When to dry hop a NE IPA

[Simonh82]

I'm brewing my first NE IPA. I know that it is often suggested that you dry hop when primary fermentation is still going but is two days in too early?

I'm using the Sussex 1 yeast strain from Brew Lab, a UK brewing supplies organisation. They say it is a fast fermentor but less than 48 hours after pitching the airlock has gone from constant bubbling last night to one every 30 seconds. I want to dry hop whilst there is still some activity but 48 hours in seems very early.

 

[jpakstis]

I think its time to dry hop. I made a Trillium Fort Point PA clone over the summer I dry-hopped once the vigorous fermentation had ended but before the krausen had fallen. It was around day 3 of a pretty quick fermentation.

 

[Smellyglove]

Why dryhop when there's still activity? You will end up with way less aroma comparing to if you dryhop five days before cold crash or bottling/kegging.

 

[bucketnative]

Why dryhop when there's still activity? You will end up with way less aroma comparing to if you dryhop five days before cold crash or bottling/kegging.

See Biotransformation in this article: http://draftmag.com/hop-compound-biotransformation/
That's one of the reason's for the popularity of the "Conan" yeast strain. Not sure if Sussex #1 can hydrolyze glycosides.

 

[Simonh82]

See Biotransformation in this article: http://draftmag.com/hop-compound-biotransformation/
That's one of the reason's for the popularity of the "Conan" yeast strain. Not sure if Sussex #1 can hydrolyze glycosides.

I guess I will find out! I dry hopped this evening 54 hours after pitching the yeast. I'm going to dry hop again 4 days before bottling.

I've never had a yeast work this quickly before. It is down from 1.060 to 1.019 in two days. The krausen has already dropped so I'm hoping there is still some yeast left in suspension to act on the hops.

Someone on another forum said that the yeast starts quickly but carries on working for a few more days. I hope so because I'd like it to finish at more like 1.013. I've bumped up the temperature to help it finish off.

Given that the beer is only 2 days old the gravity sample tasted great. Loads of esters and slightly phenolic. The yeast is certainly going to bring plenty to the beer

 

[Smellyglove]

See Biotransformation in this article: http://draftmag.com/hop-compound-biotransformation/
That's one of the reason's for the popularity of the "Conan" yeast strain. Not sure if Sussex #1 can hydrolyze glycosides.

I've read what I've found about biotransformation. But I haven't looked into the Conan strain.

I love the unboiled/untransformed freshness of hops. I guess that was why I asked. I feel they stick out more, like walking in a dry meadow instead of a wet meadow and just inhale.

So, it all depends on what you're after. I usually do a pretty cold WP not to vaporize to many of the oils so they can go through biotransformation to get some depth to it. Because even with a cold WP, that freshness is not there like in late dryhops.

 

[Simonh82]

I've read what I've found about biotransformation. But I haven't looked into the Conan strain.

I love the unboiled/untransformed freshness of hops. I guess that was why I asked. I feel they stick out more, like walking in a dry meadow instead of a wet meadow and just inhale.

So, it all depends on what you're after. I usually do a pretty cold WP not to vaporize to many of the oils so they can go through biotransformation to get some depth to it. Because even with a cold WP, that freshness is not there like in late dryhops.

I'm trying to cover all the bases with my hopping schedule. I put hops in at 10 minutes, flame out for a 20 minute steep, then cooled to 65°C and added more hops for another 20 minute steep. I've now added my first dry hop and will add a second one before bottling.

 

[bucketnative]

So, it all depends on what you're after. I usually do a pretty cold WP not to vaporize to many of the oils so they can go through biotransformation to get some depth to it. Because even with a cold WP, that freshness is not there like in late dryhops.

most will do both for a NE IPA: during fermentation (flavor) and post fermentation (aroma)

 

[tehmole]

Great post - i did not know about dry hopping after intense fermentation stops .. will try that for my Tree House clone

 

[Smellyglove]

Great post - i did not know about dry hopping after intense fermentation stops .. will try that for my Tree House clone

If you have never tried it before. You'll get more of that fresh aroma. From my experience you'll get a peak of aroma around the five-day mark. in a 20-25L batch @ 19C. After that the aroma will fade and you'll get more flavor from that addition, instead of aroma.

Biotransformation can give you some really nice flavors you wouldn't get with shorter contact time, and that contact time must of course be with active yeast.

For instance. If you'd make a lager, you could dryhop it with huell melon and get more strawberry/honey-melon if it's left with active yeast for 2-3 weeks, than that minimal amount of those flavors you'd get from it if you'd boil it or dryhop it for 5-7 days.

 

[surgical_ass]

I dryhop my ne ipas at day 2-3 then another round in my serving keg b4 I do my keg to keg transfer. I ferment under pressure in my corney and keep everything in a closed system. This has completely changed my success for this style in terms of flavor and aroma preservation.