Can't Get Good Hops Flavor or Aroma in All Grain Brews

Hey guys, just finished my fifth all grain IPA and have been disappointed with the hop flavor and aroma. The last IPA I did used 1oz citra at 60, 1.5oz cascade at 30, 1.5oz cascade at 15, 1oz citra a 5 and then whirlpool with 1 oz citra. The bitterness is there but can't seem to get the flavor or aroma. Anyone else ever had this problem?

Oh yes. I've been working with an all-grain IPA recipe, and it always turns out being much less bitter and flavorful than I would like. I even talked to a professional brewer about it, and we came to the conclusion that I simply needed to add more hops. I ended up using some really harsh bittering hops and more aroma hops in the late boil. I also dry hop. Finally, the last batch tasted the way I wanted.

I wish I had a more conclusive answer for you. Have you looked at your water profile? I've read that a lack of minerals in the water can also dull hop flavors.

try a 15-20 minute hop stand after flame out with 3 oz of hops. i reduce my bittering addition to around 20 ibu then it's all late hops and hop stand. bitter and hoppy.

I'll give those suggestions a try. I've wanted to add more hops but the ibu's on beersmith go right off the chart. Guess I'll just try it anyway.

I've been meaning to get the water profile from our town but haven't done so yet.

Try a big hop stand at 180 degrees and perhaps again at 160.

Big dry hop addition as well.

Search around a bit...there is a huge thread going discussing the benefits of prolonged lower temperature hop stands.

I just brewed a batch with all hop additions after flameout with high alpha hops so I think I will still get ample bittering with more flavor and aroma.

Best to get your water tested, but a bit of gypsum may "brighten" your hops up as well.

Yea if you aren't dry hopping then you really need to. I usually add anywhere from 2 to 5+ ounces of hops in the dry hop phase

I'm gonna give all these suggestions a try next time. I'm really looking for a nice citrusy flavor and aroma and it kills me that I can't get it

I haven't tried hop stands, but dry hopping really brings out the hop flavor and aroma. I also like to add some additional hops to my kegs to give it a little more fresh flavor and aroma that seems to last longer.

Whoops, double post

Move your 30min to flameout, and definitely dry hop with at least 2oz.

You might want to look into your water chemistry too, that can dull hop perception.

water chemistry and mash ph. can have drastic effects.

IMHO, there's nothing like running through whole leaf hops in a hop back and then chilling to 60F in the plate chiller. On the down side, that's equipment intensive.

If you are looking for hop flavor (not bitterness) move most of your boiling hop schedule to after you turn off the flame, and as suggested by others here, it helps if those additions are added after you get down to 180 degrees, so that the essential oils are not volatilized. You'll want a good 3-4 oz or more in this addition for a 5 gallon batch, and you'll want them to soak (or better yet, whirlpool or agitate) for at least 20 minutes.

For aroma, you will need to dry hop. The amount of aroma you desire will dictate the amount of hops to add into the dry hop. For a big hop aroma, you will want more than 3 oz in the dry hop. I typically use 4-5 oz/5 gal. As far as dry hopping time and temperature, that's an entirely different discussion, but the conventional wisdom is mid-upper 60's for 5-7 days. The most important factor with dry hopping is to make sure you eliminate all oxygen from the equation. Lots of CO2 and careful transfers are your best friend here.

Really appreciating all the suggestions. Can't wait for the next brew day. Definitely gonna do the hop stand and dry hop and add more hops.

What yeast are you using? I recently brewed a series of IPAs and my conclusion was Cali yeast expresses hops the best. English strains were not as impressive; I think because they floc too much and take the aromatics from the hops. Just my theory.

I've been using Whits Labs California and have been making a 1.5 liter starter

You could also First Wort Hop (FWH). I find that FWH adds nice flavor without the harshness.

dannyjed said:

You could also First Wort Hop (FWH). I find that FWH adds nice flavor without the harshness.

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if all you did was a first wort hop you would get zero hop flavor. FWH is done for a supposed smoother bitterness not for flavor or aroma.

eastoak said:

if all you did was a first wort hop you would get zero hop flavor. FWH is done for a supposed smoother bitterness not for flavor or aroma.

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I have to disagree with you. I experimented once with a Pale Ale and used only FWH and a knockout addition and I got a lot of hop flavor. Gordon Strong states, "I do find a huge hop flavor contribution from FWH. The flavor I get is higher than an equivalent 20-minute addition."

dannyjed said:

I have to disagree with you. I experimented once with a Pale Ale and used only FWH and a knockout addition and I got a lot of hop flavor. Gordon Strong states, "I do find a huge hop flavor contribution from FWH. The flavor I get is higher than an equivalent 20-minute addition."

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i would guess that the knockout hops would have contributed the flavor but i'm always willing to look into any new data and learn new things.

+1 on Water Chemistry, this can have a significant effect on perception of biterness.