The Challenge!

Alright readers, as I just posted about our hand hop analysis I thought I would also let you all know about the challenge that Burghard issued to our class. Well it's really more of a contest than a challenge I suppose but you get the idea. So here it is: IPA. India Pale Ale. Familiar with it? Personally it is one of my favorite types of beer to drink. I like Hoptical Illusion from Blue Point, and Longhammer IPA from Redhook. The sky high bitterness of anywhere from 40 to 100 international bittering units (IBU) makes for a very crisp beer particularly in the American style of IPAs which tend to use hops with citrus undertones.

Back to the challenge. The class will be split up into 4 groups, each of which must brew an IPA in the pilot brewery (1.5hL/batch). The best IPA wins... the pride of having brewed the best IPA. One thing to note is that most people in the class have never even heard of an IPA much less tasted one. Other than Burghard and we three Americans I don't think anyone else has ever had an IPA. On the one hand this could be an advantage for us as we know the flavor profile we are aiming for. On the other hand if the only people to taste an IPA don't win... ouch. I can see how no one else has had an IPA as I have yet to see one served here in Berlin so it's been awhile since I have had one myself. Hopefully I can remember.