Why do Double IPAs tend to be sweeter than regular IPAs? (I personally have in mind Ninkasi's Tricerahops and Saint Archer's Double IPA.)
asked Jan 16 '16 at 5:10
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I don't consider them sweeter – paparazzo Jan 16 '16 at 14:18
Yeast can just process a certain amount of sugar inside the mash and therefore in double IPA there can be more sugar left in the beer, depending on the yeast that is used.
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Do the yeast used to brew Double IPAs tend not to process as much sugar? Or are you saying that can be a choice for particular Double IPAs. – Andrew Cheong Jan 20 '16 at 1:40
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I don't know which yeast is used then, but in general you can just achieve a limited alcohol level. – T.K. Jan 20 '16 at 1:49
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The sweetness is also controlled with the cooking time of the mash, in the temperature range around 72°C, where yeast-unpocessable dextrose is formed. This sugar will stay inside the beer and give it the sweet taste, whereas the other sugars are converted to alcohol. – T.K. Jul 6 '16 at 10:49
I would say some are sweeter, some aren't. Brewers do kick up the mount of malt in IIPA's to get the ABV up there. This could lead to a sweeter taste depending on the malt bill and fermentation.
To be classified as a double IPA it must have an ABV >= 7.5%. That requires more malt/sugar. However, the perceived sweetness can be a factor from yeast used and the Bitterness Ratio: http://www.madalchemist.com/chart_bitterness_ratio.html
