I’m looking for some help on a better hop schedule in my NEIPAs to increase flavor. I’ve settled on a dry-hopping routine (cryo in the keg) that seems to provide a nice aroma, but my beers have frankly been lacking in taste. Trying to get that hop-saturated feel you get in so many commercial examples.
I’m brewing a 3-gallon NEIPA in the next few weeks and am planning 100% whirlpool hops. At the moment, I’m thinking about a 1oz/gallon rate at about 150 degrees for 30ish minutes.
Just looking for critiques/suggestions on this plan and more generally how to get that awesome hop flavor in these NEIPAs.
Do you do any dry hopping during primary fermentation? I’d also recommend spunding since I’ve found that the fresh hop flavor fades so quickly in a NEIPA due to oxidation.
I do a hop addition at 15 min left in boil. Begin chill, then additions at 180, hold for 20 min, 150, hold for 20, 130, hold for 20. Post pitch additions at 24 hours and 48 hours.
I stick with a 30-40 min whirlpool at 170 degrees. I’ve been happy with how things have turned out though I have not experimented to know if other temps/times are better. I just went with the process in the Juicy Bits clone from BeerandBrewing.com and haven’t looked back.
Anybody tried a low whirlpool temp? I accidentally got the temp down to 120 for a whirlpool addition once and liked the results so well I’ve done it several more times since then.
My recipes say to add steep/whirlpool additions at 175F but I never hit 175F. It’s usually more like mid to high 150(s)*F. I guess I could recirculate thru the RIMS while steeping but at that point in the brewday the RIMS is already disassembled and cleaned along with associated plumbing. So… close enough. …and like others: I like the results.