NEIPA in Colorado

[Nosybear]

This beauty is a New England IPA as interpreted by the Dillon Dam Brewery in Dillon, Colorado. First impression was the haze. I was expecting something in the Witbier range, not this milky stuff. Taste: It was hoppy but malty enough to support it, smooth, surprisingly refreshing for its 7.2% ABV. I liked it; however, it wasn't completely new to me. If the Dry Dock Brewery in Aurora were to put a box of cornstarch in their Enterprise IPA, it would taste a lot like this beer. I may try to brew one later this year - I have a project I've started that will pretty much take up my brewing time for the summer. Key to me is there's no hop harshness and the flavors, while extreme, balance well. Disclaimer: I tasted this about 1,800 miles from the nearest point in New England - I wouldn't expect a routine NEIPA to be this cloudy but hey, it might be.

 

[Brew Cat]

I had some that cloudy. Here in New England it seems there is a new one coming out every week and I've been trying alot. What i do is start my bittering at 45 and layer in a bunch of hops to get my bittering up to about 90 but the bitterness seems alot more subdued than doing a large bittering charge at 60. The key to that cloudyness is freshness. Most of the ones I see are limited runs ensuring they are gobbled up quickly. I've heard people hoarding stuff like heady topper but these beers need to be drunk fresh so that just ruins them

 

[Nosybear]

I had some that cloudy. Here in New England it seems there is a new one coming out every week and I've been trying alot. What i do is start my bittering at 45 and layer in a bunch of hops to get my bittering up to about 90 but the bitterness seems alot more subdued than doing a large bittering charge at 60. The key to that cloudyness is freshness. Most of the ones I see are limited runs ensuring they are gobbled up quickly. I've heard people hoarding stuff like heady topper but these beers need to be drunk fresh so that just ruins them

That could make some sense - get them while there's still some residual sugar and the bitterness would seem milder. If there's that much yeast haze - yeast still in suspension - the beer is still fermenting and there is some sugar left. If it's starch haze, that's just optic. The starch has no flavor and wouldn't offset any bitterness. But then, I think about the beer I referenced, the Enterprise IPA. It tastes almost just like this beer and is crystal-bright. Before I try this, I'll nee to dig into the style a bit and find the source of the haze to understand where the flavors come from and how much to make at a batch.

By the way, the brewery gave me the Enterprise recipe and it is hopped the way you suggest: Gradually, over the course of the boil, using multiple additions of multiple hops. It's fermented with an English yeast to help keep the sweetness up. Find a way to haze it and it would pretty much be a NEIPA.

 

[Brew Cat]

That could make some sense - get them while there's still some residual sugar and the bitterness would seem milder. If there's that much yeast haze - yeast still in suspension - the beer is still fermenting and there is some sugar left. If it's starch haze, that's just optic. The starch has no flavor and wouldn't offset any bitterness. But then, I think about the beer I referenced, the Enterprise IPA. It tastes almost just like this beer and is crystal-bright. Before I try this, I'll nee to dig into the style a bit and find the source of the haze to understand where the flavors come from and how much to make at a batch.

By the way, the brewery gave me the Enterprise recipe and it is hopped the way you suggest: Gradually, over the course of the boil, using multiple additions of multiple hops. It's fermented with an English yeast to help keep the sweetness up. Find a way to haze it and it would pretty much be a NEIPA.

Holding the haze is the key. I've been playing around with my recipe as mentioned above. It does eventually clear. I use no finings and put a flaked oats in the mash. Sometimes I'll cheat and give the keg a little shake. If you bottle just don't decant. It's a fun and tasty style