My new hop strategy

I am excited about my new hop technique. It saves me money, time, and beer. I leave my 5 minute whole hop additions in the wort, loose, and add them to the primary. To me, this has the same effectiveness in aroma as dry hopping but I don't have to spend extra money on more hops. It saves me beer because the hops are already saturated from the initial addition and won't act as sponges and steal my beer like dry hopping would. I made my RyePA this way and have found it has just as pleasant an aroma as when I dry hop. It gave me that huge hop aroma that I love in this beer. I have noticed a more pleasing aromatic character in the beer when I leave whole leaf hops in the beer as opposed to pouring in the sludge from a pellet addition. Not sure why. Anyone else do this?

Certain aroma compounds are knocked out almost instantly when the hops hit boiling wort. To me, dry hopping is a different aroma that late hop additions.

smizak said:

Certain aroma compounds are knocked out almost instantly when the hops hit boiling wort. To me, dry hopping is a different aroma that late hop additions.

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I know this and can't explain it. It is much more pronounced by leaving them in. I've done this recipe so many times by changing the hop strategy. It seems I am leaving a great deal of aroma behind by removing bagged hops after the boil.

Bagged hops maybe the difference. Have you tried to just use the hops loose and see if the aroma is the same?

I will always deal with loose hops and their consequences because I feel the greater agitation and exposure to the wort gives improved aroma and utilization.

hops armoas are lost during fermentation too... so the aroma will be more pronounced if you dry hop after the krausen falls.

sirsloop said:

hops armoas are lost during fermentation too... so the aroma will be more pronounced if you dry hop after the krausen falls.

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I wouldn't say the aroma is lost. It can't be 100% wiped out. Though I would agree you may lose some, but not all.

i was in the same boat as our thread starter here so i decided to do a little experiment. I did my Dawn of The Dead Ale with bittering and aroma hops, but no aroma hops. I just dry hopped it. It came out great. I will do this to all my hoppy beers from now on.

Donthoseme said:

i was in the same boat as our thread starter here so i decided to do a little experiment. I did my Dawn of The Dead Ale with bittering and aroma hops, but no aroma hops. I just dry hopped it. It came out great. I will do this to all my hoppy beers from now on.

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You said: I did my Dawn of The Dead Ale with bittering and aroma hops, but no aroma hops...how'd you use "aroma hops", but no "aroma hops"???

homebrewer_99 said:

You said: I did my Dawn of The Dead Ale with bittering and aroma hops, but no aroma hops...how'd you use "aroma hops", but no "aroma hops"???

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hahaha you got me! I had bittering and flavor hops but no aroma hops in the boil instead i dry hopped with East Kent Goldings and it worked really well.

Either I think you missed my point. I leave my aroma (<5min) hops loose in the boil and transfer them in the primary. I am noticing a more pronounced aroma than if I removed them before the pitch.

jmo88 said:

Either I think you missed my point. I leave my aroma (<5min) hops loose in the boil and transfer them in the primary. I am noticing a more pronounced aroma than if I removed them before the pitch.

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No i get your point i just think that i lose some aroma durring fermentation so instead of adding hops the boil and loose aroma through boiling and ferment i can get more aroma or as much aroma by just dry hopping.