Can You Refresh an IPA?

[John Sand]

My Going To Hell IPA is a success. But this batch and prior batches lose something over time. The hop flavor lost some of it's brightness after about eight weeks in the keg. Can it be restored? I am aware of low dose oxygen methods, but I don't have the means for closed transfer. I may try to better purge the keg for IPAs in the future. But for right now, I wonder if a keg hop will help. I've read the theories that dry hopping adds only aroma, I don't accept them. I once hopped a tired IPA in the bottle with some positive effect. So, what do you think? What have you tried?

[Dawg LB Steve]

My two cents keg hop will absolutely give you aroma and flavor. Basically somewhat like bars and taprooms using a Randal between keg and tap.

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[Inkleg]

Keg hopping always helps.

[Beer-lord]

I agree. I've also used keg hops to save a less than mediocre beer from dumping. I would stick to one of the aroma hops (or all) that was used in the recipe.

[Kealia]

Yep, I've done it, too. Just make sure to use a bag. Commando hops in a keg typically lead to a clogged pick up tube - ask me how I know...

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[John Sand]

Great, thanks!

[RickBeer]

No matter what you do, you're going to lose hop flavor and aroma. In fact, if you test a pour coming off a Randall or a Hop Rocket, each subsequent pour will have less hop impact.

As to what's in a keg or bottle, you can clearly "refresh" it by adding hops weeks after you tap it. Of course, when you open the keg to do that, you're introducing oxygen no matter how you do it. And, again, the first pour is going to be very strong flavor and aroma, and then over time it's also going to dissipate.

[Kealia]

It is going to take a while to dissipate, though. I just did this with my Easy Jack (not a) clone. After tapping it and not liking it I keg-hopped and it's still very fresh and vibrant at 2 months drinking. I don't know how long your kegs last, but mine hang around a bit and don't tail off much.

FWIW, when I do keg-hop, I use a hop bag tied off that I suspend about half-way down the keg. I tie it off using sanitized dental floss which doesn't cause a leak when you run it up through the lid/seal. I tie it off to the keg handle.

[John Sand]

Thank you all.
I'm not finishing my kegs very quickly, big beers add pounds.
I also have a Belgian version in the basement. There were no dry hops in that one, but it may want some by the time that reaches the tap.

[Dawg LB Steve]

While opening a corny keg will introduce O2, the CO2 blankets the beer. Whatever the amount of time it takes to add a hop sack and close the lid really does not matter as you would purge the keg of O2 after closing it up.