IPA - Excessive conditioning time?

If you’re adding fermentation hops without removing them I think that would be too long to ferment. The only reasons I’m on the 10 day ferment bandwagon are
fear of oxygenation during dryhopping.
I would have to transfer to secondary or use a mesh bag
Impatience

To answer your question. Yes. I’ve had plenty of super fresh ipas that were fermented 2 weeks or more. Is it the same as an ipa that’s just finished fermenting? Not really. Neither is better than the other imo but they will be different

 

Package time certainly does have an impact on hop freshness. However, to what extend is highly dependent on hop variety. I believe hop variety, amongst other recipe variables, are too great to talk in absolutes. I think even NEIPAs known for quick package, in the absence of details and taste trail, you can't blindly say 1 week or 1.5 weeks.

For example, I find citra hops to be very susceptible to hop burn. Too much, packaged too quickly, and dependent on when introduced to recipe, and you get burn. Additionally, citra also has a narrow window where it taste beautiful. Wait too long and the peak flavor disappears.

My apologies for the soft answer, however best recommendation is to try the specific beer at different times to determine when to serve.

 

I would not equate NEIPAs to traditional American IPAs when it comes to conditioning time. One solution I have discovered that seems to work for both is to use the standard homebrew 2 week fermentation time and then keg/dryhop cold for 3-4 weeks using simple, time-proven homebrewing processes. Caveat: Not a big believer in biotransformation, no bittering charge, or hot side aeration. You will get many opinions here. Cheers

 

Bio-transformation does happen, and using it speeds up your turn-around time immensely. Any worries about oxygen are handled by the yeast who are still looking for it.
Also: 2 weeks spent in fermentation is absurd. You're at fg in 4 days. If you are using Kviek yeasts, it's down to 2.
Most places turning out NEIPA's are canning them about two weeks from brew day.

 

Yes, this can be done if not using a bittering charge, low hardness water, dry hopping during fermentation, and with little conditioning. Not interested in a fast turn-around time as a homebrewer... and still prefer a well-conditioned American IPA over a NEIPA.

fwiw: just because it stays in the fermenter for 10 days/2 weeks does not mean it's necessarily fermenting the whole time...but it is conditioning...which is key imho if one wants some complexity from the maltbill and a little more bitterness.

 

The topic of biotransformation was discussed in a HomebrewCon 2018 presentation which was a 'summary' of studies published by MBAA. The presenter (Chris Hotz) mentioned that biotransformation is both hop variety and yeast strain dependent. So, biotransformation can indeed happen under certain conditions.

Cheers!

 

Jack, the entire brewing process is riddled with biotransformation of one kind or another. I guess I have a problem with the term when viewed by some brewers as a magical process to infuse exponential hoppiness into beers...tell Vinnie that.

 

When folks discuss dry hopping before fermentation has completed and the term "biotransformation" they are referring to the ability of a given yeast strain to change certain essential oils (e.g., terpenoids) provided by hops into other compounds. A potential example is the biotransformation of geraniol to citronellol. It is certainly possible for something like this to occur but it is dependent on the hop variety(s) used in the dry hopping process and the specific yeast strain chosen for fermentation.

It is indeed true that as part of fermentation there is biotransformation chemistry occurring but what we are specifically discussing here (or at least I am) is dry hopping during active fermentation and the potential of biotransformation of hop essential oils.

Cheers!

 

My experience tells me that keg hopping also results in perceived mo betta hoppiness TM ...given adequate time ...maybe just use hops with a lot of citronellol to begin with.
fwiw: I detest the aroma of Geraniums.

 

Good question ...I can't wait for the answer to this one

 

Dry hopping during active fermentation is not essential. As I previously posted depending on the specific hop variety(s) used for dry hopping and the specific yeast strain there may not even be any biotransformation of hop essential oils occurring.

My recommendation is for you to proceed as your schedule permits.

Cheers!

 

What could go possibly wrong, what with critters creating CO2, in a nearly completely sealed vessel, and you not able to attend to it? Just think of the excitement it will generate.
It's the "did I turn off the stove" of homebrewing.

I say save yourself the angst of being away and not knowing what's going on, instead of thinking the worst and wondering if you shouldn't have gone through with it.....been there, done that.

 

I've got yoga class ...no time for beer

 

A good name for your next batch of beer!?!

Cheers!

P.S. Perhaps you could 'subtitle' this beer as "Hillary's favorite"?

 

My IPAs have gotten dramatically better lately as I’ve been conditioning them longer, dramatically better!

No more dry hopping during fermentation for the most part. If I do it’s generally around an ounce with maybe 1 Plato to go. Depending on the yeast strain I’ve been crashing to 55/60 under head pressure for two days, pulling as much yeast as possible, then adding a gigantic DH addition and letting it sit between 60 and 63 for up to a week. Sometimes I’ll resuspend with CO2, sometimes not. I’ll then crash to below 40 ( with head pressure) and let it sit for a few days then transfer to a keg and lager it for a little while, a week or so of using Aussie hops.

I’ve then force carbed some or transferred again to another keg and krausened. Krausening really amps the mouthfeel but I do lose a touch of aromatics. Need a unitank I think to really dial it in.