Sierra Nevada Pale Ale; 3 Floyds Zombie Dust; AleSmith .394 Pale Ale * Contrast vs. ultra sweet unbalanced offerings which I avoid and call sippy cup or juice box beers. American Pale Ale = Lower ABV (4-7%) version of West Coast IPAs. To understand the difference between a pale ale and IPA (India Pale Ale), we must first learn a little more about how beer is made. Batch sparge with enough 172F water to achieve a boil volume of 6.5 gal. "Imperial pale ale" is an informal, descriptive style (i.e., a strong pale ale), whereas "india pale ale" is a BJCP recognized style.India pale ales are primarily understood as a hopped-up version of a pale ale, made to withstand long travels. The first batch of beer was brewed over 5,000 years ago, and today there are over 70 styles of beer. IPA’s are pale ales but up a notch in every characteristic. American-style pale ales are bold with citrus and the character of American hops. If you are confused about the differences between pale ale and IPA, you have come to the right place! Click here to learn the differences of pale ale vs IPA. Pale ale, like many recipes over the centuries, was a serendipitous accident. My pale ales have hop additions throughout the boil and are dry hopped, so I expect pale ales to have great hop flavor and aroma, but less than an IPA. The History of Pale Ale. This is how I see them differently. Most often, if you see IPA, it's an "India pale ale". When I first started to learn about beer and beer styles, two styles always confused me: the Pale Ale, sometimes called American Pale Ale (abbreviated APA), and an India Pale Ale (IPA).. Mash Volume 3.75 60 Min mash. Also, neither of these would have much yeast character, so I would use a clean American ale … Listen up, beer drinkers. I shied away from these two types because I had been bitter-bitten before: beer bitterness appears to be an acquired taste, and if you step into an IPA before you’re ready, you may not try one again for a while. IPA’s have more hop bitterness and higher alcohol because they were meant to last longer in transit. If you want to be a proud beer snob who knows your sh*t when it comes to the brews of the world, start by understanding the difference between English India Pale Ale … 10.0 lbs Pale Ale Malt 1.0 lbs Vienna Malt 0.75 lbs Caramel 60 0.5 lbs Victory Malt 0.25 lbs Carapils Mash at 152F. English-style pale ales smell earthy and muted.