Making Hoppier Beer

[Vismich]

Hi All,

I just made my first IPA. It came out really good, but I wish it was hoppier.

That said, what will make the beer hoppier, more hops while boiling the wort, or the same amount of hops in the worth longer?

So basically is it quantity or time, or both?

 

[phidelt1499]

By hoppier, do you mean hop aroma/nose or do you mean bitterness?

To increase bitterness, you might want to check the AA% of your hops and/or boil longer.

If you want more hop nose, but not necessarily bitterness, dry hopping and/or flameout hop additions help here.

Longer boiling times of hops increase bitterness, but decrease aroma. Conversely, shorter boiling times increase aroma, but decrease bitterness.

 

[MalFet]

Hops that you add at the beginning of the boil add bitterness, while hops that you add at the end add flavor and aroma. Dry hopping is an option, too. For that, add some hops to your fermentor a few days before you bottle.

 

[Vismich]

So the place I buy my hops are like plugs, I'm sure there is a term for it.

Do I need to get fresh hops to dry hop? How much do you recommend throwing in for dry hopping?

 

[MalFet]

So the place I buy my hops are like plugs, I'm sure there is a term for it.

Do I need to get fresh hops to dry hop? How much do you recommend throwing in for dry hopping?

Plugs are functionally the same as leaf hops for most intents and purposes. If you're starting out, get a recipe you trust. There are plenty of great IPA recipes on this board.

You probably don't want to use fresh (meaning wet) hops this early into things, just because they can sometimes be a touch more complicated. Leaf, plug, or pellet will be fine, and it's just a matter of personal preference between those.

 

[Vismich]

You can dry hop with the pellets? How much do you recommend in the fermenter for a bitter beer with aroma

 

[MalFet]

You can dry hop with the pellets? How much do you recommend in the fermenter for a bitter beer with aroma

Depends on the type, but an ounce or two is generally safe.

 

[Yooper]

Depends on the type, but an ounce or two is generally safe.

Yes, for an IPA I'd go with two ounces of a nice American citrusy hop. For other styles, I might only use an ounce depending on what the beer style was, and the ingredients.

 

[Vismich]

And you just put it into the fermenter for a few days?

 

[Brew_4iT]

By hoppier, do you mean hop aroma/nose or do you mean bitterness?

To increase bitterness, you might want to check the AA% of your hops and/or boil longer.

If you want more hop nose, but not necessarily bitterness, dry hopping and/or flameout hop additions help here.

Longer boiling times of hops increase bitterness, but decrease aroma. Conversely, shorter boiling times increase aroma, but decrease bitterness.

What he said, probably the best explanation I've ever read

It might be wise to use some brewing calculator guide to calculate your IBU's, also helpful for other things like gravity, SRM, etc. I use beersmith on my ipod touch, as well as http://beercalculus.hopville.com it's free too.