So frustrated with my IPA's!

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Wow schematix thanks for the info. Will give it a whirl. One other question. How would you go about dry hopping in the keg using that method? Or would you just dry hop in primary instead?
 
Wow schematix thanks for the info. Will give it a whirl. One other question. How would you go about dry hopping in the keg using that method? Or would you just dry hop in primary instead?

Always dry hop in primary as fermentation is winding down so the yeast can scrub at least some of the O2 you introduced...
 
how old are your hops? has this been asked yet? what type of hops? pellet? dried whole hops? ive had one IPA i made, have the nose fall out completely and it was due to using old ****ty hops.
 
Vac sealed

Ah ok. Diminishing flavor can be a symptom of oxidation. so you may be introducing a bunch of oxygen in either a hot or cold side process, which could then rob you of your kettle or dry hop flavors, respectively. Vacuum sealing is definitely a good way to go about storing the hops. I presume you then stash them in the freezer?
 
I'll double up on two suggestions that are definitely the problems. 1. The sulfate/chloride ratio is backwards and that's going to make a major difference. 2. Dry hop loose in primary. MINIMAL oxygen is picked up doing that and the benefits are enormous. Do those two things and make sure your hops actually smell good in the bag and you are good to go, guaranteed.
 
Here' s my methid for making excellent IPA's in 5.5 gal batch
1. Water. Start with RO and add CaCl and Gypsum to taste. 1tsp CaCl in mash and 1tsp Gypsum in boil is fine fir my tastes.
2. Depending on grist, acidify mash with Lactic Acid amt calc'd using Martins' spreadsheet
3. Add only a bittering charge of hops to boil. I've found that flavor, aroma, flameout and dry hop in fermentor addition are just a waste of good hops. 1or 2 oz in the keg will overpower any of those additions.
4. Minimize O2 contact. I ferment out in 6 gal better bottle at lower end of yeast temp range then chill fermentor in fridge for couple if days making sure to flush with CO2 several times as the air in the head space contracts.
5. Pressure transfer with CO2 to a purged corny keg with the siphon rig that More Beer sells and force carb in keezer for a week.
6. Take a second keg and put a couple of s 3" stainless tea balls with an oz of say Columbus and Simcoe in each and purge with CO2. Then do a out port to out port transfer under CO2 pressure from the first to the second keg. Let second jeg chill in keezer for a day or so and you've got a super hop bomb IPA.
 
3. Add only a bittering charge of hops to boil. I've found that flavor, aroma, flameout and dry hop in fermentor addition are just a waste of good hops. 1or 2 oz in the keg will overpower any of those additions.

Wait... Are you saying you ONLY do a bitter addition at the start of boil, and nothing else?
 
I do that, well I did, but then I heard a podcast about how complex hops are and how adding them in the boil may do more than just bittering. So now I add some at 10 or 15 minutes. But not many at all and still reluctantly
 
Wait... Are you saying you ONLY do a bitter addition at the start of boil, and nothing else?


For IPA's that I will dry hop in the keg, yes. 1to 3 oz of hop pellets in the keg will give a huge hop punch and completely overwhelms any flavor or aroma additions so I realized those boil additions were just a waste of hops. Now if I am makin say a Pale Ale which wont be dry hopped then yes I'll do 10 min or flameout additions
 
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