So from everything I have read, ipa's and other hoppy beers are best drunk rather young. But most people also mention bottle conditioning for a minimum of 3 weeks. So if you are using bottles for ipa's, is it best to bump the amount of hops/dry hops used in order to maximize flavor and aroma, as these fade with time?
Ipa's and bottle conditioning...
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cooper
Well-Known Member
In my experience, and from what I've read on here, you really dont have to worry about the hop aroma fading unless you've got some oxidation going on during bottling. They say the hop aroma is the first thing to go when you've had some oxidation. Also, I haven't noticed the hop aroma really start fading significantly until it's at least 6 months old or older. So if you're drinking your IPAs anywhere from 2 to 6 months after bottling then I think you'll be fine.
jwalk4
Well-Known Member
To add to what cooper said, I think that the hop taste/aroma fading thing gets played up more than it should. You still get great hop flavor and aroma if you've done it properly, and it is very difficult to do it improperly because there are so many was to dry hop.
But, to answer your question, in my experience, I have had consistent results by dry hopping for 3rd week for one week, in the primary.
But, to answer your question, in my experience, I have had consistent results by dry hopping for 3rd week for one week, in the primary.
My hoppy beers are usually best at about 4 weeks,with at least 1 week fridge time. They need some time to condition the flavors,not just carb up.
When people talk about hop flavor/aroma fading, they are talking about months/years and not weeks. A smaller IPA will still take months(6+ at least) to start to lose any sort of flavor/aroma.
Just my .02.
Just my .02.
Idk about that. More like 6-8 weeks they start fading.
I'll disagree, but thats just my experience with both homebrew and commercial beers.
BryceL
Well-Known Member
Looks like there is some debate on when aroma starts to fade, personally I seem to notice it after a few months. I've had a couple bottles of my IPA's after 8 months or so and I can definitely notice a reduced aroma. It's still got good aroma and tastes great, just not quite the same in your face punch you get with a fresh IPA.
To your original question though, it still needs time to condition so 3 weeks should be pretty good. An IPA should almost always be dry hopped, personally I do about a 3 ounce dry hop for an IPA.
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