Anyone ever tried an IPA with only FWH and dry hops?

[damdaman]

I was drinking one of my latest beers last night, a recipe that I really like and have made several times, and something tasted awesomely different about it. I looked up the notes from brew day, and realized I had tossed the 60min addition in as a FWH instead. Bingo. It was delicious...

It got me to thinking... I often can barely perceive any aroma from 5min additions, preferring dry hops. If FWHs basically do the function of 60min and 20min additions, and dry hops do a better job of adding aroma than 5min additions, why not try a hoppy recipe with only FWH and dry hops? Would make an interesting experiment if nothing else.

Has anyone tried this? What did you think about the results?

 

[carrotmalt]

I was drinking one of my latest beers last night, a recipe that I really like and have made several times, and something tasted awesomely different about it. I looked up the notes from brew day, and realized I had tossed the 60min addition in as a FWH instead. Bingo. It was delicious...

It got me to thinking... I often can barely perceive any aroma from 5min additions, preferring dry hops. If FWHs basically do the function of 60min and 20min additions, and dry hops do a better job of adding aroma than 5min additions, why not try a hoppy recipe with only FWH and dry hops? Would make an interesting experiment if nothing else.

Has anyone tried this? What did you think about the results?

I don't believe FWH does the same thing as a 20 minute addition. It may be similar, but still different than the 60 as well. The 5 minute addition probably adds more flavor than the dry hops. Sounds like you'd end up with a smooth bitterness and good aroma, but I'm not sure about flavor. I'd still be interested to see how yours turns out. Probably be good, but I think the various hopping intervals will yield different results.

 

[bruin_ale]

sounds like a good idea.. I'm not sold on the effectiveness of "flavor" additions anyhow.

 

[zuesy]

I make all of my IPAs and APAs with only FWH (actually, I tend to add at the end of collection) and additions at 10 and 5 with a big flameout addition and dry hops. I tend to get excellent hop flavor (even when I bottled). After many brews with this hop schedule, I don't think I'd do it any other way.

 

[Oldsock]

I did one with mash hops, sparge hops, FWH (removed at the start of the boil), flameout, and dry hop. Turned out well, plenty hoppy.

I'm not a believer in the logic that hops provide some "flavor" that isn't made up of iso-alpha acids and volatile aromatics. In less hoppy beers I could see that boiling hops for a short period of time could remove the most volatile compounds leaving heavier aromatics that are less present in the nose, and more present in the mouth. However for something really hoppy I don’t think adding additions between 5-60 minutes does much. Flameout hops certainly have a different character than dry hops, that I would miss.

 

[damdaman]

I don't believe FWH does the same thing as a 20 minute addition. It may be similar, but still different than the 60 as well.

Right, I suppose that's what I meant. It "does the same thing" in the sense that it adds bitterness and flavor. The 60min addition's purpose is bitterness, and the 20min addition's purpose is flavor. The character of that bitterness and flavor will be different, which I guess is the point.