging tank. And/or not letting it settle out. So it found its way into the can.

It's not ideal as it will eventually cause the beer to taste vegetal. And let's be honest, it's unsightly and unpleasant having bits of floaties cross your palate.

This issue is not unique to NE style beers but the likelihood is greater.

 

Here is how Old Nation Brewing (brewer of M-43, beer-of-the-moment in Michigan) describes the source of the haze:

"The haze is not from yeast, but rather from an interplay of lipids from the malted oat, oils, and acids which naturally occur in the hand selected dry hops"

http://oldnationbrewing.com/beer/

I'm not a homebrewer or a chemist, so no idea if those words make more sense to someone who is

 

I agree with this to a certain extent, however, maintaining the haze for x amount of time does appear linked to the yeast. There's split batch experiments all over the internet with the same beer fermented with different yeasts and some fallout faster than others. Obviously there's a bunch of variables involved in the brewing process, but I think that's one reason why we see some in the style that look different a couple weeks out compared to others. It's a fascinating topic for sure.

 

I've had multiple bombers of this and your review is pretty spot on. It's a good beer, the flavor is very good. However, it doesn't really fit the profile of the style.

 

1- Let us know which beer it is that had the issue
2- If a rare beer, I will ask you to send it to me for further analysis

 

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Haha, love that pic.