Ways to mellow a "grapefruity" IPA?

Just finished a customized version of a DFH 60min IPA clone and I think I may have dry-hopped for too long(two weeks). It's been conditioning in bottles for three weeks now, but upon opening, it tasted way too grape-fruity to me. I love hops, but my brew tastes almost more like sweet grapefruit juice than beer right now. I'm wondering if doing a late malt addition and partial boil contributed to this flavor(the clone recipe called for full boil and normal malt addition).

I've read some threads where people say this flavor can mellow with age. If that's the case, how long is "with age"? Other than combining it with another beer, can anyone recommend anything other than a bit of patience?

Thanks much!

seems to me, you already answered your own question. Patience is the answer.

enderwig said:

seems to me, you already answered your own question. Patience is the answer.

Click to expand...

Yup, or you can pass it off as a new Bud Light beer with grapefruit instead of lime.

It will most likely lose the intensity of the grapefruit flavor over time. Having said that, I love that flavor...but to each his own.

Rick500 said:

It will most likely lose the intensity of the grapefruit flavor over time. Having said that, I love that flavor...but to each his own.

Click to expand...

Yeah, me too. I was gonna say for him to ship it to me, but it didn't look like an option he would be willing to do.

Give it time, I did an IPA with all Columubs. Extreme grape fruit when it was young. Gave it a couple weeks and it mellowed out nicely ... that or I learned to love it.

I do love a hoppy beer but damn. Maybe I dry hopped with the wrong hops. I did have to make some hop substitutions to the recipe.

I'll give it a few more weeks. In the short time I've been homebrewing, I'm already noticing I give my beer a bit more leeway than I normally would any other beer. I want them to all taste great, BUT...

Then again, I can find the good in every beer!

Hopsie said:

Then again, I can find the good in every beer!

Click to expand...

Dude, good attitude to have.

But personally, I really like grapefruity IPAs.... I also like really earthy IPAs. Frak, I just love IPAs in general.

A couple weeks of aging will help but to really notice a difference I'd say you should hide your beers away and forget about them. Give it a month or two and you'll see a huge dip in grapefruitiness

I don't think the grapefruit flavor came from dry-hopping. Dry hopping gives you aroma. What was your hop schedule?
But as was already stated, let this one age for a while then give it another try! I'm sure it will be drinkable.

KayaBrew said:

I don't think the grapefruit flavor came from dry-hopping. Dry hopping gives you aroma. What was your hop schedule?
But as was already stated, let this one age for a while then give it another try! I'm sure it will be drinkable.

Click to expand...

I dry hopped for 26 days...definite flavor in there...

OP, why not blend it in a pitcher with a sweeter beer before serving?

KayaBrew said:

I don't think the grapefruit flavor came from dry-hopping. Dry hopping gives you aroma. What was your hop schedule?
But as was already stated, let this one age for a while then give it another try! I'm sure it will be drinkable.

Click to expand...

I do realize that it may not be dry hopping at all. Keep in mind this batch is the second time I've ever brewed, so I'm still in the learning stages. Since it was a Dogfish Head IPA clone that calls for continuous hopping, I threw in a hop pellet or two about every minute or so according to the recipe(I divided all the hop varieties and weighed them before I started).

Since I couldn't do a full boil, I was worried that adding all the malt extact from the beginning would cut the IBU in half(hop utilization...still don't quite understand it all). So I added 2 lbs of LME at the start and the last 4lbs of LME the final 15min. I'm wondering if modifying that step might have given me a better balance of malt vs. hops.

Thanks to all for the advice. I wish I could buy you all a beer!

Hey man, i am in EXACTLY the same boat! I brewed a Demon IPA (6.66% ABV) using Simcoe and Amarillo, dry hopped with Cascade for 2 weeks. It is PUNGENT!!! I know it has potential from the initial taste but the hop massacre afterwards just kills me!

Time heals everything.

Grapefruit flavor comes from a citrusy american C hop added during the boil, not from malt additions or dry hopping. I am drinking an IPA now that I based on Ed's Stone IPA clone recipe, but I used all centennial. It tastes like sweet grapefruit, and I absolutely love it. If that's not what you're looking for, try brewing it again with something not so citrusy. Good luck.

It will probably be best after 3 months. My first batch of 3CPA took that long.

I'd count Amarillo among the 'C' hops for being citrusy. My all Amarillo IPA is very grapefruity.

In my experience, the grapefruit will eventually mellow into citrus over the next 3-4 weeks.

Some love the grapefruit, I do not. I do, however, relish the citrus, if you know what I mean.

KayaBrew said:

I don't think the grapefruit flavor came from dry-hopping. Dry hopping gives you aroma. What was your hop schedule?
But as was already stated, let this one age for a while then give it another try! I'm sure it will be drinkable.

Click to expand...

Dry hopping will add flavor & aroma. If over done (too long) it will be grassy tasting. When the aroma is strong it really impacts flavor. Pinch your nose and take a swig of a good hoppy beer if you don't believe me.

Late additions, say at the last 5 minutes, will add tons of long term flavor more so than dry hopping. The latter dissipates with time.

homebrewer_99 said:

I dry hopped for 26 days...definite flavor in there...

OP, why not blend it in a pitcher with a sweeter beer before serving?

Click to expand...

I disagree with blending this. Hold off and taste it again with a little bit of age. If you like spicy foods pop one open with chili, tacos, anything Tex-Mex or Thai.

Sometimes the mood you are in will effect the taste too. Also give this beer a good pour in a large pint glass, so you get a good head. Pour down the side 2/3 of the way then straight up! Should get a two-finger head. This will let out alot of CO2 which can change the taste a bit.

knuckleball said:

In my experience, the grapefruit will eventually mellow into citrus over the next 3-4 weeks.

Some love the grapefruit, I do not. I do, however, relish the citrus, if you know what I mean.

Click to expand...

+1 to this. The beer will grow on you. Let it sit. Go buy a few good micros and another beer kit.

You will kick yourself if you drink 1/2 of this batch before you realize its GD awesome!