IPA Shelf Life

The original IPAs (according to the almost legend... hard to say how truthful it is) had higher alcohol than what people normally drank and more hops, both to act as a kind of preservative for the long journey. The extreme hoppiness everyone wants today was not desired originally, so the fading of the hops was a good thing. Also, the beer was typically watered down upon arrival to weaken the ABV. Or, so I've read.

 

Yes the IPAs of Yester-year used hops as preservation to survive the long trip. American IPAs of today use hops for their flavor, and while they'll still preserve the beer for months and months, the delicate hop oils will fade long before then. So shelf-life is still the same as far as "Can I drink this beer without getting scurvy/some other disease only englishmen get" but as far as "Will it taste like eating a bar of soap dipped in orange juice" yeah the shelf life is a lot shorter.

 

@marquis or @jesskidden will be able to cite sources, I'm sure, but that story of IPA origin is a myth. IPAs these days focus heavily on delicate floral/fruity flavors from late addition hops. These flavors/aromas tend to fade quite quickly, especially if not refrigerated/kept out of light.

I find that canned IPAs tend to last longer than their bottled counterparts e.g. Heady, Abrasive, Daisy Cutter, Anti-Hero, Jai Alai, etc.

 

Hops contain antimicrobial properties that kept beer from spoilage back in those days. Higher hopping rates meant a more stable export and less spoiled casks. That was good for business (& beer quality).

Now with todays sanitary practices, pasteurization and overall understanding of microbiology, IPA exists as solely for consumer tastes & yes you are right that hop character is best presented fresh.

 

Personally I would save the trip through my system and take any Dipa, IPA and APA over to the drain and pour....Man I really hate that stuff!!!

 

the British didn't have American IPAs to be sent to India. Different hops. Different shelf life for volatile aromas and flavors. Almost none of that old lore applies.

 

Stone dates their "Enjoy By" beers 35 days after bottling for a reason. Even just 35 days makes a huge difference if stored warm, you can see for yourself. Take a year-round IPA you enjoy, and set it aside for a few months. Then, find it fresh, and try them side by side. Cheers!

 

Yes and yes. Modern, Craft-Brewed I.P.A. of the American stripe (includes BrewDog and the like) ought be consumed as fresh as possible and probably no more than two months past the date of bottling -three if you want to stretch it- with fresh hop variants being best in an even more restrictive time span than that one.

Why is this? It's the preference of the modern age, or more to specifically, contemporary tastes within that style of beer.

Some Double IPA ("IIPA", if you prefer) can hold up a little bit longer than 'average' (4.5 - 7.5%) strength I.P.A., but not that much longer, in truth -- maybe another couple or even three or four months. You don't generally hear BAs or other beer hobbyists clamoring for eight month old or older DIPA!

At any rate, no matter what, the matter of preference for age on this style is all subjective and a matter of personal preference -- whether in be from the perspective of the brewmaster or the end user.

 

Im not trying to sound like a weirdo or freak, but having Heady Topper the first day was the best thing I have ever drank in my entire life. Water, soda, juice, wine, cider, beer, whatever. It was a roller coaster of hop flavor. Two days later, it was still an amazing beer. And still better than any IPA I have ever had. But it tasted very different and I actually prefer it the first day right of the shelf. My point is, fresh IPA's definitely does matter. Hoppy Beer can change daily. I have actually become very picky with buying IPA's and Pale Ale's. The fresher they are, the better.

 

In fact they were generally weaker than milds.Ron Pattinson's research of brewing records reveals no IPA stronger than around 7% ABV and if it had not been for tax reasons it would have been brewed at around 4.5% , this being considered the ideal strength.
There's no evidence at all that it was watered down , the troops in any way drank Porter. Twice as much Porter - also massively hopped - was shipped to India as IPA.
One feature of those old IPAs was their extreme attenuation , all trace of sweetness had been fermented out.This also helped preserve it because there was nothing for the bugs to feed on.

 

Also worth pointing out that the wildly differing "shelf life" you're questioning, between the original IPA and the modern American IPA, is not an apples to apples comparison. One is about not spoiling on a long journey. The other is about beer geeks getting their maximum hop fix. The modern IPA can last for ages from a survivability perspective.

 

Good point about attenuation. Also, all of the hops were added at the beginning of the boil to maximize their utilization (and minimize the aroma)- many modern IPA drinkers likely wouldn't recognize them as being related to one another.

 

One should read the Zythophile blog, the Shut up About Barklay Perkins blog, or Mitch Steele's IPA Book. These all have researched facts that refute what most learn about IPA from the popular internet narrative and myths.

 

I once heard that Steve Kimmich, owner of The Alchemist, said that the best time to drink Heady is a week after canning. But I agree with you - best on canning date but still spectacular even three months later (haven't gone further than that).

 

I have read a couple of articles posted in the Zythophile blog; the problem is, there are not very many actual facts to be had one way or the other there, at least not in his IPA Myth articles. He says things like "no historian" or "the troops drank" without providing any proof, either. Of course, he may have all the actual facts with proof elsewhere, but researching this is not something that really trips my trigger. I'm happy with recounting the "history" while acknowledging they may in fact be legends. It really doesn't matter much, since it is clear that the American IPA does not have much in common with the 18th century IPAs, anyway.

 

IPA shelf life really depends on how fresh tasting and smelling you want those hops. Its still going to be bitter and pale but the smell and flavor will slowly change.
These days people want the big fruity/piney/spicy hop punch, but those start to fall off pretty quick ( volatile acids and such).
Ask yourself what do you want from and IPA and the IPAs of old and the "I want my IPA 30 seconds old" mentality wont matter.
Store it correctly and they will stay fresher longer. Older IPA isn't bad IPA its just a different IPA.

He even cracked a year old can that has been cared for and the hops were "still bright and fresh..."

 

Actually the hops weren't specifically designed for a journey, it already existed they just used that beer because it was the only one that would make it! The specific beer and hop combo that was sent to troops in India was the deemed original IPA! the style existed before the war!!!