[boulderbrewer]

What is your thought on how to dumb down your dortmunder recipe so your friends may like it. Less bitterness of less hop flavor or a touch of both.

I hope the beer gods do not have access to lighting. Just saying.

[pyrite]

What exactly are we talking about here?

Assuming that your using a Dortmunder water profile?  Softer water perhaps.  Less minerals in your water might round out some of those hop flavors.

[nateo]

"Dumb down a Dortmunder?" Are you talking about someone from Dortmund? Lots of beer sure makes me dumber, so just get them drunk.

[weithman5]

i would hop it a little more like a helles

[mabrungard]

I don't think that reducing the minerallyness of the water will have much effect.  Balance is a hallmark of this style, so I'm hoping that the example in question didn't have too much bitterness.  Backing off the bittering addition might be an option if it was a little too bitter.  Another big player can be when the mash and wort pH are a little too high.  In either case, tannins from the mash or rough hop flavor can be contributed to the finished beer.  If brewing with a water with high alkalinity, that could be a source of the problem. 

[malzig]

A Dortmunder is a pretty mild style, with low hop levels accentuated by relatively high sulfate concentrations.  Like Martin said, if you aren't dealing with a basic brewing problem like carbonate, pH or high tannin extraction, but are getting harsh bitterness, you are probably too high in the IBU or sulfate range.