cant get the smell right.

I have brewed six batches up to now. All of them have been extracts. I have had good results as far as taste but the smells have been a little off for all of them. I can't give a good description of the smell other than it is off. Is there any general tips to get the smell right. I don't know if this post really makes alot of sense.

Mostly depends on what style(s) you're brewing and what this "off" smell is. Does it smell like something is wrong, or that you just don't have the hop aroma you want?

I don't get the hop aroma I am looking for. I just get a general beer smell. Nothing stands out in each style that I have brewed that defines each of the styles. They kind of smells like Coors. I don't smell anything that I would call bad just bland and kind of blah.

The hop aroma is most pronounced with late hop additions (especially if you add at flame-out). If you get a good taste, well that should be the main thing (IMHO) but if you have access to them, try using whole hops or leaf hops for the last addition. I have some recipes that have an addition at the very end of the boil (flame-out) and for those, I like using whole hops -and end up with a nice nose-pleasing aroma. Adding them at this late stage will give the beer more aroma than bittering and doesn't (seem to) have a lot of effect on the actual flavor. Or maybe my sense of taste isn't acute enough. Works for me, anyway.

What happens when dry hopping with pellets?

what are your fermentation temps? You could be getting off flavors from stressed yeast that is covering up any hop aroma you should be getting.

Be careful with your carbonation, I've noticed if I overcarb something in my keg, it loses a lot of hop aroma, even when I manage to get the carb back down to the right level.

My fermenters sit at about 67f ambient. I have an IPA in primary now that is 2 weeks in that I dry hopped a few days ago. This will be my first try at dry hopping.

Nightbiker said:

The hop aroma is most pronounced with late hop additions (especially if you add at flame-out).

Click to expand...

+1
Focus on your late hop additions and dry hopping (when appropriate). If the IPA you have dry hopping right now still smells "blah" then you have something else going on. I love hop aroma in my APA's and IPA's and usually dry hop with at least three ounces.

boxofjibboo said:

What happens when dry hopping with pellets?

Click to expand...

You get a bit more trub on the bottom (grin). Seriously, that should work, but for dry hopping I much prefer (and believe you get better results, but that could just be due to preference) whole or leaf hops. Probably not a bad idea to harvest yeast before you dry hop though -if you're going to do this. And in all honesty I could be off my rocker with that advice, but its how I do it.