What’s the difference for British IPA and American IPA?

What’s the difference for British IPA and American IPA?

IPA(India Pale Ale) is a kind of beer that added much hops, thus the beer can keep a good quality during a long travel. The ideas came from George Hodgson of Bow brewery.
Two styles IPA occur during development, British IPA and American IPA.
British IPA’s alcohol degree is among 5-7%, the IBU is among 40-60, color is range from shinning golden color to amber(6-14), the taste is good because of yeast and material. You can feel the sweet and ester taste except hops, barley malt and alcohol.
American IPA have 1-2% higher alcohol degree than British IPA. As it add more hops, so its IBU is 50-70. American IPA has a strong hops taste. Almost no other taste exist except alcohol, malt and hops.
Then Let’s discuss their difference from Materials, like Barley malt, hops, water and yeast.

1. Barely malt
British IPA use the classic Maris Otter malt, this malt has a strong malt, caramel and biscuit smell.
American IPA use light malt, like six-rowed barley of North America. The smell and sweet of this malt is not good as British malt.

2. Water
British IPA use the water that has a high level calcium and sulfate radical. This kind water is called Burton style, a famous brewing water type.
American water hardness vary a lot from light to strong. But they normally adopt the water type as British water. They normally use Burton processing to get Burton style water.
So they have little difference on brewing water.

3. Yeast
British IPA use classic British ale yeast like Wyeast 1098, Wyeast 1028, White Labs WLP023, WLP005. This kind yeast have a low fermentation capacity, so there will leave certain ester in the beer to make beer a complicate taste.

American IPA use the yeast that has a higher fermentation capacity like Wyeast 1056, Wyeast 1272, White labs WLP001, White labs WLP051, Fermentis US-05.
This kind yeast can make beer have a chilly taste, malt and hops play a critical role in beer.

4. Hops
British IPA use Kent Goldings, Fuggles, Styrian Goldings.
The hops has light flower flavor, earthy taste and Turpentine flavor.

American IPA use Cascades, Columbus, Chinook, Amarillo. Those hops has a good flavor of tropical fruit, drupe, watermelon and grapefruit. That is why American IPA is more popular today.

Edit by Miya Zhao
Sales manager
[email protected]

Tags: Brewery 　　 brewing water 　　