NZ Pale Ale - dry hop or not?

[misterkidd]

Hi all,

I've just brewed this (perhaps a New Zealand Pale Ale?) today, following an impromptu visit to my local homebrew shop and unexpected bonus Brew Day. I realise it's probably a bit of a quirky recipe - result of a desire to use up some old stock and a new batch of new world hops in the shop. There was a little extra boil-off during my boil, so the actual batch size is 10 litres and the measured OG is 1.060.

I have in mind to dry hop with 20g motueka in primary (no plans for a secondary). Shall I do this or not? I definitely want some nice hoppy aroma with this one but I don't want to kill it... Whaddya reckon? ^_^

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------

Batch Size (fermenter): 11.00 l
Estimated OG: 1.055 SG
Estimated Color: 7.5 SRM
Estimated IBU: 38.4 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 82.7 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------

2.50 kg Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM) 86.2 %
0.20 kg Biscuit Malt (23.0 SRM) 6.9 %
0.10 kg Carafoam (2.0 SRM) 3.4 %
0.10 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) 3.4 %

25.00 g East Kent Goldings (EKG) [5.00 %] - Boil 60 min 23.6 IBUs

1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins)

30.00 g Motueka [7.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min 7.9 IBUs
20.00 g East Kent Goldings (EKG) [5.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min 3.8 IBUs
20.00 g Saaz [3.75 %] - Boil 5.0 min 3.1 IBUs

1.0 pkg SafAle English Ale (DCL/Fermentis #S-04) Yeast

Mash Schedule: BIAB, Light Body
Total Grain Weight: 2.90 kg
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Saccharification Add 19.09 l of water at 67.9 C 64.4 C 90 min
Mash Out Heat to 75.6 C over 7 min 75.6 C 10 min

 

[localholic]

I would probably throw the 20g in. I've found NZ hops go very well with spicy hops like saaz or summer.

 

[misterkidd]

Yeah I might as well. Although the fermenter is pumping out some pretty hoppy aromas already... I might go with 10g to be safe...

A happy accident with the saaz and the motueka there. The saaz I'm just trying to use up ^_^

 

[localholic]

Update?

 

[misterkidd]

I dry-hopped 15mg of the motueka in the end. We are having a bit of a heatwave here in England, so it fermented at quite a high temperature, but it attenuated excellently. I bottled a couple of days ago. From the little taster I had on bottling day, I'm very happy indeed. The motueka is the predominant flavour and I think you are spot on about the saaz-motueka combo. The beer has an almost smoky flavour but I have no idea how this has occurred. I had it on a strong boil, maybe it's that? Or the high fermentation temperature? Or is it maybe just the hop combo?

I'm on holiday in my home county of Cornwall in two weeks, so I plan to drink this beer here:

I'll upload a picture when it's ready ^_^

 

[misterkidd]

On further reading, I'm wondering if the smoky flavour stated above could be phenols resulting from the high fermentation temperatures... hmmm...