IPA recipe....dry hop options/question

[timcook]

I am planning to brew the following IPA recipe in the next day or two. I'm not sure about my dry hopping yet. Any critique and/or suggestions of the recipe are welcome.

6# two row
6# Maris Otter
1.5# Rye Malt

.25 Magnum (60)
.5 Northern Brewer (30)
1 oz. Cascade (30)
1 oz. Northern Brewer (10)
1 oz. Cascade (5)

I am thinking about dry hopping 1 oz. Cascade and 1-2 oz. Centennial.

I plan to mash at 150-2*. I'm using Cal Ale 001 direct pitch.

What do others think? Any suggestions are welcome.

I've also got on hand (1) ounce of Columbus, (1) ounce of Williamette and a couple more of Centenial hops.

Tim

 

[dmtaylor]

You should use 4-5 oz dry hops in my opinion. Dump all of them in there. Will be great.

 

[IslandLizard]

What he says.^

In addition, except for your 60' bittering hop, I'd move all other kettle hops to flameout, and let them steep for 10' with the heat off, before chilling to ferm temps.

Or better yet, whirlpool (hopstand) them at 180F (let it naturally drop to 170F) for 20', then chill down to ferm temps.

If you do that, you will need to up your bittering hops a bit to compensate for less bittering you get from the late hops at lower temps.

Add your dry hops 3-5 days before packaging, then cold crash for a few days to let everything sink to the bottom. Do not use a secondary, leave in primary.

Keep in mind, air/oxygen exposure kills hop flavor and aroma, so limit that as much as you can, except to oxygenate or aerate when pitching yeast.

If you use WLP001, you really should make a yeast starter ahead of time, to prove viability and raise the cell count. Even a fresh pack of WLP has not enough cells for a 1.060 pitch.
Or instead, use 1 pouch of rehydrated US-05, it's the same strain.

 

[dmtaylor]

use 1 pouch of rehydrated US-05, it's the same strain.

They are not exactly the same. Related for sure, but not the same.

 

[timcook]

I'm going to prepare a yeast starter tonight. I will most likely brew Monday am. With the advice I have received, I'll up the bittering charge (I have more Magnum on hand.) Also, I'll move the other hop additions to flame out.

As for dry hopping, I can do one ounce Cascade, 2 ounces Centennial, one ounce Columbus and one ounce Willamette. Will all those pair well together?

 

[IslandLizard]

As for dry hopping, I can do one ounce Cascade, 2 ounces Centennial, one ounce Columbus and one ounce Willamette. Will all those pair well together?

Yup, they'll work great! Just toss them in loose for best extraction.

What kind of fermenter do you use?

Kegging or bottling?

 

[timcook]

I ferment in a better bottle & keg. Usually 6 gallons into the fermenter and 5 gallons into the keg.

 

[IslandLizard]

I ferment in a better bottle & keg. Usually 6 gallons into the fermenter and 5 gallons into the keg.

After adding the dry hops, you can flush the headspace with CO2 to reduce or eliminate any O2. Or stream CO2 into the headspace while adding them.

Also stir once or twice a day to resuspend the hops for better extraction. Again, streaming in CO2 while stirring, or flushing afterward, prevents or limits air getting inside. The back end of a long plastic brew spoon has a small rectangular paddle on it, perfect for stirring inside carboys, or buckets without lifting the lid.

 

[IslandLizard]

I ferment in a better bottle & keg. Usually 6 gallons into the fermenter and 5 gallons into the keg.

Look into closed transfers, etc. to reduce or eliminate O2 ingress and its detrimental effects on hoppy beers.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/question-on-closed-system-transfer.660359/#post-8478927

Or for more detailed methods in the LoDO subforum. I don't do all LoDO, but implement wherever I can.

 

[Jtvann]

Ya know, not every single IPA nowadays has be be dry hopped with a bazillion hops. It's also just fine to use hops all throughout the boil.

Your original recipe looked just fine. Depending on what you're trying to accomplish, I wouldn't change a thing.

 

[Dgallo]

What style ipa are you going for? Are you looking for a traditional IPA with great balance, are you looking for more of an English with bitterness and earthy tones? West coast? American? I’m surprised no one asked you this because your hopping schedule is directly related to what style ipa you’re trying to achieve.

 

[Kiln]

I just feel like 60 min for bitterness is great and anything else is a waste of hops. Then add those aroma hops after the boil. whirlpool the extra hops to get all the things that make an IPA an IPA. Dry hoping is great but it doesn't seem to get it done like a whirlpool and a dryhump. Lol yeah.

 

[timcook]

I am looking to brew a dry, crisp, balanced IPA. I'm locked into the ingredients that I have on hand for brew day, but I'm open to ideas for dry hops if someone's idea intrigues me. I am definitely not trying to brew a juicy NE style IPA for this one.

All the beers I brewed in 2018 thus far have been made using English Ale strain. Looking for something straight forward & clean. I love me some English yeast, but I'm getting palate fatigue.

 

[Dgallo]

I just feel like 60 min for bitterness is great and anything else is a waste of hops. Then add those aroma hops after the boil. whirlpool the extra hops to get all the things that make an IPA an IPA. Dry hoping is great but it doesn't seem to get it done like a whirlpool and a dryhump. Lol yeah.

I would have to disagree. To an extent I agree with you for specific types of IPA’s and anything additions from 59-20 mins but alapha acids and essential oils in the hops will convert at boiling temps and develop complexities of flavor. You may lose some aroma but that’s not what these additions are for, they’re for flavor. I’m not saying use all hops in boil but 10-20% is something I stand by. I count my FO additions in that percenrage as well. Then whirlpool from 170-130 degrees depending on the style. WCIPA’s I’ll go for the higher end and NEIPA’s I’ll go to the lower

 

[Jtvann]

Feels like since the neipa train ran through, a large percentage of people forgot what a traditional or west coast IPA was. It's very possible to make a bursting with flavor IPA using less than 5 total ounces of hops in the entire brew. One of my absolute favorite recipes uses 4.5 ounces.

The right hop, with the right timing makes great beer.

The way I've looked at hops when used during the boil is like a sliding scale. To the far left is pure bittering and the far right is pure aroma. In the middle though is flavor.

 

[Jtvann]

Your original recipe looks exactly like what you're describing that you're looking for.

 

[Dgallo]

I am looking to brew a dry, crisp IPA. I'm locked into the ingredients that I have on hand for brew day, but I'm open to ideas for dry hops if someone's idea intrigues me. I am definitely not trying to brew a juicy NE style IPA for this one.

Ok, That helps. Do a two stage dry hop. 4 days out from kegging/bottling and the next two days out. If your going to use your Columbia stick that with some of your centennial in the first dryhop and save your brighter hops, cascade and the remaining centennial for the second. This should give you a nice complex aroma of citrus and floral with undertones of darkness. If anyone remembers the original flower power by Ithaca. This was what they used to dryhop with

 

[timcook]

I appreciate the suggestions. I should have been more clear with my goal/end product in my original post. I'm going to stick with my original hop schedule for the boil, but I'll use the dry hop schedule suggested by Dgallo.

 

[gwinn758]

This I think the Willamette and (15) Centennial would pair well with the rye, much better than the Northern. Personal preference for me is the Columbus for bittering, although 1 oz of Magnum would probably work just as well.

1 Columbus (60)
1 Centennial (15)
1 oz. Cascade (10)
2 oz. Willamette (10)
2 oz. Cascade (5)

Dry hop
1oz Centennial
2oz Cascade