Dry Hopping

[cockerhoop]

I’ve been successfully all grain brewing for a few years now. I generally make the same basic IPA style beer.
The one thing I’ve never really achieved is that really hoppy flavour.
My later batch is a 10 gallon brew. It’s nearly ready to barrel and I’ve added 100g of mosaic pellets in a bag a couple of days ago. The pellets smelt fantastic when I opened the packet. But when I sample the beer I can barely taste them. Am I just not adding enough or am I missing some kind of technique to make the process more efficient.
I used 100g of hops at the start of the boil, 100g last 15 min and another 100 to steep for 30 minutes at the end.

 

[foxy]

Try dry hopping at cold crash (cold crash at sub zero) but not constricted by a bag, there is just no need. The hops will drop out along with everything else.

 

[Buffers brewery]

When I dry hop with pellets I put them in loose not in a bag. Might make a difference . Also, I don't put any hops in at boil but add them later at the 15 minute and flame out stage. Could be less bittering will bring forward the hop flavours

 

[Bolsover Brewer]

Another advocate for loose hops, I don't know if there is any scientific proof about hops being bagged contributing less to the flavour/aroma, just a gut instinct.
Hop oils are the ones adding flavour and aroma to the finished beer just somehow feels if the hops are bagged the the release of those oils are suppressed.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

It's not just the hops and the way of hopping, the malt balance and water salts play a part in the expression.

Can you give us some info on your malt bill, how long do you boil for and what hops you are using?
Is that 10 gallons to fermenter? Imperial? Do you whirlpool? what temperature is your hop stand at?
How are you fermenting and then packaging?

 

[Leon103]

100g in 10 gallon?
Try 500g.

 

[fury_tea]

My last beer was 20 litres dry hopped with 2x 250g mixed hops (on days 2 and 6) then keg hopped with 100g.

Admittedly that is a lot even for me (hops were from last year and needed using up) but as @Leon103 says, try increasing your dry hop.

 

[dave_77]

To little hops at the end.
200-300g minimum dry hop
100g last 5 mins or flameout
Bittering hops to what ever level you require.
It's more the lack of dry hopping and the 100g at 15 mins would be better with the steep hops or in the dry hop.
That would be based on around 38l+ in fermenter.

 

[cockerhoop]

Thanks for the advice. My brew is 12 kg Maris, .5kg Caramalt. Couple of sachets of US05. 60 minute mash at 65 degrees. Boiled for 60 minutes.
I’ve added another 100g of Mosaic pellets, this time not in a bag. Will see how it goes!

 

[gyurmaember]

At least you're not an app-brewer, congratulations. You can go for more hops for a 10 gallons batch. I wouldn't add the 100g at the beginning of the boil, or replace it for a bit less, let's say half of it.

 

[The Baron]

Do not use bittering hops, add them all towards the end of the boil and even better if you are going to load it to death with hops Whirlpool so that it keeps the bittering IBU's down which may be masking the hop flavours if its too bitter

 

[fury_tea]

At least you're not an app-brewer, congratulations. You can go for more hops for a 10 gallons batch. I wouldn't add the 100g at the beginning of the boil, or replace it for a bit less, let's say half of it.

What's an app brewer?

 

[gyurmaember]

What's an app brewer?

They're the snowflakes of brewing, just blindly put everything into brewing apps, and they're moaning on social media, if some of their values different than the app say.

 

[samale]

Hop aroma is the most difficult thing to achieve in my experience. Closed transfer seems to the way to go but I am not there yet. I have dry hopped with 300g of hops and still not achieved the desired effect.
Quality and freshness of hops is also important

 

[Brew_DD2]

They're the snowflakes of brewing, just blindly put everything into brewing apps, and they're moaning on social media, if some of their values different than the app say.

That's just lack of experience/knowledge of efficiency. Everyone was wet behind the ears one day. Brewing software is an excellent utility if used properly.

 

[Brew_DD2]

Hop aroma is the most difficult thing to achieve in my experience. Closed transfer seems to the way to go but I am not there yet. I have dry hopped with 300g of hops and still not achieved the desired effect.
Quality and freshness of hops is also important

That, and keg hopping is what got me there.

 

[fury_tea]

They're the snowflakes of brewing, just blindly put everything into brewing apps, and they're moaning on social media, if some of their values different than the app say.

I don't really see many people like that myself, but I will say one of the things I like about this hobby is the innovation and all the options available. Those guys are probably the next generation of the kit and kilo brewers of old. They want a no fuss way to make a pint, and with minimal time/effort/knowledge. Nothing wrong with that in my book, it's just a different approach. People want to brew all grain now and popular styles like NEIPA are hard to get right (but not impossible) using kit and kilo.
All the new products and tech has come about because companies saw a gap in the market and created gadgets to make all grain more accessible, and of course make us part with our cash. I find it neat, and maybe it's a stepping stone for people to learn more about the processes and techniques, and they just might be the next innovators.

 

[Stewart Brewing]

I have the same issue, dark beers turn out great, hoppy ones just dont have much hop flavour aroma. No bag for my next dry hop.

 

[The Baron]

Do not forget the more hops you generally put in beers it eventually leads to a desensitivity of your taste buds and you will clamour for more and more and you will be chasing the Holy Grail if that is the case.
I do not think just throwing hops at it are the answer so read up on different methods and I am sure you will get nearer the target eventually. DD2 has made a suggestion of keg hopping, I personally have not tried it as I get what I want with Whirlpooling and a smaller dry hop but then I am not a severe hophead

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

That's just lack of experience/knowledge of efficiency. Everyone was wet behind the ears one day. Brewing software is an excellent utility if used properly.

Well said