English IPA is Redundant!

By Greig McGill

Before craft beer, before the Americans turned everything up to 11, and before most of us had a hobby that many would call liver abuse, there was the India Pale Ale, and it came from England. Why the “India” bit? Well, we’ll get to that, as it’s been a bone of contention and myth-making for a very long time. 

Designing an exceptional English India Pale Ale (or, you know, just India Pale Ale since the English originated the style) is a rewarding endeavour that bridges historical brewing traditions with contemporary techniques. And it’s damn tasty! There’s a reason those American’s went hog wild with it, after all…

A Brief History of English IPA

The myth: The English IPA was created by George Hodgson in the late 18th century, and was a pale ale made stronger and hoppier to survive the journey to India.

The reality: Since the early 18th century, there is evidence of England exporting beers and ciders of various kinds to India. Over time, and notably around 1760, brewers were selling more stronger, hoppier pale ales - demand drove the process, and Hodgson capitalised on it by telling all who would listen that he had “invented” the India Pale Ale. Even that’s not strictly true, but there were certainly many boastful advertisements, and even evidence of trade wars between the brewers of Burton-on-Trent, long known for their strong, pale, and hoppy beers, and London brewers, who were a bit closer to the export sharp-end! However the style came about, most seem to agree that it was never created for export to India, and it was simply recognised (and later used in marketing) that it was the type of beer enjoyed by the British in India.

Defining Characteristics of an English IPA

OK, I’ll put my serious hat on, and talk about the bones of the style. An authentic tasting English IPA is characterised by a harmonious balance between hop bitterness and malt sweetness. Key attributes include:

• Aroma:Expect moderate to moderately high hop aromas, typically floral, earthy, or slightly fruity. The malt profile may present subtle notes of biscuit or caramel, complemented by low to moderate fruity esters from fermentation. I don’t care what any style guideline might say, diacetyl is a fault, and is right out!

• Appearance: The beer should pour a clear golden to deep amber hue, crowned with a moderate off-white head. The “Burton-y” ones I fell in love with were always a vibrant orange.

• Flavour: A medium to high hop flavour dominates, featuring traditional English hop varieties. The malt backbone provides supportive flavours of bread, biscuit, and toffee, ensuring the bitterness is assertive yet not overpowering. The finish is typically medium-dry, with a lingering, pleasant bitterness.

• Mouthfeel: BJCP annoys me by saying “medium-light to medium-bodied”. I’ve always enjoyed a slightly fuller body, so long as it’s not syrupy or cloying. Moderate to high carbonation helps there, offering a smooth, slightly dry sensation on the palate. Of course, a lighter body might be useful if you’re designing your beer for cask/handpull dispense, since it won’t have the carbonation level to lift it up, so a fuller body could come off as syrupy.

• Overall: I have always loved the descriptor “marmalade on toast” - be it a lemony marmalade or an orangey one! It’s a flavour description I always try to live up to when recreating these. Also, to hammer it home again; balance is a key feature! Yes, it should be bitter. But there should be enough sweetness that the bitterness registers but isn’t offputting.

Selecting Quality Ingredients

The foundation of a remarkable English IPA lies in the careful selection of ingredients:

• Malt: Begin with British pale ale malt, renowned for its biscuity character. To add complexity, incorporate small amounts of specialty malts like crystal malt (ranging from 10 to 150 °L / 13 to 200 SRM) for subtle caramel notes. Exercise restraint to avoid an overly sweet or heavy profile; typically, specialty malts should constitute no more than 15% of the grist. You know what they say about rules though…

• Hops: Traditional English hop varieties are paramount. East Kent Goldings, Fuggles, Target, Northdown, and Challenger are classic choices, imparting earthy, floral, and spicy notes. Aim for a balanced hop profile with a bitterness level between 40 to 60 International Bitterness Units (IBU), ensuring the hops complement rather than overshadow the malt character.

• Yeast: Opt for English ale yeast strains that offer moderate attenuation and a fruity ester profile. Strains like White Labs WLP013 (London Ale) are well-suited, providing the desired balance between malt sweetness and hop bitterness.

• Water: Water chemistry significantly influences the final beer. Traditional Burton-on-Trent water, high in sulfate content, accentuates hop bitterness and imparts a dry finish. While replicating this exact profile isn't necessary (and in fact is kind of overkill with modern ingredients), consider adding moderate gypsum additions to enhance hop crispness without introducing harshness.

The Brewing Process

There’s nothing too magical about the process, at least not to our modern eyes. The template was created long ago. Thanks, England!

1. Mashing: Conduct a single infusion mash at temperatures between 65 to 68 °C. Lower temperatures favor fermentability, resulting in a drier beer, while higher temperatures yield a fuller body. A common target is 67 °C for balanced results, but I like 67.5 - 68 °C for a little more body.

2. Boiling and Hopping: We’re going oldskool on this bad boy. Implement a structured hopping schedule to build complexity. Begin with a bittering addition at the start of a 90-minute boil. Why 90? Classic English IPA often has a lot of malt complexity and richness, and I find a longer boil helps with this. I’ve done a three hour boil with great results. Who needs free time anyway? Introduce flavour and aroma hops during the final 20 minutes, and consider dry hopping post-fermentation for enhanced aromatic qualities. Maintain a bitterness-to-starting-gravity ratio (IBU divided by original gravity) between 0.7 and 1.0 for optimal balance.

3. Fermentation: Pitch yeast at approximately 20 °C and allow the temperature to rise gradually over several days. This approach fosters the development of desirable esters while ensuring complete attenuation. Monitor fermentation closely to prevent off-flavours and achieve the target final gravity. Don’t forget the usual VDK/Diacetyl rest - I’ve harped on long enough about this, but it does matter! Raise the temperature by at least one degree for at least 24 hours as your fermentation ends, and hold there for an extra 24-48 hours post fermentation.

4. Conditioning: After fermentation, condition the beer at cellar temperatures (around 11 to 13 °C. This period allows flavours to meld and any residual yeast to settle, resulting in a clearer, more refined beer. You can go full Kiwi after this and drop it to near zero… I know you will anyway, but read on!

Serving and Enjoyment

To fully appreciate the nuances of your English IPA:

• Temperature: Serve at cellar temperature to highlight the beer's complex flavours and aromas. Overly cold temperatures can mute these characteristics.

• Carbonation: Aim for moderate carbonation levels, around 2 to 2.5 volumes of CO₂ for bottled versions. For kegged or cask-conditioned beers, adjust accordingly to achieve the desired mouthfeel.

Final Thoughts

This is one of those beer styles that really got me into beer. I was making these before I ever tasted the fruits of the American craft beer revolution that brought so much variety into our Kiwi beer world. I couldn’t get enough of that marmalade-on-toast character, that heady waft of 6.5ish per-cent abv - strong as hell for the time - and the joy of that balance between the bitter hop and the sweet malt. It’s a style that’s been sadly neglected as we chase hop overdose, new hop styles with their citrus and tropical notes, and ever higher abv (or lower… lately). I think it’s time to bring it back. Who’s with me?