Can I overdo hopping in my brew?

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Elysium

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I have just created a recipe and I am planning to use 7.24 oz of hops (3 stages at boil and dry-hopping).

Here is the recipe: http://www.brewtoad.com/recipes/brewdog-punk-ipa-without-nelson-sauvin-hops

I am wondering if the brew might turn out to be too hoppy to drink? Or will it have a nice, balanced hoppiness?

The IBU is 33...I know it is a bit low for an IPA...but I dont like when my beer is too bitter.
 
No one can answer that for you. What's "too hoppy to drink" for you may be nothing to me at all. I know people who love malty beers that don't like beer if they can taste any hops in it at all!

I would change up your hopping a bit, making it easier instead of weird amounts like .7 ounces/ .38 ounces at so many different times. For an IPA, a .3 ounce addition is a "don't bother" amount.

An ounce at 60/20/10/5/0 is much easier, and would give the same type of results. I would change the dryhopping, as you have too many varieties (again, some weird amounts) and may cause muddled flavors instead of nice hops aroma.

Like this:
Bittering hops 60 minutes (about 30-35 IBUs with this addition alone, but since you don't like bitterness, you could cut that down to get 20 IBUs from this addition. The beer will not taste balanced very well, though)
1 ounce hops 20 minutes
1 ounce hops 10 minutes
1 ounce hops 5 minutes
1 ounce hops 0 minutes
dryhop 2 ounces 5-7 days.
 
"Too much" is subjective.

However, I'd pick one or two dry hopping varieties max (personal opinion) too many muddy the waters and might give you too much of a grassy aroma instead of citrus, or pine trees, or whatever you're going for.
 
"Too much" is subjective.

However, I'd pick one or two dry hopping varieties max (personal opinion) too many muddy the waters and might give you too much of a grassy aroma instead of citrus, or pine trees, or whatever you're going for.
This is one thing that concerns me....the balance. I dont know these hops...I am learning about them...reading stuff online.

I am actually going for a nice fruity, citrusy flavour and aroma. Do you think you could tell me if they are okay for that purpose?

I think I'll change the hopping times/amount to what Yooper suggested.
 
No one can answer that for you. What's "too hoppy to drink" for you may be nothing to me at all. I know people who love malty beers that don't like beer if they can taste any hops in it at all!

I would change up your hopping a bit, making it easier instead of weird amounts like .7 ounces/ .38 ounces at so many different times. For an IPA, a .3 ounce addition is a "don't bother" amount.

An ounce at 60/20/10/5/0 is much easier, and would give the same type of results. I would change the dryhopping, as you have too many varieties (again, some weird amounts) and may cause muddled flavors instead of nice hops aroma.

Like this:
Bittering hops 60 minutes (about 30-35 IBUs with this addition alone, but since you don't like bitterness, you could cut that down to get 20 IBUs from this addition. The beer will not taste balanced very well, though)
1 ounce hops 20 minutes
1 ounce hops 10 minutes
1 ounce hops 5 minutes
1 ounce hops 0 minutes
dryhop 2 ounces 5-7 days.

I think I can push it up to 45 IBU. That's what brewdog punk IPA has and that bitterness is still kinda pleasant for me. I dont like bitterness that is mad in IIPAs...and some really strong IPAs....bitterness such as 60-65 IBU.

By the way....could you do me a favour and also tell me if I should use bittering hops as normal and then the flavour/aroma hops should be 25% each of the 1oz you suggested? Meaning that citra, chinook, cascade, amarillo....25% each at the different times....thus getting to 1 oz at 20,10,5,0 minutes. Do you think that would help me achieve a nice, fruity and citrusy IPA? Or maybe you meant that I should use 1 oz of a specific hop at 20,10,5,0 minutes.
 
I think I can push it up to 45 IBU. That's what brewdog punk IPA has and that bitterness is still kinda pleasant for me. I dont like bitterness that is mad in IIPAs...and some really strong IPAs....bitterness such as 60-65 IBU.

By the way....could you do me a favour and also tell me if I should use bittering hops as normal and then the flavour/aroma hops should be 25% each of the 1oz you suggested? Meaning that citra, chinook, cascade, amarillo....25% each at the different times....thus getting to 1 oz at 20,10,5,0 minutes. Do you think that would help me achieve a nice, fruity and citrusy IPA? Or maybe you meant that I should use 1 oz of a specific hop at 20,10,5,0 minutes.


It really depends on your tastes. I don't like citra, and I find chinook great but harsh, so I'd probably go mostly with cascade/amarillo, where someone else might love citra and change that a bit. I'd probably use 1 ounce of chinook at 20 minutes, 1 oz amarillo at 10 minutes, and 1 oz cascade at 0 minutes then .5 ounce of each at flame out. Something like that.
 
It really depends on your tastes. I don't like citra, and I find chinook great but harsh, so I'd probably go mostly with cascade/amarillo, where someone else might love citra and change that a bit. I'd probably use 1 ounce of chinook at 20 minutes, 1 oz amarillo at 10 minutes, and 1 oz cascade at 0 minutes then .5 ounce of each at flame out. Something like that.

Thanks for the constructive comments.

Dont you live Citra...because of its fruity, mango character?

By the way....and what would you use for dry-hopping?
 
I keep going around and around with this. I thought I had it all figured out until my initial IPA turned out like total butt. I have toyed with the idea of doing drastic things with my hop schedule, but have decided to try it one more time, with much better processes (the failed IPA was my second brew) and a more traditional hop schedule. Here's what I'm doing:

11 lbs. 2-Row
1 lb. Vienna
.75 lb. Crystal 60L
.50 lb. Para-Pils

.50 oz Amarillo (9.3% AA) - 60 minutes
.50 oz Amarillo - 25 minutes
.50 oz Centennial (10.3% AA) - 25 minutes
1.0 oz Centennial - 10 minutes
.50 oz Amarillo - Flameout
1.0 oz Centennial - Flameout
.50 oz Amarillo - Dry hop 5 days
.50 oz Centennial - Dry hop 5 days

I may add another oz of something to dry hop. Too much variety to throw an oz of Simco in there at dry hop?

Yeast = Safale US-05
 
you can overdo bittering hops in a brew, but late hops are a different story. I don't think you could make one too hoppy to drink, but you'll certainly get diminishing returns the more you put in.

In any case, 7.24oz is nowhere near that limit. It's rare I use less than that in an IPA
 
I just made an IPA using the most hops I've ever used in a 5gal batch:(9.25oz) and while I think it's the best IPA I ever made, I would like still more hop flavor. I'm striving to make an IPA that has as much hop flavor as Firestone's IPA or Green Flash's IPA. I think i'll put even more hops in my next batch.

Here is the recipe for my best IPA ever (so far):
10.5# 2 row
6oz C60
6oz carapils
1.25 USNB 75mins
2oz USNB 10mins
4oz Cas 1min w/ hopstand of 20 mins @ ~ 175f
2oz Cas DH
 
I just made an IPA using the most hops I've ever used in a 5gal batch:(9.25oz) and while I think it's the best IPA I ever made, I would like still more hop flavor. I'm striving to make an IPA that has as much hop flavor as Firestone's IPA or Green Flash's IPA. I think i'll put even more hops in my next batch.

Here is the recipe for my best IPA ever (so far):
10.5# 2 row
6oz C60
6oz carapils
1.25 USNB 75mins
2oz USNB 10mins
4oz Cas 1min w/ hopstand of 20 mins @ ~ 175f
2oz Cas DH

What hop is the USNB?
By the way...how do the C60 and carapils affect that taste? What characteristics do you get out of them?
 

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