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Session IPA

stradog

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What would be best style to tag a Session IPA in BrewSmith?
 
Isn't that an oxymoron?  India Pale Ale, by definition, is a higher alcohol, malty beer.  Aren't session beers lower alcohol, less mouth feel beers?
 
Session IPA's are getting popular here on the west coast.  I couldnt' find a style in any of the lists which would fit this kind of beer.

I used the "Add Style" to make a custom version of it for you.  Most session beers are from 3.5% ABV to just under 5% ABV.  Of course, this level of alcohol depends on the person describing a session beer.

I copied and pasted American IPA so that I had two versions in my style guide.  I then altered one, so that it fit with the style guides above.  Here is what I came up with.

I hope you find this helpful.
 

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When making a session IPA, I suggest using mostly first wort hopping, and only a 10 minute addition and maybe some whirlpooling.  I suggest staying away from any addition from 60 minutes down to 10 minutes.

To me, those additions between 60 minutes and 10 minutes seem to add more harsh bitterness than the less malty backbone of this type of beer could handle. 

I recently did a red IPA and although it had the malty backbone to handle those more bitter additions, I only used first wort hopping and a 10 minute flavor addition.  Everyone that's tasted it states that it is one of my better beers.  Beersmith has it at 80 IBU's, but it tastes more like a very smooth 50 IBU's.

If you're not brewing all grain and are doing an extract brew, you can probably replicate first wort hopping, but putting the first wort hops in with your steeping grains.  They'll steep along with your grains at 150F, then take out the steeping grains and leave the first wort hops in until flame out.  Disclaimer:  I've never tried first wort hopping with extract, so this is just speculation on my part, but I don't see why it wouldnt' work.
 
+ 1 on first wort hopping & whirlpooling.  Ninety percent of my brewing is done with first wort hopping & whirlpooling.  As Scott says I find it gives a much more balanced bitterness.  I find that the hop flavors from the whirlpooling to be smoother and have a richer aroma.  Depending on the wort's temperature you can enhance certain hop components. 
 
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