Gambrinus and BSG's new IPA malt offers brewers a light-colored option that maintains flavor integrity while allowing hop characteristics to shine.
The development of IPA malt highlights innovative malting techniques essential for producing consistent quality and flavor in modern IPAs.
Feedback from early users is critical in exploring the malt's adaptability for various beer styles, fostering innovation in the craft beer community.
Deep dives
The Development of IPA Malt
A new IPA malt, developed by Gambrinus and exclusively sold in North America by BSG, aims to address the evolving trends in IPA brewing. The malt was designed to bridge the gap between pale color and flavor, shifting away from the typical use of crystal malts found in many traditional West Coast IPAs. This innovative malt is characterized by its light color while still providing greater flavor than standard Pilsner malts, striking a balance for brewers who want a clean malt profile with room for hop expression. The development process involved addressing a brewing problem where brewers sought an ingredient that could facilitate the light-bodied, hop-forward characteristics required in modern IPAs.
Trends in IPA Brewing
A noticeable trend in the craft beer industry has been a shift back towards lighter, West Coast-style IPAs, moving away from the darker crystal malts commonly used in the past. Brewers are increasingly opting for a base malt that is pale in color and subtle in flavor to allow hops to take center stage. This stylistic pivot allows brewers, particularly in sunny regions like Southern California, to create light beers that are still full of flavor, ensuring that consumers are satisfied with crisp, dry IPAs. Such trends indicate a growing consumer preference for visually appealing, golden-hued beers that emphasize hop characteristics over malt sweetness.
Sensory Characteristics and Brewing Practices
The sensory experience of brewing with the new IPA malt demonstrates its versatility and unique malt character, which blends well with both English-style flavors and contemporary hopping techniques. Brewers reported that the malt provided a light, flavorful base without dominating the palate, allowing for the expression of hop complexity. During brewing, the malt behaved well in the mash process, contributing to a clear wort and ultimately, a flavorful final beer. The feedback from initial test brews indicated that this malt works seamlessly at various inclusion rates, making it adaptable across different styles of IPAs.
Innovation in Malting Techniques
The development of IPA malt involved innovative malting techniques aimed at achieving a specific flavor profile, while also maintaining consistency across batches. This included careful management of moisture and temperature during the malting process to enhance flavor development without compromising the desired pallor. Various barley varieties were tested to strike the right balance between flavor, color, and brewing performance. This approach underscores the precision required in malting, as well as the collaborative nature between maltsters and brewers to create a product that meets the evolving needs of the craft beer community.
Future Prospects for IPA Malt
As the IPA malt nears its market launch, there is significant interest from brewers eager to experiment with this new ingredient. Feedback from early users will play a crucial role in determining the malt's versatility across styles beyond IPAs, including lighter ales and even lagers. Brewers are encouraged to explore the malt's potential in different recipes, fostering a culture of innovation within the craft beer scene. The ultimate goal is to inspire creativity and result in unique flavor profiles that can cater to the diverse palate of today's consumers while ensuring the malt meets the high standards expected by brewers.
This special ingredient-focused edition of the podcast is brought to you interruption-free by the brewing-ingredient experts at BSG.
Today’s beer drinker loves pale beer more than ever, and over the course of the past decade, brewers have been feeding this shift by releasing lighter and lighter colored IPAs that pack a similar flavor punch without the heft that specialty malts can bring. To help brewers achieve that flavor without the color, Gambrinus and BSG recently announced IPA Malt, a new domestic malt designed for IPA brewers who crave that low SRM beer color but still want character in the malt that can stand up to today’s big hop bills.
In today’s spotlight episode, Ashton Lewis (Training and Technical Support Manager for BSG), Ken Smith (Director of Operations for Gambrinus Malting), and Blake Masoner (Cofounder and Head Brewer for Craft Coast Beer & Tacos in Oceanside, California), join the podcast to discuss this new malt. Over the course of the conversation, they cover it from initial brief through development and into brewing, exploring how it works, what it’s capable of, and what else may be in store for brewers who try it. Along the way, they cover:
the domestic malt’s English-like biscuity character that contrasts with the grassiness of Continental malt
agronomic and malthouse details behind the malt
understanding how flavors translate from the malt into finished beer
using the malt at 100 percent while achieving flavor in a low-FG beer
exploring other beer styles IPA Malt may be suited for
This special spotlight episode is brought to you by BSG & Gambrinus. As every brewer knows, BSG leads the way in the brewing industry by supplying the finest ingredients and supplies to brewers at competitive prices, and they are trusted by many of the most respected brewers in the craft community. Try the new Gambrinus IPA Malt today, available exclusively through BSG.
