Hoppy Beer and Aroma along time

[kstiglich]

Hello Fellows,
I brewed a Torpedo IPA clone, followed by a Dry hopping of 7 days with
0.8oz Citra
0.8oz Hallertauer
0.8oz Magnum

It is calculated to 65 IBUs according with Beersmith.
Color 33EBC
ABV 7.3%


I transferred it into the primary fermenter on July 04 with Brix 16.4
On Monday 07, gravity was Brix 9.0 and started Dry hopping.
On Monday 15, I transferred it to a secondary and gravity was Brix 7.7
On Sunday 20, I transferred it to a keg and taste it spectacular...great aromas, and balanced flavor.
On Monday 21, started carbonation 30 PSI for 48 hours, and changed to 12PSI on wednesday.

Today, I tried and I could not find any of the flavors I smell originally when I transfer from secondary to keg. Beer was at 33ºF, I will try it again at 50ºF, but I am curious to know if there are any other aspects that will change the flavor in that process??

 

[Wolfbrau]

Two things. First, all hop-forward beers do better towards cellar temperatures. Second, as time goes on, the best indicator for a brewer as to how good the hop aroma and flavor in a particular batch of homebrew? How fast you drink it! Award winning, balanced beers are much more nuanced but ultimately less aggressive than their fermenting progenitors. Drinkability is a better a measure for massive hop aroma and flavor as any quantitative analysis in the final package.

 

[PrinceOfThePoint]

33°F is nearly freezing. Temperatures that low can definitely diminish the amount of detectable hop aroma. I would give it another try when it is warmer.

 

[kstiglich]

All your answers now come to my mind with one new question...
I thought always the best way to store any beer style was colding it near 32ºF, because it would precipitate most of yeast and proteins, thus it would help it to clarify any beer...
Maybe we would assume that any beer should be stored for a couple of months at 32ºF, but before serving it, we must consider tempering lager to 40ºF and Ales to 50ºF...??

Or do you recommend storing them during the same period, two or three months each one on the temperature they will be served?

Typically I follow the next processes :

For Lager
1. Fermentation at their yeast temps between 38º~42ºF for 5 days (exact temps depends on the yeast used) until 80% or 90% of fermentation completed.
2. Lager at 32ºF for 7 days or until 100% fermentation is completed.
3. diacetyl rest for 48 hours at 60ºF
4. Lager again at 32ºF, carbonate it and maturate for 3 or 4 weeks
5. Keep it at 32ºF until served at the same temp...

Ales
1. Fermentation at their yeast temps between 68ºF~74ºF for 7 days (Exact temps depends on the yeast used) until 100% of fermentation is reached.
2. Keg it and lager at 32ºF and start carbonation when cold.
3. Carbonate for 1 week and maturate if needed for 2 or 3 weeks at 32ºF
4. Keep it at 32ºF until served. I guess you should move to 50ºF for serving, and keep it again on 32ºF or do I have to keep it on 50ºF during the following months while I am consuming my beer?

Regards

 

[MrHopScotch]

Once your beer is carbonated, switching temps is a real pain, as the amount of co2 dissolved is highly dependent on temperature for any given pressure.

For example, a beer carbonated at 33F and 10 psi might need something like 18 or 20 psi at 50 degrees. Every time you switch the temperature, you would need to change the pressure to keep from having foam problems.

I generally keep my kegerator set at about 40 degrees. This is plenty cold to get the yeast etc to drop out and leave a very clear beer, but still serves at the perfect temperature. Once 40 degree beer goes up through the lines, through the warmer shank, through the warmer faucet, and into a room temperature glass, the beer is right around or just below cellar temperature.

You can still cold crash just above freezing, but I would warm it up to your final serving temp before you carbonate and leave it there for the duration.

Cheers

 

[AnOldUR]

I transferred it into the primary fermenter on July 04 with Brix 16.4
On Monday 07, gravity was Brix 9.0 and started Dry hopping.
On Monday 15, I transferred it to a secondary and gravity was Brix 7.7

I don't speak fluent brix, but looks like OG was 1.067. You dry hopped at 1.036 and it ended at 1.031.

With that much residual sweetness, you'll lose a lot of hop character. That is whatever was left after dry hopping before reaching final gravity.

 

[JonGrafto]

If you are using a Refractometer you can't use the readings you get unless you convert them.
When alcohol is present, it messes up the readings.

Here is a chart to still use your refractometer after fermentation.

http://www.brewersfriend.com/refractometer-calculator/

 

[Agate]

Brix 16.4 to 7.7 is about 1.009 FG after adjustment, for anyone keeping score.

 

[AnOldUR]

. . . for anyone keeping score.

Score? One to one. Failed on the Brix conversion, but stick by not dry hopping before reaching final gravity.

 

[Agate]

Score? One to one. Failed on the Brix conversion, but stick by not dry hopping before reaching final gravity.

Completely agree. I wasn't being critical, just had the calculator handy so thought I would post the numbers it spat out. Cheers!

 

[JonGrafto]

Brix 16.4 to 7.7 is about 1.009 FG after adjustment, for anyone keeping score.

That is interesting. The brewersfriend calculator has this at 1.012 after adjustment.

Which calculator did you use to get 1.009 ??

I wonder why there is a difference?

 

[Agate]

That is interesting. The brewersfriend calculator has this at 1.012 after adjustment.



Which calculator did you use to get 1.009 ??



I wonder why there is a difference?

I use the "RefracTool" app on my phone-- I've tested it against NB's online calculator and BeerSmith and they've given me the same number, but I've never tried the one you used. There seems to be quite a bit of error in all of them, though, so the difference between your number and mine might be just noise. The only reason I did the comparison in the first place is because I didn't quite trust it... Again, sorry if my previous comment came across as obnoxious, it wasn't the intent.

 

[Agate]

Here's the screen output, for reference.

 

[kstiglich]

Actually, I also use a different webpage to adjust refractometer readings, and I got 1.012. It will change because each calculator use a wort correction factor.
In that case, I use 1.040 factor for all my readings, but I found that some other tools use different factors. How they define which factor to use, I have no idea!

http://seanterrill.com/2012/01/06/refractometer-calculator/

By the way, I start dry hopping when my adjusted gravity was on 1.016, and after a week dry hopping it reach 1.009 that was great for my objectives.

But the main concern of my question is regarding the temperature used to maturate the beer, lager it and serve it.....

 

[kstiglich]

Here's the screen output, for reference.

View attachment 214592

Great image....do you know if the wort factor is adjustable?

 

[Agate]

Great image....do you know if the wort factor is adjustable?

No, there's nothing in it for a wort factor. That's good info-- it's most likely a more accurate model than the three I referenced, which I would guess use the same approximations. Thanks for the feedback!

Full disclosure- I had to dust off my hydrometer for my last IIPA because I didn't believe the refractometer calculator I use. They're convenient, but nothing beats a primary transducer when you need a reliable reading. Just for fun, I'll put the values into your referenced calculator to see if it matches the hydrometer reading better!

 

[Agate]

And survey says... They both kind of suck. However, the Sean Terrill/ brewers friend calculators are less wrong, according to the one and only one sample I entered. The IIPA I entered started at 24.8, and ended at 8.8 brix. Measured final gravity was 1.010, whereas the calculator I use yielded about 1.004, which isn't reasonable. The other gave me 1.006, although it's possible I used it wrong. Please correct me if that's the case.

This'll be the end of my contribution to the thread derailment. In terms of the actual topic, I think AnOldUR hit it on the head.