Second brew but first partial mash

[AllyMelmac]

Hello Ladies and Gents,

Just done my second brew but first partial mash with hops. Boil went fine but tasting it now there's not much in aroma and it's a wee bit bitter (but it's not to bitter).

I used Galena and Cascade, used half an ounce of each at start of boil then quarter an ounce half way through and the end. Then I added another half ounce of each to dry hop. I'm just wondering if I should have added more to up the aroma.

All and any advice would be great

Thanks in advance

 

[kh54s10]

How long has it been finished? Bottle conditioned for 3 weeks?

Maybe a little more toward the end of the boil.

If it has not bottle conditioned you can expect a fairly large change between now and then.

I typically use an ounce to a few ounces in the last 15 minutes to flame out and often dry hop with 2 ounces or more. It depends on the recipe and style of beer.

 

[rodwha]

Unless I'm trying to avoid much hop flavor/aroma I usually use equal amounts of hops for the bittering, flavoring, and aroma additions.

 

[AllyMelmac]

Okay it's been in secondary fermentation for about a week it tastes okay but I'm beginning to get funky bits on the top and I'm just a bit worried it beginning to become infected. I'm just wondering what would be best to do?

Thanks again for the advise

 

[flars]

The floating bits look like clumps of yeast. Not a problem.

 

[unionrdr]

That's what's left of the receding krausen & yeast rafts. It's normal to see this after initial fermentation is done. Those flavor hops are low AA%, so so a total of one once for bittering would be OK for a pale ale. But 1/4oz each for flavoring is a little low, imo. 1oz each would've been better about 15 minutes left in the boil. 1/2oz to 1oz each for dry hop would've given more aroma.

 

[AllyMelmac]

that's reassuring thanks for that

 

[feinbera]

Sounds like you've got the makings for tasty American Pale, there.

I don't know if I'm doing it wrong or what, but, it wasn't until the total flavor/aroma hops hit six or seven ounces spread out between late additions (15 minutes down to zero) and dry hopping that this West Coast boy thought "well, alright, then, this finally tastes like an IPA!"

 

[unionrdr]

That sounds like a mini version of what Sam does at DFH. But starting at 20 or 25 minutes would've been better, in my opinion anyway.