Wet vs Dry Hopping

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beachman

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As the title suggests, I'm looking for guidance on when dry hopping isadvantageous. I have only done it once (on Old Peculiar, where a friend recommended it). I guess I'd like to know the theory behind when to do it and then what particular types of beers it would be recommended for. I have made ESB, Ginger Beer, Rauchbier, and a Dutch Dark Lager recently and didn't dry hop any of them, although I always do a primary and secondary frementation. I have a Scottish Ale I will start today.
 
Dry hopping imparts a huge amount of fresh hop aroma/flavor. So any style of beer where this is appropriate, you want to dry hop.

Mainly they would be confined to American Pale Ales, India Pale Ales, Barleywines and in some cases Russian Imperial Stouts.

None of the beers you mentioned earlier are suited for dry hopping. Even an ESB, with its late hop additions in the boil, isn't normally dry hopped.
 
Thanks. A to the point answer. I will be doing a Pale Ale (Sierra Nevada type) next so will try it there.
 
I'll second BierMuncher. There is an evolving style that I think of as Cascadian Dark Ale. It's basically a large Brown with an IPA hop profile. The 2007 hop crisis curbed it, but I expect it will come back.
 
Wet hopping (i assume you mean boiling) imparts bitterness to a brew, the alpha acids are not released unless the hops are boiled, to do this boil the hops usually for around 20mins and sometimes in a few stages eg 20mins cascade 10 mins amarillo etc... this will add ibu bitterness to the brew whereas dry hopping adds aroma and flavor and can give a sense of bitterness without actually being bitter.
 
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