Well in that case, for those who aren't sure how to make a DIPA or think it needs long conditioning times, it doesn't really. If you've made an IPA before, you can make a DIPA. Because of the higher OG from using more grain, more hops for both bittering and flavour will be needed to balance out the sweet malt flavours. Plus there is a bit of an expectation that DIPAs have more hop character than the standard IPA. I've seen some recipes which use sugar to increase the OG.
If you use an American ale yeast, like US-05, WLP001 etc, it's best to start fermentation slightly cooler than a standard IPA and ferment at 18ðC for a few days, then ramp up to 20 if needed. One common off flavour with imperial IPAs is the taste of alcohol in the beer, which should not be present, and is caused by "warm" fermentations. With DIPAs using American ale yeasts, this threshold seems to be lower than usual, hence the cooler temperatures. If you don't have control over brewing temperatures, try to keep it slightly cooler than you normally would keep a FV.
Like in most styles, conditioning can help round off the flavours and also help curb off flavours (like alcohol), but the main flavour of a DIPA comes from the hops, and hops lose their pungency quickly. IF you do condition for a long time, make sure it's during primary or secondary before adding any dry hops. Adding more hops during the brew will give a bigger hop flavour and can help account for any aroma loss.
Happy brewing everyone!
