I mean who doesn’t want to maximize the flavour & aroma of their hop-forward beers…??? I know I do and that’s why recently I got stuck into some research…
Here’s what I found…
1. WHIRLPOOL USING THIS TECHNIQUE
If you’re going to the effort to conduct a whirlpool hop addition, be sure to adopt this technique to maximise your results…
Prior to pitching your hops into the whirlpool, drop the temperature of the wort to 77 — 80 deg c. Throw in your hops and put a lid on the kettle while you whirlpool.
This technique will significantly help retain all those essential hop oils that provide us with the hop profile we crave.
2. CARBON DIOXIDE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND
Don’t underestimate carbon dioxide as a tool to help increase your hop aromatics.
Purge! Purge! Purge!
Any time your fermenter is opened, PURGE. Any dry hop additions, PURGE. Any transfers, purge both vessels and transfer lines. Purge! Purge! Purge! …
I think you get the point.
3. DOUBLE THE DRY HOP
This is absolutely guaranteed to maximise your hop profile!
A rise in the popularity of ‘Hazy’ IPAs or New England IPA’s as some say, has brought on the increased use of the double dry hop technique to boost hop flavour & aromatics. If you’re not sure of the process, it is essentially as it sounds, dry hopping your beer on 2 separate occasions throughout fermentation.
There are no hard and fast rules with timing for each dry hop addition. Whichever way you go, naturally the increased hop load is going to maximise the hop profile. A good starting point would be to dry hop your first addition 3 — 4 days into fermentation and your second addition at final gravity.
