Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: dry hop an Alt to add life to it??  (Read 4512 times)

Offline bobjohnson

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 11
dry hop an Alt to add life to it??
« on: June 03, 2011, 10:35:45 am »
Brewed 10 gal of a German ALT, which came out perfect for Alt.   Problem is the beer just seems a little boring now and I am only about 1/2 way through it.

I have a full 5 gal keg of it sitting ready to go on tap as soon as the first keg empties (1st probably has 1 gal or so in it still).

Question... I am thinking about opening the full keg and adding some (qty ??) cascade home grown whole hops for a dry hop in order to change the beer.   I know it won't give any bitter change and very, very little flavor change if any.   But, maybe even a slight change in the flavor and a aroma addition would make the beer more interesting.   Do you think adding a couple ounces of cascade at this point will do anything positive to the beer ?   I don't care if it falls out of style, just looking for something "extra" in this last 5 gal's so I can get excited about getting through this keg.

Beer was originally kegged in early March.   Made from mostly pils malt and some munich with magnum and tettnag.
Logged

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27119
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: dry hop an Alt to add life to it??
« Reply #1 on: June 03, 2011, 10:39:34 am »
I guess it would depend on what the alt is like now and what you expect out of it.  For the alts I make, I can't imagine Cascade in it.  But I haven't tasted yours, so it could be a totally different situation.
Logged
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline thomasbarnes

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 415
Re: dry hop an Alt to add life to it??
« Reply #2 on: June 03, 2011, 01:26:32 pm »
Quote from: bobjohnson on June 03, 2011, 10:35:45 am
Brewed 10 gal of a German ALT, which came out perfect for Alt.   Problem is the beer just seems a little boring now and I am only about 1/2 way through it.

Your beer might be getting stale, early stages of oxidation/aging are characterized by a generally "dull" profile - fewer esters, and less hop aroma and flavor, plus hints of chemical bitterness and/or honey-like notes. Drink the last of the first keg first or use the remains of that keg for cooking.

If you can, keep the other keg as cool as possible to minimize oxidation.

Adding dry hops couldn't hurt to bring up the hop aroma, especially if you're worried that second cask might be getting oxidized, too. A Cascade dry-hopped alt sounds interesting.

Just make sure that you put your dry hops in a bag so you can easily get the hops out. Otherwise, you'll be picking up a lot of hoppy trub and might have problems with the pickup tube getting clogged.
Logged

Offline corkybstewart

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1368
Re: dry hop an Alt to add life to it??
« Reply #3 on: June 03, 2011, 01:29:53 pm »
I dry hopped my alt with Strisselspalt and it turned out great.  The second keg will kick soon so I can't wait to brew another batch.
Logged
Life is wonderful in sunny White Signal New Mexico

Offline skyler

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 956
  • Hmm. Human music. I like it.
Re: dry hop an Alt to add life to it??
« Reply #4 on: June 04, 2011, 01:42:12 am »
If you're not feeling the altiness and you want to dry hop it, just call it an American amber.
Logged

Offline malzig

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 466
Re: dry hop an Alt to add life to it??
« Reply #5 on: June 05, 2011, 05:03:17 am »
I think I'd go with something Noble, like Hallertau, if I was going to try dry-hopping an Alt.
Logged

Offline tomsawyer

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1694
Re: dry hop an Alt to add life to it??
« Reply #6 on: June 06, 2011, 10:57:54 am »
A fairly dry, malty-yet-hoppy beer would probably take a modest amount of a citrusy dry hop pretty well and make for a nice American amber.

Do Germans do much dry-hopping?
Logged
Lennie
Hannibal, MO

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27119
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: dry hop an Alt to add life to it??
« Reply #7 on: June 06, 2011, 11:23:59 am »
Quote from: tomsawyer on June 06, 2011, 10:57:54 am
A fairly dry, malty-yet-hoppy beer would probably take a modest amount of a citrusy dry hop pretty well and make for a nice American amber.

Do Germans do much dry-hopping?

There is a form of alt called "sticke" that's stronger than a regular alt and is often dry hopped.
Logged
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline tomsawyer

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1694
Re: dry hop an Alt to add life to it??
« Reply #8 on: June 06, 2011, 11:48:40 am »
Quote from: denny on June 06, 2011, 11:23:59 am
There is a form of alt called "sticke" that's stronger than a regular alt and is often dry hopped.

So thats the sticke!  Sticke meaning either secret, or embroidered.  Either way, it applies.
Logged
Lennie
Hannibal, MO

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27119
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: dry hop an Alt to add life to it??
« Reply #9 on: June 06, 2011, 11:51:54 am »
I believe in this case it's "secret".  I'm told that the sticke is never announced in advance...it just shows up.
Logged
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline bobjohnson

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 11
Re: dry hop an Alt to add life to it??
« Reply #10 on: June 06, 2011, 03:02:16 pm »
I think what I am going to do is take some 22 oz and larger bottles and do some testing with different hop varieties.   Be a fun experiment to take a little amount of different hops and dry hop in bottles.  I know it won't be a perfect test, and I'll probably clog some bottles and get hop matter in my glass on some, but it will be interesting.
Logged

Offline Will's Swill

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 359
  • Secretly likes wine...
Re: dry hop an Alt to add life to it??
« Reply #11 on: June 06, 2011, 06:34:08 pm »
If you're going to dry hop bottles, perhaps a few drops of hop oil would solve your hop residue problem.
Logged
Is that a counter-pressure bottle filler in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

Offline thomasbarnes

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 415
Re: dry hop an Alt to add life to it??
« Reply #12 on: June 08, 2011, 02:06:43 am »
Quote from: denny on June 06, 2011, 11:51:54 am
I believe in this case it's "secret".  I'm told that the sticke is never announced in advance...it just shows up.

Except for the Zum Uerige Sticke and Doppelsticke which is imported to the U.S. They're both quite good.

Some German brewpub beers are dry hopped. Often, they're "kellerbiers" - unfiltered lagers served from the cask.
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »