carrotmalt
Well-Known Member
I got rave reviews when I brewed a batch of Centennial Blonde a few months ago, so I decided to brew another batch. I know it's not supposed to be particularly hoppy, but I figured I'd add in a bit more late addition hops (3 minute and flameout) and see what difference it made.
I let it primary for 3 weeks, cold crashed, then racked it to a corny on CO2. After a week or so, I wanted to taste it just to get an idea of how it was coming along (Me = Antsy Pants).
It was still a little cloudy and a little yeasty, but man, I could really taste and smell the late cascades! My small sample turned into about 3 pints and I was really excited thinking it would only get better once it cleared a bit.
Literally two days later, I pulled a pint and sure enough it was clearer. Unfortunately, my late hop additions were nowhere to be found. Tasted just like the first batch did w/o them. It's good, don't get me wrong, but I just can't seem to keep any hoppy flavor.
Same thing happened when I brewed an IPA. While it was still a bit green and cloudy, it had a great hoppy nose and flavor. Then after a week or so, it looked great, but the hoppiness was only a fraction of what it had been.
I know I've read to drink the hoppy ones young, but I'm only talking the difference in a few days. I'm starting to think that the yeast in suspension is absorbing the hop flavor, and I'm just drinking a bit more yeast in the first few pints, leaving the rest much less hoppy. Any truth to this?
I let it primary for 3 weeks, cold crashed, then racked it to a corny on CO2. After a week or so, I wanted to taste it just to get an idea of how it was coming along (Me = Antsy Pants).
It was still a little cloudy and a little yeasty, but man, I could really taste and smell the late cascades! My small sample turned into about 3 pints and I was really excited thinking it would only get better once it cleared a bit.
Literally two days later, I pulled a pint and sure enough it was clearer. Unfortunately, my late hop additions were nowhere to be found. Tasted just like the first batch did w/o them. It's good, don't get me wrong, but I just can't seem to keep any hoppy flavor.
Same thing happened when I brewed an IPA. While it was still a bit green and cloudy, it had a great hoppy nose and flavor. Then after a week or so, it looked great, but the hoppiness was only a fraction of what it had been.
I know I've read to drink the hoppy ones young, but I'm only talking the difference in a few days. I'm starting to think that the yeast in suspension is absorbing the hop flavor, and I'm just drinking a bit more yeast in the first few pints, leaving the rest much less hoppy. Any truth to this?