Orange peel + dry hopping

Hey guys,

I'm planning to make an american pale ale soon, and I'm gonna use sorachi ace for the dry hopping. Last time I made that, that gave my brew a nice fruity taste. Now I'd like to do the same, and I may want to put some orange peel as well.

Do you guys think that it's gonna make a nice taste or will it be too fruity? I don't want to get sick of that beer after 2 pint either. So if it's too fruity, I won't be able to get wasted with that.

Any opinions?

I think that it'll be fine. There are several witbier recipes on this site that employ scads of zest and peel, with all of the usual citrusy hops, and I've seen no complaints about how fruity they are. Bovineblitz's Zest Bomb, in particular, employs Sorachi Ace, Citra, Palisades, and a handful or more of citrus zest.

I don't see any problem using orange in addition to the hops. You should probably just use zest, though, not the whole peel. You can add it at or near flameout easily--just grate a whole orange into the wort. Even an entire orange will add a subtle flavor. You could also consider adding up to an ounce of ground Indian coriander, which has a bright citrus aroma.

On that note, if it were my beer, I think I would use something other than Sorachi Ace to combine with the citrus. Of course, you have experience with that hop yourself, so you already have tried it and liked it. But to me, it doesn't taste all that much like lemon; it tastes much more like dill. So again, if it were me--but it's up to you--I would add something more "citrusy," such as Amarillo, Cascade, or Summit. Another choice would be Motueka, a New Zealand variety, that to me has a clearer lemon taste.

Ok, thanks for your recommendations. I'm gonna taste one with Sorachi Ace tonight just to make sure it goes well with orange.