Hop oil

[Beef]

Has anyone tried using hop oil instead (or as well as hops) for dry hopping?

I’m trying to make a heavily hopped IPA like punk or gamma ray and haven’t been able to extract enough of the fresh citrous flavour.

 

[crowcrow]

Are you brewing from scratch or from kits? I'd struggled to get good hop flavours with dry hopping until I did my first all grain and got far more in the bittering stage (edit I meant aroma) - and while dry hopping has added a good degree of flavour, most came in thie boil I'd say.

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/my-first-all-grain-brew-day.82646/ recipe I filled is here, though I increased the amounts as lower in the thread. 200g of hops in total.

 

[Beef]

Are you brewing from scratch or from kits? I'd struggled to get good hop flavours with dry hopping until I did my first all grain and got far more in tbe buttering stage - and while dry hopping has added a good degree of flavour, most came in thie boil I'd say.

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/my-first-all-grain-brew-day.82646/ recipe I filled is here, though I increased the amounts as lower in the thread. 200g of hops in total.

I only brew all-grain, but I can’t get the fresh hop smell from boiling, I think the more volatile flavours disappear because of the temperature. Dry hopping works a bit but doesn’t give anything like the fragrant flavour I’m after. I think commercial breweries use a cyclonic dry hopping method that vigorously stirs while dry hopping but I don’t know how to replicate that without adding oxygen and spoiling the brew, hence the hop oil option.

 

[BeerCat]

If you keg and can wait a week try putting them into a corny with a hop tube.

 

[An Ankoù]

This is a shot in the dark, but I don't think hop oil is your answer. I would try a hop steep when the wort has cooled below 80C, or make a hop tea with water below 80C and add the infusion after primary fermentation and before dry-hopping.

 

[Beef]

If you keg and can wait a week try putting them into a corny with a hop tube.

Do you mean hops (whole/pellet)?
How long do you leave them in?

This is similar to how I've dry hopped before, does it really add that fresh, lively hop flavour in your experience - maybe I've done it wrong - too short, not enough, wrong hops?

 

[Beef]

this kind of product:

 

[terrym]

Dry hopping is all about hop aroma from what I understand. Both the products you highlight also mention aroma, and link that to dry hopping too.
However you mention a lack of hop flavour which is different.
So I suggest you make up a hop tea and add that, or add more hops at the end of the boil, which may provide more of what you are seeking to achieve, since they are more about flavour than aroma.

 

[Beef]

I don’t know whether I mean flavour or aroma!
What I’m after is the fresh hop flavour/aroma of a good American IPA, a Punk IPA, Neck Oil or Gamma Ray.
I want the smell you get when you open a pack of Citra to be in my beer!

 

[Brew_DD2]

Use lots more. Too many recipes underhop these modern beers massively.

 

[Pete21]

Has anyone tried using hop oil instead (or as well as hops) for dry hopping?

I’m trying to make a heavily hopped IPA like punk or gamma ray and haven’t been able to extract enough of the fresh citrous flavour.

I have used isomerised hop oil many years ago to give my home brew kits that extra bitterness ,it worked but not that great as I remember, if you want an oil to give it aroma there are hop aroma oils about ,however I have never tried them, I suspect you will not get the hop flavour with the oil but they state they are aromatic. I agree with the others that a hop tea bag (of a hop that has the attributes your looking for) infused in hot water water and added to the beer prior to bottling or kegging should work well, if you are putting your beer in a plastic pressure barrel add the bag as well.

 

[uDicko]

Has anyone tried using hop oil instead (or as well as hops) for dry hopping?

I’m trying to make a heavily hopped IPA like punk or gamma ray and haven’t been able to extract enough of the fresh citrous flavour.

I've dabbled with it. It works well in addition to your hops in your beer already. Can give it that something extra you are looking for.

You can add the oils after fermentation and packaging (easy with kegs) and effects will be very apparent after 10-15 mins in full keg batches.

My advice would be to pour multiple measured amounts of your beer you want to oil, then add in measured amounts of oil leaving 5 mins (due to small amounts of beer and oils) and sample your beers.

I can strongly advise taking the above steps and not following any arbitrary dosage instructions that come on the bottles. Only use them as a guide. You have a very high chance of ruining your beer if you just chuck in what the manufacturer thinks to be the right amount. I've been there...

When you have your nice tasting measurements then multiply to suit the brew volume you want to treat.

 

[Beef]

Really helpful advice, thanks.

I’m thinking of adding some to pretty drab IPA I’ve bought, to see how much is needed and what it tastes like.

I've dabbled with it. It works well in addition to your hops in your beer already. Can give it that something extra you are looking for.

You can add the oils after fermentation and packaging (easy with kegs) and effects will be very apparent after 10-15 mins in full keg batches.

My advice would be to pour multiple measured amounts of your beer you want to oil, then add in measured amounts of oil leaving 5 mins (due to small amounts of beer and oils) and sample your beers.

I can strongly advise taking the above steps and not following any arbitrary dosage instructions that come on the bottles. Only use them as a guide. You have a very high chance of ruining your beer if you just chuck in what the manufacturer thinks to be the right amount. I've been there...

When you have your nice tasting measurements then multiply to suit the brew volume you want to treat.

 

[LeeH]

I only brew all-grain, but I can’t get the fresh hop smell from boiling, I think the more volatile flavours disappear because of the temperature. Dry hopping works a bit but doesn’t give anything like the fragrant flavour I’m after. I think commercial breweries use a cyclonic dry hopping method that vigorously stirs while dry hopping but I don’t know how to replicate that without adding oxygen and spoiling the brew, hence the hop oil option.

Inject a little co2 into the fv from the bottom if you can.

 

[BeerCat]

Do you mean hops (whole/pellet)?
How long do you leave them in?

This is similar to how I've dry hopped before, does it really add that fresh, lively hop flavour in your experience - maybe I've done it wrong - too short, not enough, wrong hops?

I leave them in until the keg finishes without any problem.
Only used pellets, about a 100g. The tube was around £20. Takes about a week to mellow out so not much point force carbing imho. It's very bitter for a few days then mellows out.