India Pale Ale dry hopping help.

Hi!
I've recently made my first experimental recipe and after I tasted it, i figured it could use some dry hopping for more aroma and perhaps even a bit of bittering from a a alpha acid extract. My question is how much cascade hops i should use for dry hopping and especially how long. I was thinking 50g (ca. 1,75 oz) Whole leaf cascade in 7 days would suffice for a strong IPA (og 1.069 fg 1.014). What do you think? I am also a bit unsure about the amount of grams sucrose for carbonation if anyone knows. And I would of course appreciate general critique on the recipe if anyone bothers
Here is the recipe:

(btw: I've got a pretty low hops extraction during boil due to a bit weak stove, so the estimated IBU is a bit high)

Majorens stue-IPA

Brew Type: All Grain Date: 29.03.2011
Style: India Pale Ale Brewer: carl
Batch Size: 19 L Assistant Brewer:
Boil Volume: 24,28 L Boil Time: 60 min
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75,0 % Equipment: Brew Pot (7.5 gal) and Igloo Cooler (10 Gal)
Actual Efficiency: 75,5 %
Taste Rating (50 possible points): -

Ingredients Amount Item Type % or IBU
5,25 kg Pale Malt (2 Row) Bel (5,9 EBC) Grain 91,3 %
0,15 kg Aromatic Malt (51,2 EBC) Grain 2,6 %
0,15 kg Biscuit Malt (45,3 EBC) Grain 2,6 %
0,10 kg Caramunich Malt (110,3 EBC) Grain 1,7 %
0,10 kg Special B Malt (354,6 EBC) Grain 1,7 %
25,00 gm Nugget [13,00%] (60 min) Hops 38,0 IBU
30,00 gm Centennial [10,00%] (45 min) Hops 32,2 IBU
30,00 gm Centennial [10,00%] (2 min) Hops 3,0 IBU
50,00 gm Cascade [5,50%] (Dry Hop 7 days) Hops -

Beer Profile Estimated Original Gravity: 1,070 SG (1,050-1,075 SG) Measured Original Gravity: 1,069 SG
Estimated Final Gravity: 1,018 SG (1,012-1,016 SG) Measured Final Gravity: 1,014 SG
Estimated Color: 23,4 EBC (15,8-27,6 EBC) Color [Color]
Bitterness: 73,2 IBU (40,0-65,0 IBU) Alpha Acid Units: 4,4 AAU
Estimated Alcohol by Volume: 6,8 % (5,0-7,8 %) Actual Alcohol by Volume: 7,2 %
Actual Calories: 658 cal/l


Mash Profile Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge Mash Tun Weight: 4,08 kg
Mash Grain Weight: 5,75 kg Mash PH: 5,4 PH
Grain Temperature: 22,2 C Sparge Temperature: 75,6 C
Sparge Water: 15,99 L Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE

Name Description Step Temp Step Time
Mash In Add 15,00 L of water at 74,4 C 67,8 C 60 min


Mash Notes
Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).
Carbonation and Storage Carbonation Type: sucrose Sugar Carbonation Volumes: 2,4 (1,6-2,4 vols)
Estimated Priming Weight: 120 gm. Temperature at Bottling: 22 Celcius
Primer Used: - Age for: 3,0 Weeks
Storage Temperature: 18 C

Thanks again!

50g dry hop sounds good to me. The rest of the recipe looks pretty good too, should have a nice malt backbone. In the future, I'd ditch the 45min add tho since it doesnt really add anything (basically a 60min add with less utilization), and move it to the last 10mins. Personally, I'd mash it 1-2C lower, but theres really nothing wrong with where you're at either, depends how dry you like it to finish.

you can use this to figure out the priming sugar: http://www.brewheads.com/priming.php

I initially was worried about that as well, but it ended up on 1.014 so I guess it's alright considering it's a relatively big ipa (7,2%). But I've tried the calculator, but don't really understand why temperature mattering to how much sugar to add according to the calculator. Is it because more CO2 is already dissolved at lower temperatures and less sugar->CO2 is needed?

callemann said:

I initially was worried about that as well, but it ended up on 1.014 so I guess it's alright considering it's a relatively big ipa (7,2%). But I've tried the calculator, but don't really understand why temperature mattering to how much sugar to add according to the calculator. Is it because more CO2 is already dissolved at lower temperatures and less sugar->CO2 is needed?

Click to expand...

Yes, that's the idea. But 4 ounces per 5 gallons (by weight) is a good go-to figure for an IPA that fermented at a "normal" temperature in the 60s, or even got up into the 70s.

Alright! Does me swirling the fermenter and transfering to secondary affect this? And should i add sugar according to the highest temperature in the room after fermentation is complete?(as a general note)

callemann said:

Alright! Does me swirling the fermenter and transfering to secondary affect this? And should i add sugar according to the highest temperature in the room after fermentation is complete?(as a general note)

Click to expand...

Swirling doesn't matter, and neither does transferring. Using the highest temperature the beer reached during or after fermentation is a good way to do it.

maybe ive been doing it wrong, but when I don't use a secondary, I just use whatever temp its at when I rack to the bottling bucket since how much is absorbed should be dependent on that temp cuz any previously expelled CO2 from higher temps should be re-absorbed from the CO2 that is still filling the bucket.

dcp27 said:

maybe ive been doing it wrong, but when I don't use a secondary, I just use whatever temp its at when I rack to the bottling bucket since how much is absorbed should be dependent on that temp cuz any previously expelled CO2 from higher temps should be re-absorbed from the CO2 that is still filling the bucket.

Click to expand...

CO2 is no longer being produced after fermentation. It doesn't just appear- it's a product of fermentation.

sorry, what I meant is that the bucket will still be filled with the produced CO2, so if it got cooled back down, that CO2 should get absorbed into the beer

dcp27 said:

sorry, what I meant is that the bucket will still be filled with the produced CO2, so if it got cooled back down, that CO2 should get absorbed into the beer

Click to expand...

I don't agree- that doesn't work that way! C02 just doesn't hang around at higher temperatures- it actually goes out the airlock. It doesn't sit in the bucket, waiting for the temperature to drop- it goes out the airlock when it's not in solution.

That's why they have those calculators to begin with.

However, the difference between 70 degrees and 65 degrees really is negligible when talking about priming. My rule has always been 4 ounces for 5 gallons of ale, when made at my room temperature. It works well, and doesn't require any guessing about potential dissolved co2.

so what is sitting over the beer then? nothing? over a long period of time, it'll seap out and be replaced by permeated air, but I don't believe there is just a void sitting over it during a few week primary. I know I get a sting of CO2 when I put my face near a recently opened primary

dcp27 said:

so what is sitting over the beer then? nothing? over a long period of time, it'll seap out and be replaced by permeated air, but I don't believe there is just a void sitting over it during a few week primary. I know I get a sting of CO2 when I put my face near a recently opened primary

Click to expand...

For a while, there is some co2 and other gasses, of course. But any excess pressure from the co2 goes out the airlock. When you cold crash from there, any co2 that may go into solution is insignificant.

People talk about the "co2 blanket" which protects the beer. That's true, to a limited extent. There will be co2 in a fermenter for quite a while, but it will get released gradually. The co2 just doesn't stay there indefinitely, though- especially at higher temperatures. It seeks equilibrium and will go out the airlock readily. Once fermentation stops, no more co2 is being produced, and co2 will continue to go out the airlock, so it's reduced by quite a bit.

ok nevermind I retract my statement. I guess it would need to be under pressure for the CO2 to really re-adsorb any significant amount back in. you're right as usual yoop