Poor Hops Aroma

I have tried dry hopping a couple of times and have been disappointed in the results. The last time was better, where I added 1.5 ounces of pellets to a keg using a muslin bag and tying it to the dip tube.

But it's still not enough. I have had plenty of very good IPAs and IIPAs that have HUGE hop aroma. The kind that when you take a whiff, it almost transports you to another dimension...

Sometimes it may take multiple dry hopping sessions to get the desired aroma. Try going with 1-2 oz. the first week in the secondary, another 1-2 oz. the second week, and possibly another 1-2 oz. the third week. Adding them in increments like this should definately improve your hop aroma in the batch.

Do you do late hop additions? What about hops at flameout?

Ever read this?

Hop Aroma Essentials

Homercidal said:

I have tried dry hopping a couple of times and have been disappointed in the results. The last time was better, where I added 1.5 ounces of pellets to a keg using a muslin bag and tying it to the dip tube.

But it's still not enough. I have had plenty of very good IPAs and IIPAs that have HUGE hop aroma. The kind that when you take a whiff, it almost transports you to another dimension...

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Temperature can have a big effect on dry hopping. The hop God (Vinnie) suggests dry hopping between 70-72 degrees. The aroma on my IPA's has gotten better by raising the temp, I was dry hopping at like 65 degrees before. Also as was mentioned do multiple hop additions every couple of days and try mixing varieties. My favorite new combo is Cascade, Cenn. and Columbus. The Columbus has a nice spicyness.

Eastside

I don't know the variety, but I get more aroma off Centennial than I do Cascade and so I typically will blend the two to balance the bitter and the aromatic qualities of a dry hopping. Are you cold when you dry hop?

More hops! Buy bulk from hopdirect.com and you won't worry about the cost. I recently made a IIPA with 5 oz of dryhop. Mmmm.

I dry hop at room temp.

I have noticed better aroma coming off my beers by increasing the late additions. Dry hopping has never been a problem either. I would try dry hopping at room temp, and doubling some of the late additions and see how that works out for you.

Ed

My last IPA was a 3 ounce flameout addition and a 4.5 ounce dry hop. Of course, you can smell this from a few feet away, but I love it. I think the American 'C' hops are definitely best for all this.

You did not list your hop schedule and that may have a bearing on the problem. My suggestion would be to chill the wort as fast as possible after flame out. I frequently dry hop, but I've also never been particularly impressed with the result. I've have gotten much a much better hop aroma since practicing the fast chill routine.

Catt22 said:

My suggestion would be to chill the wort as fast as possible after flame out.

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+1

I wasn't happy about my hop aroma until I was conscious of this. Now I stir my flameout additions in with my immersion chiller right after I turn it on.

Well, my hops schedule is pretty much whatever is common for the recipes. 1-2 ounce bitter, 1 ounce at 20 or so, and 1 ounce at flameout.

I normally have my CFC prepped and ready to go by flameout, so all I have to do is hook up the siphon and prechill the copper. I figure about 5 minutes tops. My temps drop to pitching around 10 minutes at most.

My dry hopping is at room temp. The first time I hopped with pellets in a carboy for a week, shaking a little each day to get it to drop. The second time I used 1.5 ounce of cascade in the keg, as mentioned at room temp.

I actually had a glass of this young IPA last night and did notice the aroma, but I'm still wanting it to be more. I might pull that beer out of the fridge and dry hop again at room temp. I only stuck it in there to crash cool it so I could bottle for comps that are coming up. It's technically too young yet, but the deadlines were fast approaching.

Maybe next time I'll double the aroma hop addition at flameout.

That looks good, your chiller works faster than mine.

The other way is simply more hops. You ever see the recipe for Pliny? Holy crap, I don't even know how you squeeze any beer out of that recipe there's so much hops.

I'm personally not happy with my hop aroma IPA-wise without at least 2 oz. at flame out and 2 oz. dry hopped.

I do a bittering and then I start my flavor and aroma hop additions with 15 minutes to flameout. My dry hopping starts after fermentation in primary is complete. I leave about 2 oz in primary for a week and then xfer to 2ndary and dryhop an additional oz or 2 for another 5-7. Smells like a hopbomb with lots of flavor. I agree that the "C" hops are awesome for this. I've started experimenting with Perle also. Keep it warm and you shouldn't have a problem with getting the aroma out of the hops.

At Biermuncher's suggestion I tried adding some aroma hops after the wort has cooled to 185 F or so and that has helped. I usually FWH, add a little early in boil for bittering, and then load up on late additions with the last two additions coming at flameout and then at flameout minus 2 to 3 minutes. Other than the FWH and 60 min. addition I usually don't start adding hops again until 7 min. or less. Other than the FWH I don't even add any 'flavor' hops...it seems I get plenty from all the late (intended-to-be-aroma) additions. But I can't cool as fast as some...it takes me 15 minutes just to get down to 100 F.

I dry hop in the keg and I find it keep the hop aroma around untill the keg is gone..I'm dry hopping an IPA this week with 3.5 oz per keg.

Pat

From your response it seems that you need to add more hops in the DH addition and also try varying the hops. I like to start with 2oz/5gal and the go up to about 4-6oz. This is how my IPA's turn out hoppy enough in the aroma that I can be happy. The bigger the IPA, the more the hops.

I also strive to get at least 20% of my bittering in the last 20 minutes of the boil. This rule really helped me out.

SpanishCastleAle said:

At Biermuncher's suggestion I tried adding some aroma hops after the wort has cooled to 185 F or so and that has helped.

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+1, this is what I do. Also, make sure they steep for at least 20-30minutes, even if it's at pitching temps.

Matt Up North said:

From your response it seems that you need to add more hops in the DH addition and also try varying the hops. I like to start with 2oz/5gal and the go up to about 4-6oz. This is how my IPA's turn out hoppy enough in the aroma that I can be happy. The bigger the IPA, the more the hops.

I also strive to get at least 20% of my bittering in the last 20 minutes of the boil. This rule really helped me out.

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Looks like that is the consensus. Like I always tell the kids; Needs more hops!

I guess going by the recipes is just not good enough for a hophead!

That and you may not have the utilization that you think yet. If you do the 20% @ 20min you will notice a lot of increase in aroma and flavor. Then even a smaller dry hopping will be noticable.

Good luck and report back! Check out my Easy Imperial IPA in the recipes and you will notice that I added a lot of late addition hops and also use a good amount of DH. My ten gallon batches use 1lb or more! That is more than Sam Adams uses in a barrel

I just did an IPA and another hoppy beer is not on my schedule. I'm planning on either a Wit or Saison, while I plan my mega beer (16+ ABV).

I wish I had more people drinking my beer. I have to stop once in a while to catch up on the drinking!

I'm sure many of you know this(some don't), Vinnie from RR not only grows his own hops now but he has also been making his own hop oils and extracts for a while now. I have been experimenting with hop oils and extracts in finished beer now for almost a year and let me tell you, that is the SECRET!!!!! 1 drop will make a tripple hopped Miller Light taste....... well let's not get carried away! But trust me it's very clean and very AWESOME!!!!

Eastside

Doesn't look like it's been mentioned, but try using leaf hops. I don;t dry hop with pellets anymore because I just don't think they get the job done. Try the same 1.5 or 2oz of leaf in the carboy for a week and you'll be happy, trust. Of course more late additions will help as well.

I think that you get better oil from the leafs, but I also think that you have to add more to get the same sort of aroma and flavor. So definately possible, but different.