The Averagely Perfect American IPA Project - Poll #1 - ABV

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by VikeMan, Jan 5, 2013.

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What should the target ABV be?

Poll closed Jan 8, 2013.
  1. 5.5%

    3.1%
  2. 5.7%

    3.1%
  3. 5.9%

    2.3%
  4. 6.1%

    10.1%
  5. 6.3%

    9.3%
  6. 6.5%

    37.2%
  7. 6.7%

    12.4%
  8. 6.9%

    16.3%
  9. 7.2%

    3.9%
  10. 7.5%

    2.3%
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  1. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    mountsnow1010 likes this.
  2. AlCaponeJunior

    AlCaponeJunior Grand Pooh-Bah (3,452) May 21, 2010 Texas
    Society Pooh-Bah

    I voted 6.5%. I'm currently drinking a commercial IPA that's 6.3% and I think it's very nice. Good hoppiness, good body, everything's right on the money. So I upped it by 0.2% and pressed go.
     
    mountsnow1010 likes this.
  3. OddNotion

    OddNotion Pooh-Bah (1,915) Nov 1, 2009 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah

    I went for 6.3% for a good balance as you noted AlCaponeJunior.
     
  4. kjyost

    kjyost Initiate (0) May 4, 2008 Canada (MB)

    I wanted 6.8 :slight_smile: Seriously though is this "most" or "Weighted average"? With so many choices I think most isn't going to be the best representation of a consensus.
     
  5. Rau71

    Rau71 Initiate (0) Dec 12, 2011 California

    6.3% to me is my High limit for an IPA, once I start thinking higher I start to think of it as a DIPA and skip up to around 8%.
     
  6. Hanglow

    Hanglow Pooh-Bah (2,051) Feb 18, 2012 Scotland
    Pooh-Bah

    Yankee? Mid 6 I think
     
  7. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,348) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    i went with 6.3%. It's a nice abv.
     
  8. scurvy311

    scurvy311 Savant (1,135) Dec 3, 2005 Louisiana

    It's not meant to be a "representation of a consensus". He set it up to be based on "quantitative user input". The multiple choices being close allows for an answer that is specific based on the highest votes...a clear winner. I like the way Vikeman set this up.

    I love this. The forum needed a little shake up. Frankly I was getting a little board. I posted more today than I do in a week, possibly to some people's disappointment.
     
    jmw, mountsnow1010 and Mfedonczak like this.
  9. DrinkMoreBigBeers

    DrinkMoreBigBeers Initiate (0) Jun 7, 2012 Michigan

    I like 7.5% on a true IPA, but anything above 7% is good in my opinion. Pale ales seem to be more in the 6% range and a doubles are anything above 8% but I tend to like them around 9%.
     
  10. michaeltrego

    michaeltrego Crusader (447) May 21, 2004 New Hampshire

    These days, I think 6.9-7.0 is the sweet spot
     
    nozferatu46 and samtallica like this.
  11. JimmyTango

    JimmyTango Initiate (0) Aug 1, 2011 California

    6.1 from me... but I like very "unbalanced" IPAs. More hops and less malt.
     
  12. mountsnow1010

    mountsnow1010 Initiate (0) Jan 23, 2009 Vermont

    When I think IPA, I think 6.5%.


    This is like some sort of weird Rorschach test for beer styles.
     
  13. barfdiggs

    barfdiggs Initiate (0) Mar 22, 2011 California

    7%... Alpine Duet is 7% (As is Nelson), and its about as close to perfect as I've ever had.
     
    alanforbeer and Patrick like this.
  14. jmich24

    jmich24 Initiate (0) Jan 28, 2010 Michigan

    I like 6.1-6.9 in my IPAs. I voted for the 6.5. I prefer to be able to drink a few glasses in a sitting. I was tempted to vote for 6.1. When I personally think IPA I think 6-7, anything lower is a hoppy pale and higher is a DIPA (Pliny 7.5) Also why I like to brew hoppy pales and session IPAs (aka American Bitters aka 4% very hoppy pale ale).
     
  15. VTFriar

    VTFriar Initiate (0) Jan 4, 2013 Vermont

    Totally agree on the "upper limit" of an IPA being 6.3. - above that, it begins to enter the realm of DIPA, which I really consider to be 7% or above...Heady Topper is 8%.

    I opted for 6.1%, as the thread mentioned "average perfectly American"...I think an average American IPA (traditional) would hover in that 6% range.
     
  16. ipas-for-life

    ipas-for-life Savant (1,041) Feb 28, 2012 Virginia

    I think Pliny is 8%. I voted for 6.5% also
     
  17. hopsandmalt

    hopsandmalt Initiate (0) Dec 14, 2006 Michigan

    Bells two hearted is the perfect IPA (IMO) and it's 7% so 6.9% got my vote. PTE can kiss Larry Bell's ass.
     
    nozferatu46 likes this.
  18. jmich24

    jmich24 Initiate (0) Jan 28, 2010 Michigan

    http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/863/7971
    I stand corrected, I guess I should have googled it before opening my big mouth. Too many 6.5% Citra IPAs tonight!!
     
  19. BumpkinBrewer

    BumpkinBrewer Pundit (993) Jan 6, 2010 Massachusetts

    Im liking the just under 7% mark.
     
  20. HerbMeowing

    HerbMeowing Maven (1,295) Nov 10, 2010 Virginia
    Trader

    6.5 b/c that's the average ABV of home-boy brewed IPAs
     
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