To Dry hop or not to Dry hop

[awshucks5]

I know that brewing beer is all about your personal taste. However, if I dry-hop this beer, I may ruin a perfectly good thing. I have a great IPA in the fermenter at 72F and it smells amazing.
1 oz Centennial (60 min)
1 oz Centennial (15min)
0.5 oz Citra (15 min)
1.5 oz Citra (1 min)

I was planning on dry hopping with an oz of Simcoe and and oz of Citra tomorrow but the beer is arguably the best aroma I have ever smelled in an IPA. My question is, should I dry hop? Will this smell diminish as I condition in the bottles? I would hate to dry hop and then ruin what I have, but it would also be nice to know if I dry hop it now, that the added aroma from the dry hopping will do nothing but help my cause.

Thanks guys,

 

[anico4704]

Though I'm sure you would be fine either way. I definitely say dry hop. You will not make your beer any worse but possible may make it even better IMO. I would think your aroma you have now would stay pretty consistent for a while otherwise as if its after fermentation none should be carried off for a while until maybe months down the road.

Or you could try just using the Citra as that is what your aroma is right now, though Simcoe and Citra go really good together

 

[bennie1986]

Dry hop it for sure! Can only improve on what you have! +1 on sticking with the same hops you've already used for this beer.

 

[hogwash]

Dry hop it! And I'm also in favor of using the same types you used in the beer. If you overdo it, it could make a really incongruous beer.

For example, I recently had a commercial IPA that had a heavenly aroma that I'm assuming was the result of using Citra as a dry hop but then that "flavor" was not in the beer when you drank it. It was really odd, the first time I've ever loved the aroma and thought "wow, this is going to be gooooood" and then didn't really like the beer that much when I took a sip. I like the aroma to be an indicator of the flavor.

 

[Snisup]

I can't imagine a non-dry hopped IPA.

Dry Hop FTW!

 

[rkbarnes82]

Always err on the decision to dry hop, you can never be wrong....never.

 

[Turner5]

Always err on the decision to dry hop, you can never be wrong....never.

This!

 

[one-L]

Always err on the decision to dry hop, you can never be wrong....never.

+1 I also second maybe sticking with what you have used in beer for your dry hop. That great aroma is going to fade over time, so why not give it a boost before it goes in the bottles to condition.

 

[BrutalBrew]

Why not try 2 batch's if your equipped? One with dry hop and one without. I personally would use the 1oz of Citra for dry hopping in your recipe and save the Simcoe for another brew day. 2 oz for 5g batch dry hopping is a lot IMO but that's just me. Everyone is different in what they like. Your talking extremely different brews if your trying to decide from not dry hopping to using 2 oz.

 

[crstevens15]

I think if you were to NOT dry hop you would be disappointed.

I just brewed a hoppy amber with simcoe/cascade and the fermenting aroma was amazing-the aroma of the beer has diminished considerably.

Use the same hops... It's gonna be good.

 

[awshucks5]

Thanks guys. I will just dry hop with Citra then. I have been researching on when to dry hop and also for how long. Beersmith is telling me to dry hop today, and I brewed on Monday. I would say that fermentation is done, based on my readings and the attenuation percentage. Does anyone dry hop in the primary? I was thinking about doing this for about 5 days and then cold crashing for a few days, then bottling. Any suggestions?

 

[fosaisu]

Thanks guys. I will just dry hop with Citra then. I have been researching on when to dry hop and also for how long. Beersmith is telling me to dry hop today, and I brewed on Monday. I would say that fermentation is done, based on my readings and the attenuation percentage. Does anyone dry hop in the primary? I was thinking about doing this for about 5 days and then cold crashing for a few days, then bottling. Any suggestions?

I dry hop in the primary, but I don't generally use a secondary. I generally like to leave the beer in the primary for ~ 21 days before bottling. So I will wait until day 16 to add the dry hops (which will give me 5 days of dry hopping). If I were going to use a secondary I would dry hop in the secondary, again adding the hops 5 days before I planned to bottle.

You've probably read this elsewhere but I'd advise using a bag for the dry hops to avoid lots more sediment in your beer at bottling time.

 

[Snisup]

My normal schedule is 2 weeks primary, then dry hop in primary for 5-7 days more. I've had good results with this technique.

 

[anico4704]

My normal schedule is 2 weeks primary, then dry hop in primary for 5-7 days more. I've had good results with this technique.

+1 I just throw the hops right in ther then put a mesh strainer over the auto siphone at bottling time. Works beautifully.

 

[terrapinj]

may smell amazing now but that will fade by time fermentation is done and even more so by time you have keg/bottle conditioned.

my rule of thumb, if you want the hops to be noticeable, dry hop it