Help with dry hopping...
Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 11:39 am
by TimCA
Hay there,
I have 3.25 OZ of centenial 9.4% pellet hops that I want to dry hop my APA with. Problem is that they are about 9 months old and have been in the frezer. Also I have never dry hoped with this high an alfa acid hop, should I pick a difrent hop?
Tim
Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 12:23 pm
by BDawg
Centennial is a great dry hop in an APA or an IPA. It is kind of like a mixture of Cascade and Chinook. The aroma is great.
Since you are not boiling them, the AA does not really matter.
Go back and listen to the Vinny Cilurzo (sp?) archive of the Sunday Show from around July of '05 here on the brewing network. He gives lots of good info in that podcast and his Pliny beers are hop legends.
Then, what I'd do is divide the centennials into 3 equal piles (just over an oz apeice).
2 weeks before you plan to bottle, Dry hop 1 pile into the secondary. Wait a week, then dry hop pile #2. Finally, wait one more week, and use the 3rd pile to create a hop tea that is added to your bottling bucket/corny.
Hop tea is easy as hell and imparts awesome flavor and aroma:
Bring a quart of water to a boil on the stove.
Turn off the heat.
Soak your hops in the water for about 15 mins.
Strain the "tea" into your keg/bottling bucket.
Carbonate as usual, chill and ENJOY!