Dry Hopping?

Not stupid at all, several books written on just this subject. A quick review: early addition (30+ minutes) is primarily for bittering. Late additions (<30, but often <15, and sometimes 0) are to add hop flavor. Dry hopping (in primary or secondary or keg) is for aroma. The goal is to have all three of these additions in balance, like a commercial beer.

All three of your C hops are good for bittering. But chinook has less flavor/aroma to offer (IMO) . . . this would make an excellent bittering hop. Citra/centennial can certainly bitter, but are best saved for flavor/aroma (they're expensive). A typical flavor addition would be some combination around 10-15 minutes and probably more at flame-out. For dry hopping both citra/centennial are excellent, don't be afraid to combine. Just be aware, citra can over-power everything . . . I love it, but tend to keep it's quantity less than it's cousins. Over time you'll learn quantities and ratios.

Not asked, but your zero additions with whirlpooling (10 - 30 min) can make or break your beer. Try and find some software (Beersmith, Brewcipher, Brewers Friend) that will help you compute how much bittering results from these late/flameout additions (it's more than you think). Also, many brewers will let the kettle cool to the 175-190 range before last additions. The goal here is to capture the flavor from hop oils before they boil off. You will need a pump or stirring to keep the wort circulating over the precious hops. Good luck.

 

+1 to citra, centenial for dry hopping. Both add a lot of flavor aroma.
Volume of dry hopping depends on your taste.

Some of my ales or IPAs may get a oz or 2 while there's may get 4.

Experiment and have fun.

 

I would use the chinook for bittering. I think it could add something to the dry hop addition, but in small amounts, with bigger additions of citra and centennial. Or at flameout.

 

I find chinook add at 15 or 10 adds some pine taste

 

I've been using Michigan Chinook late and for dry hopping. Due to the terroir, it is straight pineapple.

 

If you're bottling, I would not recommend dry hopping with pellets as you risk clogging your bottling wand, and oxidizing the beer. Personally, I would recommend late hop additions and skip dry hopping for now.

 

I picked some chinook on this precept from a midwest hop grower. I got zero pineapple from it. I was very sad, it went into a new dogtown pale ale clone and I was aiming for a pineapple marmalade hop profile.

I enjoy chinook enough however to grow my own, they add a lot of piney orange zest to my brews. I typically throw in an equal amount of centennial in those beers as well and round it out with a touch of citra. They all work well together. As far as commercially available hops go I use them together as well, usually utilizing one half to one quarter the amount of chinook as compared to the amount of citra and centennial. Hope this helps. Cheers.

 

Can you say which grower? I've had from Top Hops, Goodrich MI, and MI Hops in Williamsburg. Now there is a pound in the freezer from MI Hop Alliance.

 

@honkey had mention the grower and specifically called out their chinook as throwing pineapple. Maybe he can recall. I used them once and cant remember for the life of me their name.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/hop-head-farms.536036/#post-5631384
Here ya go

 

The only stupid questions are the ones you don't ask. Welcome to BA. We all come here to learn. We never stop learning.

 

I haven't used from there.

 

Must be missing the boat cause I never got pineapple from chinook just pine.

 

I agree. Always loved chinook. Spicy & piney.... Pineapple???

 

Chinook can be vastly different depending on where it’s grown. I too have heard Brewer’s talk about MI Chinook and how pineapple forward it can be. I think I first heard Matt Brynildson talk about it a few years ago. I’ve ordered MI Chinook twice and found it less than ideal. That being said as homebrewers what we have access to is often rather different than what those with contracts (especially large ones) have the ability to select.

On a recent podcast the lead innovation brewer from New Belgium talks about Chinook grown in Idaho that they specially select for that is straight pineapple juice when added during fermentation.

 

We all have different sources for hops, techniques, and palates.

The post by @wasatchback give more support to the claim of the terroir of Chinook grown in MI resulting in pineapple.

On Bigbrew Day John Palmer was posting about his beer uskng MI hops. His Chinook was going in as a bittering charge. I made a comment that they were gre as t late. Kelsey Mcnair said those are a pineapple bomb used as dryhops. He is the guy who won medals 4 out of 5 years for his Hop Fu IPA. He has gone pro and has a brewery in San Diego.

 

In regards to how different MI vs. PNW terroir can be, I've used MI-grown Crystal a couple of times, and found it to be much more herbal than PNW-grown, which is a nice floral/spicy with a bit of citrus. Didn't notice too much of a difference between the two terroirs with Centennial, maybe a lighter citrus (Meyer lemon vs grapefruit)?

 

That's news to me. Thanks for pointing it out. Like I say, you never stop learning here on BA!

 

Perhaps it has something to do with the soils, minerals, etc. Kinda like Cuban cigars being so highly regarded.