In the world of craft beer, nothing is hotter than the Hazy IPA! This style, originally known as the New England IPA or NE IPA, has become increasingly popular in what seems like every beer-loving part of the country! While Hazy IPAs are now very well known to most beer enthusiasts, it's extremely popular cousin, the Juicy IPA, has also solidified itself as a new fan favorite. So, the question now becomes: What makes them different?
The Hazy IPA is probably the more popular of the two, depending on where you live. While it's most commonly referred to as a "hazy IPA" now, they became popular in the New England & North East regions of the country awhile ago. One of the beers that put this style on the map was Heady Topper, brewed in Vermont by The Alchemist Brewery. For those that love the NE IPA style, but haven't tried Heady Topper, you have some homework to do. Again, depending on where you live, finding it might not be easy. We do offer a Heady Topper clone kit, our Topped With Hops Double IPA, but as good as that is, we'll admit nothing beats the real thing.
A Hazy IPA recipe is a little different than your standard IPA in a couple ways. The malts included are part of it, but the yeast choice, water composition, and brewing technique will all play a key role as well. The malt bill will typically include malted or flaked oats and wheat. This gives the mouthfeel a soft and pillowy charecter. Most recipes include 10% to 20% with some going even higher. If you are brewing with high amounts of oats or wheat you should consider adding rice hulls to help avoid a stuck mash. Yeast probably plays the biggest role in making a great hazy IPA. Typically yeast strains that are low flocculating and produce fruity esters are preferred. There is a lot discussion and debate around the "best" water profile for a Hazy IPA. Typically the conversation centers around sulfate to chloride ratios. Tradtionaly a hoppy beer profile had higher sulfate ratios. But many Haze Heads are favoring a higher chloride ratio. I guess we can chalk (pun intended) that up to a matter of taste. Lastly and more importanly is the hopping technique. Hazy IPA's are all about the late addidtions. In fact some brewers don't add any hops until flame out. Wether you add some bittering hops or not we recomend doing a hop stand. To do simply add a majority of your hops at flame out. If you are using a pump recirculate (Whirlpool) for 15 or so minutes and then let rest for for 15-20 minutes before cooling and transferring. If you do not have a pump use a spoon to ge ta good whirlpool going and let it rest for 15-20 mins after the whirlpool stops spinning.
The meaning of Juicy IPA is a little bit more hazy (pun intended). Not all Juicy IPA's are hazy nor are all IPA's juicy. An IPA can be juicy but crystal clear in apperance. The term "Juicy" refers to the aroma and taste of the beer. Meaning it is reminiscent of fruit juice, typically citrus or stone fruit. These flavors and aroma's are primarly driven from the hops but in some cases yeast esters as well. Some readily avilable commercial examples include Fresh Squeezed IPA by Deschutes Brewery or Sculpin IPA by Ballast Point.
A Juicy IPA is all about the hops! Look to use more fruit-forward hops like Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy, Amarillo and El Dorado. Be sure to add them later in the boil and at whirlpool to maintain the aroma. Then dry hop with copious amounts like 4 to 6 oz per 5 gallons.
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