Hop Juice

[Brewbirds]

OOOH LA LA

[BlackDuck]

Looks great Paul....My first dry hop was pretty cloudy too. So I think you'll be fine. I'm bottling it tomorrow afternoon. Great description of the taste at this point too. What did you think of the bitterness at this point?

[Beer-lord]

Bitterness is spot on but had almost no aroma but, at 66 degrees, I wouldn't expect much. In fact, even my best beers so far haven't tasted so great at this point so I guess I should be worried.
I think the Maris Otter really adds to this and as I rarely use it, I'm going to like it that much more in this beer.
Gonna keg next Saturday and will likely put it right into the kegerator a few days later as I want to get this one chilled, carbed and ready to drink ASAP while all the hop goodness is giving it's life for us to enjoy.

[BlackDuck]

Your response makes me feel better. Mine didn't have much aroma either at the first dry hop, but it sure did at the second. I'm glad I decided to do a second round of dry hop. And I'm also glad you think the bitterness is spot on, becasue I thought it was a little light, but I have a hard time figuring them out when I dry hop. I guess I should just quit worrying about it at that stage.

I think I'm only gonna give this two weeks to carb before I start popping the caps on them!!!

[Beer-lord]

When mine is ready, I'll send 2 out to you. That way you can try one right away and another a few weeks out to see how it might lose some aroma though I think the only problem with this beer is going to be months out when the aroma dies down and you only get the bite with no balance. Or at least that's what I think might happen.

[Kealia]

I dunno...I'd have to go back and look at the recipe again but even if the aroma fades there were a lot of late hop additions, right? I think even if you lose the aroma you are going to get a mouthful of hop goodyness. Yes, that's a word.

[BlackDuck]

Just finished bottling this up. Ended up with only 45 full bottles and a few ounces to taste. Man, there was a lot of crap on the bottom of the fermenter. It was still slightly cloudy, but nothing that I'm worried about. I can't expect a beer with that much hops in it to come out crystal clear.

The aroma was to die for, very citrusy, didn't seem to have much of that piney dankness though. And the flavor screemed citrus, a lot of grapefruit in it. And the bitterness that I thought I was missing at the dry hop stages was definitely there now. It hits hard on the back of the tongue right away...So far, all the characterstics are all IIPA. I think this is really going to be a good one.

[Kealia]

I can't expect a beer with that much hops in it to come out crystal clear.

That's what I am thinking, too.
Sorry I couldn't play along on this one but I'm glad it's turning out the wall y'all intended.

[Inkleg]

Sorry I couldn't play along on this one but I'm glad it's turning out the wall y'all intended.

You don't always have to play to enjoy the rewards. I had you on the mailing list for this one from the get go.

[BlackDuck]

I think Ron might be the smartest one of all of us. He didn't brew it, but he's going to get at least 3 bottles, one from each of us, I'm sure!

[Brewbirds]

I think Ron might be the smartest one of all of us. He didn't brew it, but he's going to get at least 3 bottles, one from each of us, I'm sure!

Well then since he has apparently broken his avatar I think you should make him change it to something Freeloader-ish in order to got those three beers.

[Kealia]

Should I change it to something like this?

[Beer-lord]

I'm not going to send one to Ron because it's not a black IPA and that's all he likes!

Having had a number of beers today (and still standing to talk about it) I can say that I think it could be the Apollo hops that sets this one aside from many I've had. The somewhat peppery, spicy, earthy aroma of that hop, in just the right amounts, makes this one remarkable. At least that's what I'm hoping anyway.
Ron, be a good boy and you might get a few of these. Keep cute little kids in your avatar and you only get poopy diapers!

[Brewbirds]

Yeah that's not much of a threat when all three of them know how far away you live.

[Inkleg]

Though I'd look in on mine tonight after 10 days. FG reading of 1.007 so mines a little over done, but done none the less. Starting the cold crash and will probably keg this weekend. Did not think to take a taste, but then I usually don't anyway. I just don't like robbing my future self of beer. Not sure what my keg dry hop will consist of yet.

Hop Juice Carnage.JPG (107.67 KiB) Viewed 807 times

The object to the right in the lid is the thermowell that my STC-1000 temperature sensor fits down in. Works great for keeping steady wort temp during fermentation.