DIPA Fermentation (Dry Hops or not)

Odd. What's the kit?

 

Yes! A DIPA should definitely be dry hopped.

The simpler solution (and better solution IMO) is to just dry hop in your primary. Transferring the beer to a secondary comes with some risks:

• Further risk of contamination/infection if sanitation is not pristine
• Further risk of oxidation (exposure to air/oxygen) during the transfer

For the case of dry hopping I do not see any requirement for a secondary.

Cheers!

 

It really comes down to what aroma/flavor profile you are seeking here. Dry hopping is the optimum way to add aroma to a beer and that aroma will significantly impact your flavor perception of the beer.

One 'philosophy' here could be to use the same hops for dry hopping as you used for the kettle additions to 'double down' on the flavors they are providing. Maybe do a 50/50 split of Amarillo and Lemondrop if that is what you are seeking here.

Another 'philosophy' is to use differing hops for dry hopping to create a more complex and 'layered' flavor profile to your beer. There are a shit ton of different hop varieties out there and more and more types are being developed. Below is a link with a long list of hops (and flavor descriptions):

https://www.morebeer.com/articles/homebrew_beer_hops

How a particular hop variety expresses itself flavor-wise is due to a number of aspects but one I will point out is your personal palate. You and I could drink the exact same beer and I will say it has mostly tropical fruit flavors while you might say that citrus is the dominant flavor.

If you provide me with more input on what flavors you would like I could suggest specific hop varieties to try.

There is also the consideration as to whether a differing hop variety(s) flavors would be complementary for your palate to the flavors being presented by Amarillo and Lemondrop.

There is also the aspect of how much hops to use for dry hopping and you will see varying opinions on that matter.

Cheers!

Edit: You asked how to dry hop - once primary fermentation is complete you add the drop hops. My primary is a plastic bucket and I use a sanitized muslin bag with glass marbles to weigh it down and add the hop pellets to the bag: tie a knot and gently drop it into the beer. You will read varying opinions on how long to permit the dry hops to 'do their thing'; I prefer to dry hop for a minimum of 7 days.

 

But ultimately you did 'discover' dry hopping so life is good!

Have you ever tasted Bells Two Hearted Ale? When I find that beer fresh on tap at my local beer bars that beer just screams citrusy and floral for my palate. Bells Two Hearted is solely hopped with Centennial Hops.

Now, lets discuss hop 'quality'. Bells is a larger brewery and as such they can negotiate contracts with hop farmers for specific hops (e.g., hops grown in certain areas, harvested at certain times, etc.). We homebrewers do not have this level of control so we are at the mercy of what is available for sale at our LHBS (Local Homebrew Store) or via on-line vendors like MoreBeer. I have brewed a lot with Centennial hops (e.g., dry hopping with Centennial) and while those beers had a nice citrusy aroma/flavor to them I have never obtained floral from them.

Maybe you will have more luck with your Centennial purchase?

Now, besides down-selecting to using a hop variety like Centennial for dry hopping you get to decide how much (i.e., how many ounces) and duration for dry hopping your DIPA.

Cheers!

 

I'd recommend starting with about 0.8 ounces per gallon of beer (i.e. 4 ounces per 5 gallons). Regarding duration, after about 5 days (maybe less), there won't be much, if anything,in the way of hop oils to extract.

 

There are lots of differing thoughts here. Some homebrewers use a lot (and I do mean a lot) of hops in their dry hopping; particularly for the 'NEIPA' beer style. Some homebrewers are more conservative. You are the head brewer of your DIPA so you are the ultimate 'authority' here. A general concept is that you should use more hops for dry hopping for a DIPA vs. an IPA. Maybe use something like 4-6 ounces for your DIPA? I should provide the caveat that I am on the conservative side as regards dry hop amounts.

It is not so much an issue of "benefit" as a personal preference. Back in the day the homebrew book authors (e.g., John Palmer, etc.) would state a contact time of 7-14 days. Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River provided a homebrew clone recipe for Pliny the Elder which calls for 14 days of dry hop contact time. Some other brewers use far shorter times for contact time. Some homebrewers choose to dry hop for only 2-3 days with the idea that 'all' of the hop's essential oils are extracted at that timeframe. There is no one answer here and you will need to brew a number of batches and decide what is 'best' for your personal palate.

Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River has a "standard practice" of dry hopping for 14 days. Matt Brynildson of Firestone Walker has a "standard practice" of dry hopping for just a few days.

The other consideration is that each brewery (homebrewery or commercial brewery) is different so there is no 'one size fits all' solution. Some homebrewer may state that x is 'best' with the implicit thing being what is 'best' for their homebrewery. Since your homebrewery will likely differ this x solution likely will not be 'best' for you. There are lots of variables in play here.

Cheers!

 

Sounds like a plan to me.

Please report back with your thoughts on how this beer turned out.

Cheers!

 

You can always double down on the lemondrop in dry hopping, a brulosophy article where they did a blonde with all lemondrop and also used it for dry hopping. http://brulosophy.com/2017/06/01/the-hop-chronicles-lemondrop/