Image: Grain Bill Ingredients for a New England IPA

The photograph presents a beautifully composed still life that highlights the raw ingredients essential to brewing a New England IPA, arranged with artistry and clarity. Four clear glass jars are neatly lined up on a rustic wooden surface, each jar filled with a distinct type of malted grain or adjunct. The soft, diffused lighting casts a warm glow across the scene, enhancing the earthy tones of both the grains and the wooden background, while also emphasizing the subtle differences in texture and color between the ingredients.

From left to right, the jars hold pale malt, malted wheat, oats, and Carafoam malt. The pale malt, occupying the first jar, is comprised of plump, golden barley kernels with a smooth, slightly glossy husk. This grain, which makes up the bulk of a typical New England IPA grain bill, imparts the foundational body and fermentable sugars that define the beer’s backbone. The color is a gentle straw-gold, catching the light softly and radiating a sense of warmth and simplicity.

The second jar contains malted wheat, which appears slightly smaller and rounder than the pale malt, with a lighter golden hue. Wheat provides proteins that enhance body and mouthfeel, contributing to the signature haziness and pillowy texture of a New England IPA. The subtle variation in grain shape between the pale malt and the wheat creates visual interest, showcasing how different ingredients, though similar at a glance, each play a unique role in brewing.

In the third jar, oats stand out with their distinctive flat, flake-like form. Their color is pale and creamy, with a matte finish that contrasts with the shinier husks of barley and wheat. Oats are a hallmark of NEIPA recipes, prized for the silky smoothness and velvety mouthfeel they lend to the final beer. Their irregular, layered shapes add a tactile complexity to the composition, catching light in unique ways and enhancing the rustic, handcrafted quality of the arrangement.

Finally, the fourth jar contains Carafoam malt, a darker and more richly colored grain with hues ranging from deep brown to chocolatey tones. The smaller, more compact kernels provide visual weight at the end of the lineup, grounding the composition. In brewing, Carafoam contributes head retention and foam stability, ensuring the final beer presents a lasting, creamy head that complements its juicy, hop-forward character. The inclusion of this malt underscores the brewer’s attention to detail, balancing practical function with sensory appeal.

The rustic wooden surface beneath the jars frames the ingredients in an environment that feels both artisanal and natural. The wood grain adds texture and depth, creating harmony with the earthy colors of the malts. The slightly elevated angle of the photograph ensures that each jar’s contents are clearly visible, presenting a comprehensive overview of the grain bill.

Overall, the image conveys craftsmanship and precision. It is not merely a visual catalog of brewing ingredients but a carefully staged celebration of the building blocks behind one of the most beloved contemporary beer styles. The photograph bridges the gap between science and artistry, showing how careful selection and proportion of grains ultimately shape the body, texture, and appearance of a New England IPA.

The image is related to: Fermenting Beer with Lallemand LalBrew New England Yeast