Dry Hop to Mellow Bitterness?

[phishheadmi]

So I recently brewed a partial mash Nut Brown...Northern Brewer's Nut Brown extract kit with steeping grains. I added to the steeping grains a bit and did more of a "partial mash" than a "grain steep". Anyway, due to a murphy's law type brew day, I wound up adding way more fuggles (nearly double) than I should've at the 60 minute mark (the only hop addition so far)...resulting in what seems to be a really bitter brown. Now, I love English Bitter Ales, and my wife loves really hoppy beers, so I think all's not lost...the flavors are good, just too much fuggles. I'm wondering about balancing the bitterness with a dry hop addition.

Fermentation is complete, and I could rack to a keg, or do a secondary with dry hop addition...or just dry hop in the primary? I have some goldings on hand, which I think would go well with the fuggles...also have cascade, centennial, tettnanger, more fuggles, simcoe, amarillo...maybe an oz of galaxy.

thoughts?

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

I don't think dry hopping will do it. It won't really do anything for the bitterness except possibly enhance the hop bitterness by reinforcing it with hop aroma.

You don't mention the planned IBUs vs the actual IBUs. If it is 20 vs 40, it may not be a big deal. If it is 40 vs 80, you may have yourself an Imperial Nut Brown. I would go ahead and keg it and give it a few weeks for the flavors to meld. Then give it a try and see what you think. If it's too bitter give it a month or three to mellow or you could blend it with a low hopped beer.

 

[daksin]

Yeah, a dry hop is only going to add more hop flavor/aroma but won't do much to the bitterness. Not a lot you can do to make it less bitter at this point- I'd let it ride and see how it tastes!

 

[phishheadmi]

Ok, thanks all. I'm going to keg this week and see what's what. I'll let it rest as long as I can!

 

[beergolf]

Yes, not much you can do at this point. Just let it ride and ir should mellow some. Also Fuggles is a pretty low AA hop so it probably is not that bad of a mistake. A double dose of Magnum would be much different.