Help me adjust an extract recipe?

[Jobu]

So I stopped by my LHBS yesterday to pick up something for my second attempt at brewing (first attempt produced oxygenated beer that tasted like sour cardboard). I found a basic, all-extract kit called "Super Bowl Pale". It had a little sticky note next to it that mentioned that if I wanted to "Mirror Pond-ize" it, to add a variety of ingredients. I love Mirror Pond so bought the additions. The problem is, I'm now confused about hop usage. I've looked up a few clone recipes, but of course they are all over the place so I'm hoping you can help me clear up boil times for hops and answer a few questions about dry-hopping. Here are the original and modified recipe:

Original Super Bowl Pale (60 min boil)
6# light malt syrup
2.5 oz. Cascade hops (1.5 oz @ 30 min; 1 oz @ 2 min)

Modified recipe
1# light DME
2 oz Cascade hops (.5 oz @ 60, 1 oz @ 20, .5oz dry hopped)

So as you can see, combining the two recipes to the letter comes up with 4 hop additions during the boil (@ 60, 30, 20, and 2 minutes) and a whole lotta hops: 4 oz in the main boil before dry hopping. Should I combine any of the additions? Should I back off on the total? I have a 5 gallon kettle and an outdoor burner, so I'm going to shoot for as much over 3 gallons as I can for the boil.

And a question about the dry-hopping: I'm planning on a single fermentation, and have read that you can lose a lot of the aroma that you are trying to add out the airlock. Since I won't be kegging or using a secondary, my plan was to add the dry-hops during the last 1/3 of fermentation. Is this a good idea? I also read that sterilizing hops isn't completely necessary, but is that true and if not, how should I go about doing so? (I have whole hops that came vacuum sealed, if that matters.)

TIA
Jobu

 

[chickypad]

That one's in the Can You Brew It database, using 1 oz cascade at 85, 30, 5, 0, and dry hop.
You could do 1 oz at 60, 30, 5, 0 and dry hop with your 0.5 oz left and be close enough (or get another ounce for the dry hop).

I'd recommend dry hopping after fermentation is finished, about 5 days before you're ready to package. You don't need to sterilize the hops, just drop them in. If you use a bag you'd want to sterilize that.


Edit: just realized I misread the clone recipe. It was .75 dry hop. So that schedule should be just about right on. They did deem it cloned. They've got a fair amount of crystal in the clone recipe though, which I don't see in yours but maybe the malt syrup they are using has some.

 

[beergolf]

That hop schedule looks fine.

You can just dry hop in the primary. Make sure fermentation is done. Add them and let them sit for about 5-7 days before you bottle. I just toss them in, but like the poster aove mentioned if you do want to use a hop sack, make sure to sterilize it.

 

[unionrdr]

30 minutes would start giving more bittering than flavor,& 5 minutes more aroma then flavor. I'd move the 30 to 20,& the 5 to 10 myself. I like flavor more than extra bittering from the 30 addition. Dry hop 7 days after FG & it's settled out clear or slightly misty.

 

[chickypad]

30 minutes would start giving more bittering than flavor,& 5 minutes more aroma then flavor. I'd move the 30 to 20,& the 5 to 10 myself. I like flavor more than extra bittering from the 30 addition. Dry hop 7 days after FG & it's settled out clear or slightly misty.

I agree, it's not necessarily the hop schedule I would use if designing a recipe but the OP is going for a clone and sounds like on the show they thought they hit it with that schedule. I think he/she needs the extra IBU's from that 30 min addition (or would need to up the 60 min).

 

[unionrdr]

Never tried the mirror pond myself,but maybe they use more bittering then hop flavor?

 

[beergolf]

30 minutes would start giving more bittering than flavor,& 5 minutes more aroma then flavor. I'd move the 30 to 20,& the 5 to 10 myself. I like flavor more than extra bittering from the 30 addition. Dry hop 7 days after FG & it's settled out clear or slightly misty.

I think that the original recipe did not have a 60 minute addition so the extra at 30 would be the bulk of the bittering. The revised recipe added .5 oz at 60. That way it is is probably not the most efficient use of hops but will work. He could add 1 oz at 60 and move some of the 30 minute hops to later for more flavor or aroma.

 

[Jobu]

Thanks you all for the input. I'll ponder a little longer before brew day, but I'm glad to know I'm not wildly off course.

I haven't had one in a few weeks (enjoying their Twilight Ale and Chainbreaker currently) but I never pegged Mirror Pond as a "hoppy" beer in either bitterness or aroma. I will admit to not having a very sophisticated palate, but are Cascade hops considered more "mild"?

This is also my first experience with this shop and their kits, so I don't have a lot of background on whether their recipes are any good.

Thanks again!