Questions about hopping and aging

[geopet]

I have a weizen that I've brewed:

6 lbs of wheat/barley DME
1 oz of Hallertauer hops
1 packet of Wyeast 3333

OG: 1.056 - 1.058
FG: 1.016-1.018

Hops and DME boiled for an hour. Then, after 17 days in the primary, I dry hopped another ounce of Hallertauer in the primary for a week and then bottled. It ended up being in the primary for 24 days and bottle conditioned for 14 before I put a full six pack into the fridge.

I'm finding some interesting things about this beer. The main one is that it appears to be getting more bitter with age. I know there are hop particles floating in the beer from the dry hopping, but I'm rather surprised by this. Has anyone else experienced this?

When I cracked one open the other evening, 18 days since I bottled, I was almost surprised by the bitterness. I had another one to make sure that the bottle wasn't just a fluke and sure enough the second one was just as bitter as the first.

It's a good beer, I'm traditionally an IPA drinker, but this was not what I was expecting. Next time I brew it I'll likely try it without the dry hopping, though I understand that dry hopping shouldn't affect the final bitterness. Is that right? Should I be expecting this to continue to get more bitter over time? I thought that homebrew would traditionally mellow with age.

Thanks!

 

[carbon111]

Dry hopping will add aroma but not really any flavor because only the very volatile components will enter the beer...hops need to be boiled for some time to release bitterness and flavor.

Is the bitterness you're tasting kind of "cidery"?

 

[Beerrific]

I tend to disagree. I find that dry hopping absolutely adds hop flavor to a beer. Now, weather the dry hooping adds actual flavor compounds or the perception of hop flavor, I am not sure, I do not have GC/MS. Dry hopping can also add a perception of bitterness.

In general, all aspects of hopping (bitterness, flavor, aroma) decline with age. You should expect the bitterness to age out.

 

[carbon111]

I thought all the heavier alpha acids and flavor carriers could only be released by isomerization which requires extended high temperatures (boiling)?

Smell (aroma) has a huge affect on how taste is perceived though so...

 

[geopet]

Carbon, Beerific, thanks for the replies. There isn't a cidery flavor to the beer, it just tasted like bitterness you'd expect from a pale ale. What would cider-like flavor suggest?

I had another of the beers last night and it wasn't as bitter. The bottle I had last night reminded me of the previous sample bottle I had when I decided it was good enough for general consumption.

I'm wondering now whether those bottles I had the day I noticed the significant bitterness were bottled from near the bottom the bottling bucket; possibly grabbing a little more hop sediment than other bottles. Would that possibly affect the taste?

 

[Twofox]

I've been cruising the boards for an answer to the dry hop bittering thing.

Apparently, pellet hops are worse than leaf hops, and the longer they are in the secondary, the more perceived bittering they can add. I had mine in for 2 weeks and was suprised at the bitter taste. Tastes just like the hops too. Concensus seems to be to leave pellets in for no longer than 10 days. Less seems to be a good idea to me tho. Got a batch now that I'm gonna leave the hops in for 7-9 days and try that.

 

[david_42]

You didn't use New Zealand Hallertauer by any chance?

 

[Twofox]

Me? Nope. Amarillos.