Which IPA?

[Polo_Phil]

After my Wherry has finished fermenting and the FV is free I want to get an IPA on the go.

My lhbs has these on offer... what would you go for and which should I avoid?

Brupak IPA
Brewmaker IPA
Coopers IPA
John Bull IPA
Muntons Connoisseur IPA

Cheers! :

 

[calumscott]

The only one I've drunk so far is the Coopers.

As seems the way with with all Coopers stuff, it's pretty good. I brewed it exactly per the instructions but if I did it again I would forget the sugar it asks for and just lump in a whole KG of medium or light spraymalt instead to give it better body and mouth feel.

I'd also dry hop it too (but then I'm a full on hop head).

The Muntons is a two can kit IIRC so that should be pretty decent.

Have you checked out the kit reviews section BTW? I wouldn't be surprised to find most of these in there...

 

[Polo_Phil]

Thanks Calum!

I've read the John Bull, Coopers and Brupak (although I'm not sure if the one reviewed 'Brewer's choice' is the same as the one at my lhbs)
I was leaning toward the Coopers or Muntons... it may come down to what's in stock and how I feel on the day!
Last time I went there for an IPA, I came out with a Woodfordes Wherry... Who knows what I'll get this time? :wha:

 

[Polo_Phil]

medium or light spraymalt instead to give it better body and mouth feel.

How would light and medium compare in terms of mouth feel, body, taste etc? :hmm:

 

[calumscott]

The basic principle is that sugar will give you alcohol. Dextrose being entirely fermentible will give you nothing but alcohol.

Malts are mostly sugar but some of those sugars are very complex and yeast can't metabolise them so they stay behind and impart a little sweetness. There are other compounds in there which give flavour, again, the yeast can't do anything with them and they get left behind.

I'm not entirely sure on the spraymalts and what's actually in them but the first difference between the two is clearly the colour of your beer. Here's the unknown bit; if the darker spraymalts are produced by mashing a darker mix of grains then you will probably end up with different flavours. If they do it another way which I've seen described on here somewhere you can get the colour without the flavour notes... I have no idea, I'm afraid, how they do it.

 

[Polo_Phil]

Thanks Calum :thumb:

So one could purchase light, medium or dark spraymalt depending on the brew - light ales/lager could use light spraymalt. stouts/dark ales could use dark and beers in the middle would use medium?... If that is correct it makes perfect sense

Also is spraymalt and dried malt extract the same thing?

Thanks :geek:

 

[calumscott]

Thanks Calum :thumb:

So one could purchase light, medium or dark spraymalt depending on the brew - light ales/lager could use light spraymalt. stouts/dark ales could use dark and beers in the middle would use medium?... If that is correct it makes perfect sense

Exactly that! :thumb:

Muntons also do an extra light which would be great for lager styles.

Also is spraymalt and dried malt extract the same thing?

Thanks :geek:

Spraymalt = dried malt extract = DME. All the same stuff!

 

[Polo_Phil]

Great! Cheers for the help!
Whilst I'm on a roll I have one last question... for bottle priming my wherry and also my IPA when I come to do it... should I use granulated sugar, dextrose or spraymalt?

 

[calumscott]

You can use any of those. I use dextrose for priming just because it should ferment cleaner than granulated (sucrose) and it's easier to use for bottle priming which is what I do most of the time.

 

[Polo_Phil]

Nice one! Cheers for all your advice! :thumb: