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EndOfTheWorldBrewing

EndOfTheWorldBrewing

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Just transfered to the secondary hoping to make an IPA no luck total IBU's based on program was 81 used 2 ox cascade 2 oz (6.1) 2oz brewers gold(9.4)
1 oz mt hood(6.7) tasted after primary fermentation was complete no dice not the kick in the ass IPA i was hoping for I do have 2 oz whole leaf cascades in the fridge and I just transfered is it worth throwing them in a grain bag and letting them sit in he secondary for 3 weeks to ring up my IBU's or should I just deal with it and go back to the drawing board. By the way I literally just transfered I can still add a dry hop.

Thanks.
 
Dry hopping will not add IBU's. To increase the base bitterness you have to boil the hops to isomerize them. You could try a hop tea by boiling them in water (some use a French Coffee press for this).

With a dry hop, you will be adding lots of hop flavor and aroma with almost no bittering to alter the balance of the beer.

81 IBU is respectible tho. What was your OG and how attenuative was your yeast?
 
What was your addition schedule?

Also, did you add any plain water in your fermenter? If your gravity was above 1.050 during boil you have to correct for that in your calculations. You also cannot add bitterness after the boil is finished. Just aroma and flavour.
 
Yeah, the bitterness might be set, but you can help it out by dry-hopping.

I heard dry hopping for too long can add grassy flavors though. I do it for like 5 days, and it adds tons of aroma (which effects the apparent flavor as well!)
 
EndOfTheWorldBrewing said:
Just transfered to the secondary hoping to make an IPA no luck total IBU's based on program was 81 used 2 ox cascade 2 oz (6.1) 2oz brewers gold(9.4)
1 oz mt hood(6.7) tasted after primary fermentation was complete no dice not the kick in the ass IPA i was hoping for I do have 2 oz whole leaf cascades in the fridge and I just transfered is it worth throwing them in a grain bag and letting them sit in he secondary for 3 weeks to ring up my IBU's or should I just deal with it and go back to the drawing board. By the way I literally just transfered I can still add a dry hop.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

If your Alfa acid level is not where you want it, you could add hop extract. Your LHBS may have some. Don't use hop oil though. Those that are "purist" brewers would not look favorably on using such a crutch method though, but who cares, it's your beer.
 
I try to avoid dry hopping longer than 14 days. Usually 10 days is my max. I will however dry hop for 10 days. Remove those hops and then add new hops to dry hop another 10 days if I really want a lot of hop aroma. I think 3 weeks dry hopping would just make the beer taste grassy as GaryJohn was saying.
 
at 81, you are probably good with your real IBUs.

dry hopping won't add IBUs, but it will add aroma that will accentuate the IBUs that you do have and probably give you that kick in the rear hops that you are looking for.

dry hop the 2 oz of cascades you have for 7 to 10 days, then bottle, give it a few weeks and see what you get. I'm bettin you'll be happy with it
 
Your bitterness will come out much more when it's carbed, uncarbonated beer often tastes almost sweet and nothing like the finished product, I wouldn't worry about it.
 

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