To dry hop or not dry hop?

So I just tasted my second batch of my own recipe and the hop aroma and flavor is pretty lacking. So obviously one solution is to dry hop but I only have 1oz of Yakima Magnum hops. What can I expect dry hopping with the Magnums?

Here is the original recipe(its my first recipe on my own and was an experiment):

6# Munich LME
3# Dark LME
1# Caramel 60L

60 min: 1oz Magnum
15 min: 0.5oz Magnum and Simcoe
5 min: 0.5oz Magnum, Simcoe and 1oz Palisades

7.1% ABV and 77.2 IBU
OG: 1.072
FG: 1.020
S-33 yeast(which despite the claims on the package has poor flocculation, its been 1 month and its as cloudy as it was at 1.5 weeks)


Flavor is pretty malty/caramel with the bitterness only showing up in the finish. My theory is that with the 5 minute additions I still lost most of the hop flavor because I cool using an ice bath and that allowed the hop flavor to still evaporate. And since its competing with the heavy malt flavor of the munich/dark it's simply being lost.

Should I dry hop with the magnums or would the magnums ruin it?

Thanks.

If 77 IBU at 1020 is too malty for you, I'd check your tongue out.

Also, isn't Magnum a pretty mildly flavored hop (aside from the tongue blistering bitterness)?

If you want more hop flavor/aroma I'd probably go for dry hopping an ounce or two of Simcoe or Amarillo.

Of course, more than 30 IBUs and I can't stand a brew, so I'm probably not the best person to get hopping advice from.

Looks like a dark IPA so yes you should dry hop it. Cascades--always dry hop with cascades.

I'd drop the Magnums in it if you don't have any of the "C" type hops. It will make it better.

Magnums are almost exclusively used for bittering, it'd be a shame to use them for dry hopping.
From brewsmith:

Dry Hop Selection

The first question that arises when dry hopping is which hops to use? Aromatic hops with low alpha rates (6% or less) are considered preferable because these hops have a higher percentage of fragile aromatic hop oils needed for dry hopping. All of the noble hops as well as most of the low alpha aromatic varieties are appropriate.

Examples include: Saaz, Tettnanger, Hallertauer, Goldings, Fuggles, Cascade and Williamette. You should select a hops that matches the origin and beer style – an English Goldings hops might be appropriate for an English Ale or India Pale Ale for instance

Click to expand...

I wish I could dry hop with something a little more "tame" but I live in an area with no home brew store so I'd have to order any hops online and pay more in shipping than for the hops themselves.

DavidHawman said:

I wish I could dry hop with something a little more "tame" but I live in an area with no home brew store so I'd have to order any hops online and pay more in shipping than for the hops themselves.

Click to expand...

How much do you love your beer? It's been good to you right? Go on, give a little something back to your brew, you'll only enjoy it all the more.

Amarillo, Simcoe, Cascade, Centennial, any of those would probably be very nice. You'll get more nose than flavor from the dry hopping, but it'll be good either way.

Seria Nevada's Torpedo is dry hoped with Magnum, Crystal, & Citra. If Magnum added nothing I'm sure they would not put it in there.

Magnum has noble hop aromas, so if you are looking for a Left-coast kick, it won't help.

Plus, magnum are high in alpha acids so from a cost point of view it seems like a waste to dry hop with them

shek said:

Plus, magnum are high in alpha acids so from a cost point of view it seems like a waste to dry hop with them

Click to expand...

Not really. Since hops tend to cost the same per weight, regardless of AA%, it's more of a waste to bitter with aroma hops, where you have to use more weight to get the same IBUs. You can dry-hop with whatever will give you a good aroma/flavor and it would cost the same.

Magnum may not be the best choice, but it's what the OP has and it would cost a lot more to order something better.

IMO, the only reason to not dry hop with it now would be if it would make the beer worse or unchanged.