Maris Otter / Cascade SMASH - Dry hop needed or not?

[aartdouglass]

Hey guys, first post in a long time.

We were walking around downtown Kalamazoo Saturday morning and on a whim I stopped by Bell's General Store to pick up the ingredients for a BIAB SMASH. I didn't have a specific recipe, so I just picked up some Maris Otter, 2 oz of Cascade, and a pack of WLP001. Today I used BeerSmith to make a quick recipe for a 2.5 gal batch (I brew on the stovetop):

6.5 lb Marris Otter
1 oz Cascade (60 min)
0.25 Cascade (45 min)
0.25 Cascade (30 min)
0.25 Cascade (15 min)
0.25 Cascade (0 min)
1 pkg WLP001

To be honest, I haven't been brewing much the last two years, and not without a recipe, and I was just kind of winging it. I'm not sure if the hops schedule makes any sense or not, I just know the calculated IBUs are within range for an American IPA and the later additions should give me some aroma. Actually looking around at some other recipes, though, I see a lot of folks dry hopping their SMASH recipes. I was wondering if anyone with more experience than me would be able to look at my recipe and tell me whether I definitely need to dry hop, or if it wouldn't hurt to just see how it turns out. Honestly, I'm inclined to just see how it turns out, but if it's a situation where it's clear that there is not going to be enough aroma then I'm happy to pick up some more cascade and dry hop.

Here's some more detailed notes from my brew day in case it's interesting P):

• Single crush for malt
• Mashed in @ 154.9*F, 5 gal SS pot
  lost approximately 1 cup water from overflow of mash
  82:30 temp @ 149.9*F
  65:00 temp @ 147.7*F
  49:00 temp @ 144.1*F
  47:00 stirred mash
  46:00 temp @ 145.0*F
  27:00 temp @ 145.5*F (after mixing)
  added 1 qt boiling water
  25:00 temp @ 147.4*F
  15:00 temp @ 146.3*F
  05:00 temp @ 145.2*F
  00:00 temp @ 145.4*F (after mixing)
• Mash out approx 169-170*F for 10 min
• Approximately 4 gal @ 12.5 Brix (1.051 SG)
• 45 min hops addition made at 42 min
• Immersion chiller added to boil @ 5 min
• Flame out at ~16:40
• Approximately 0.5 gallon boil off
• Just under 15 brix (1.061 --> 1.060 sg)
• Cooled to 65*F ~ 17:10 (30 min from flame out)
• Whirpooled and left in sink during dinner, tinfoil cover
• Temp ~65*F @18:45
• Wort transferred to primary 3 gal glass carboy via racking cane
• Began pulling significant break material around 2 gal, quit at 2.3 gal
• Pitched @ ~65*F, 19:10
• Primary in basement @ 67*F

 

[kh54s10]

It all depends on what you want. If you want a really hoppy beer, do a dry hop. It you don't desire a really hoppy beer leave the dry hop out. As is it is like an APA. If you dry hop it would be more like an IPA.

I have gone to simplifying my hop additions. For your recipe I would have used the amount needed for the IBU I want at the 60 minute mark then add the rest at either 10 minutes or even at flame out. I haven't noticed anything negative and it makes brewday easier.

 

[aartdouglass]

Ok, cool. As long as it still has the potential to be a good beer, just more of an APA than an IPA, I think I'll leave it as it is. Thanks for the advice on the hops additions!

 

[jerbrew]

Well I differ a little in my opinion. If you're doing a smash then you don't want an APA or an IPA you want a Smash. The whole point is to get all you can out of the hop and the grain. To experience everything. That being said, a dry hop is unique in its ability to let you know what s hop smells like in a beer. Varying that amount will give it more of an IPA/APA feel. An ounce or less dry hop will be like an APA 3oz like an IPA. If I do a smash ( like a golden promise comet which I am currently boiling right now ) I do fwh an add at 15 a large FO and all the rest I have in a dry hop. I'll know what Comet is like and I'll get a sense for how golden promise stands up to hopping.

I say dry hop it but do it in a quantity you feel confident with. Cascade is glorious. One of my top five favorite hops.

 

[jerbrew]

An addition.

Smash beers are great cuz next time you brew an APA or an IPA you can really gauge what cacsade and MO will bring to the table it allows you to really understand the flavors your integrating into a beer recipe. Good luck in sure it will be be great.

 

[RM-MN]

When you add the hops makes the difference in the bitterness or flavor/aroma. Those hops added at 60, 45, and 30 will be mostly adding bitterness as supposedly 90% of the bittering happens in the first 30 minutes. The 15 and 0 minute additions will be flavor/aroma (those are linked) hops. The heat from the wort will drive off some of the aroma which is why dry hopping is used to get more aroma.

Cascade hops will carry through some flavor/aroma from a 60 minute boil but it will be subdued. I'd probably brew this batch with only the 60 minute addition so you can barely taste the hops and the Maris Otter will not be overwhelmed. The other possibility would be to split the batch and do half with only the 60 minute addition and the other half with a 60 and 10 minute addition to get a better idea of what Cascade hops bring.