Dry hop an already bitter IPA?

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by boothbeer, Mar 2, 2015.

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  1. boothbeer

    boothbeer Initiate (0) Jul 19, 2009 Illinois

    I just brewed my first beer yesterday! 6 1/2 gallon batch of Extract IPA with 5 gallons into the fermenter. The process went pretty smooth for my first time, but I ended up with a gravity of 1.054 instead of the 1.060 I was aiming for. Tasted the wort, and it was pretty bitter. Since it is an IPA, I don't really care too much about that. However, I was originally thinking of adding 1 oz of cascade hops in a secondary to dry hop. Should I just skip that now that my beer is looking to be on the bitter side?
     
    #1 boothbeer, Mar 2, 2015
  2. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Dry hopping doesn't add much bitterness, because there's no heat to isomerize the alpha acids in the hops.
     
    #2 VikeMan, Mar 2, 2015
    LuskusDelph, Genuine, jbakajust1 and 1 other person like this.
  3. PapaGoose03

    PapaGoose03 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,057) May 30, 2005 Michigan
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    And there is no need to dry hop in a secondary container. Just use your primary to do that. It saves work, possible exposure to oxygen or spillage accidents. Then go right from your primary to your bottling bucket when your beer is ready.
     
    #3 PapaGoose03, Mar 2, 2015
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  4. boothbeer

    boothbeer Initiate (0) Jul 19, 2009 Illinois

    OK. I wanted to do it to add some more citrus flavor and aroma. Should I still go ahead with dry hop?
     
    #4 boothbeer, Mar 2, 2015
  5. ipas-for-life

    ipas-for-life Savant (1,041) Feb 28, 2012 Virginia

    Yes
     
    #5 ipas-for-life, Mar 2, 2015
    NiceFly likes this.
  6. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    One more Yes!!!!

    Cheers!
     
    #6 JackHorzempa, Mar 2, 2015
  7. telejunkie

    telejunkie Savant (1,107) Sep 14, 2007 Vermont

    another yes...and maybe add another ounce of cascade if you can...
     
    #7 telejunkie, Mar 2, 2015
    DrMindbender, PortLargo and jbakajust1 like this.
  8. boothbeer

    boothbeer Initiate (0) Jul 19, 2009 Illinois

    Thanks so much for the info!
    Cheers!
    Greg
     
    #8 boothbeer, Mar 2, 2015
  9. OntheLambic

    OntheLambic Initiate (0) Jan 9, 2015 Connecticut

    If you have them on hand, go heavy handed with the dry hop.
     
    #9 OntheLambic, Mar 2, 2015
    boothbeer likes this.
  10. mikehartigan

    mikehartigan Maven (1,421) Apr 9, 2007 Illinois

    ^^^ what they said ^^^
    Regarding added bitterness, while it's true that IBU is not increased by dry-hopping, there's still a perception of bitterness that can be added by the dry hops that is not easily quantifiable. But, in my experience, the increased hop flavor/aroma should offset that nicely.

    One more thing to note is that it can be very difficult, particularly for a new brewer, to make predictions based on the flavor of the unfermented wort. Even post-fermentation, it's hard to judge bitterness based on a tasting of the beer before it's carbonated.
     
    #10 mikehartigan, Mar 2, 2015
    nickfl, DrMindbender, PortLargo and 2 others like this.
  11. scottakelly

    scottakelly Maven (1,487) May 9, 2007 Ohio

    Its normal for the wort to taste a lot more bitter pre carbonation.
     
    #11 scottakelly, Mar 2, 2015
  12. DrMindbender

    DrMindbender Initiate (0) Jul 13, 2014 South Carolina

    Dry hop the hell outta that thang! I second @telejunkie with doubling your quantity for a better brew!
     
    #12 DrMindbender, Mar 3, 2015
  13. sjverla

    sjverla Initiate (0) Dec 1, 2008 Massachusetts

    No secondary. More dry hops. For 6.5 gal of IPA I'd probably be DH'ing in the 3-5 oz range.

    Also, wort is a pretty poor indicator of the flavors you can expect. In my experience, most wort for palish beers is pretty to extremely bitter.
     
    #13 sjverla, Mar 3, 2015
  14. kneary13

    kneary13 Initiate (0) Jan 30, 2010 Massachusetts

    Congrats on your first brew. Are you addicted yet? :slight_smile:

    I've found when tasting the wort on its way to the fermenter that it's always considerably more bitter than the finished product (BEER!), so don't be too concerned about that. Fermentation will take care of it, and I'm sure another reply-er can tell you why.

    Dry hop it, but keep it short. 4 days in the 70's is the sweet spot, for me. longer if you are going colder.

    Cheers!
     
    #14 kneary13, Mar 3, 2015
  15. Brew_Betty

    Brew_Betty Initiate (0) Jan 5, 2015 Wisconsin

    Unwritten homebrew rule: Never taste the wort. Ever.
     
    #15 Brew_Betty, Mar 3, 2015
  16. boothbeer

    boothbeer Initiate (0) Jul 19, 2009 Illinois

    @kneary13 I actually named the beer My IPA(Initial Path to Addiction). I am definitely addicted to checking that stupid carboy. At least 5 times a day I check to make sure my baby is still breathing...aka, still bubbling.
     
    #16 boothbeer, Mar 3, 2015
    kneary13 likes this.
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