IPA conundrum

[SmokinMesa]

Hey guys.

So I love big hoppy IPAs.

From what I understand these came about as they survived the long journeys around Africa to India.

However, now I'm learning about home brew, I keep hearing that these same big hoppy IPAs don't like oxegen and their flavours drop off pretty quick.

Am I missing something?

 

[Ben Matthews]

If that theory is correct it would have been heavily hopped for preservation of the beer for the amount of time it takes for transport so it wouldn't have mattered that the flavour of the hop dropped out. It preserved the beer. Modern ipas are meant to be drunk fresh whilst the hop flavours and aromas are still there.

If you limit oxygenation and sanitise well your ipa will last for ages I'm sure but the flavour will change. I always check the dates on beers I'm buying to see if they're fresh as i,'ve had bottles of the exact same beer that taste sooooo different due to freshness. Had 2 Elvis juices recently from separate shops and they tasted very different. Both were fine but one was super hoppy and grapefruity and the other where most of that had gone and just some malt backbone with a little bitterness.

 

[Brew_DD2]

Hops do act as a preservative, but nowadays are mostly used for their aromatic qualities. The preservative quality will last for years, the aromatic only a few weeks/months.

 

[Drunkula]

From what I understand these came about as they survived the long journeys around Africa to India.

It's a myth. Say that to Ron Pattinson and wait for the fury.

 

[SmokinMesa]

Ah ok so more for preservation than flavours per say. How do hops keep beer lasting longer, the high alpha acid content?

I know what you mean about varying flavours of the same drink, I've been on lots of Punk recently and can tell the odd one tastes different from the same box.

 

[Ben Matthews]

I think they are antibacterial but I'm new to this too so don't quite me on that.

 

[MyQul]

I think they are antibacterial but I'm new to this too so don't quite me on that.

Thats correct

 

[nixhaz]

The great thing about brewing your own is you can play with it and see what exactly you like/don't like/hate about beer.
I am a total hophead and have figured out that I really like green beer, when the hoppiness is really intact. Once it has aged a bit I'm not as keen. Luckily my OH drinks my home brew so quickly that I don't have to worry about it sticking around too long!
Once you've bottled your brew, try to keep some aside (HARD to do) to try every week or two and maybe even keep notes so you can find your sweet spot.

 

[SmokinMesa]

Thanks for the advice. Yea hope to get a few small batches on at the same time, week or so between, so will be able to "rest" (or is it resist) some hopefully.

 

[Clint]

The original IPA was quite high ABV..this would have helped keep it safe on the journey...same as Imperial stouts which were shipped to Russia.
When the beer landed it was drank "as is" by the officers but watered down for the troops.
I think the modern IPA are a world apart from this...

 

[Drunkula]

Ron Pattinson made me laugh on a podcast the other day because he said that in the Oxford book of beer they just made loads of the stuff up. So funny.

Here's some more fun

they survived the long journeys around Africa to India.

It even looks like that wasn't even right.

http://zythophile.co.uk/2008/06/30/ipa-incredibly-poor-article/
http://zythophile.co.uk/2011/10/19/the-oxford-companion-to-beer-a-dreadful-disaster/

 

[Hoppyland]

However, now I'm learning about home brew, I keep hearing that these same big hoppy IPAs don't like oxegen and their flavours drop off pretty quick.

No beer likes oxygen. Not just the hops either. The fresh, hoppy aroma will diminish quite quickly if the beer is left with air (which is about 20% oxygen) in the headspace above it. The the beer will also go stale: nice malty flavours will dull and then an unpleasant "cardboardy" taste will creep in.

 

[SmokinMesa]

Good job there's little chance of it being left around for long