Dry Hopping

I started to reply to a post and then realized I might be all wrong on a point.

When dry hopping, is it best to use low or high alpha hops? I don't remember where this thought got stuck in my head, but if memory serves right the alpha acids are best utilized during the boil for bittering and the beta acids are what lend to the aromatics. Since the primary point to dry hopping is for aromatics, wouldn't it make more sense to use a low alpha hop, or am I way off base in thinking that there is an inverse correlation to alpha/beta (or way off base for another reason, please enlighten)? I am fairly new to dry hopping and have only used low alpha hops (Willamette and some left over Fuggles once) in my dry hopping with very good results but if I can make it 'better' with high alpha hops then woohoo!!

High AA hops are great, but certain varities are even better.

I've been blown away by my Citra dry-hopped beers lately.

lgoolsby said:

I started to reply to a post and then realized I might be all wrong on a point.

When dry hopping, is it best to use low or high alpha hops?

if I can make it 'better' with high alpha hops then woohoo!!

Click to expand...

It's not really a "better or worse" scenario. Different hops-regardless of AAs, have different characteristics when used as dry hops.

Where your fuggle/willamette dry hopped beer was probably earthy, woody, and maybe a little bit spicy, a beer hopped with amarillo,chinook, columbus, or citra will be grapefruity, orangy, floral, or even mango flavored.