Why Double Dry-hop?

[ahurd110]

Hey all...

I have been working on nailing a recipe/process for my own house recipe, and I have starting thinking about double-dryhopping...I ran a search on the subject but couldn't find a lot of info.

My main issue is why? What is the benefit? If I am going to add a total of 4-6oz of dryhops to my beer, why would it be advantageous to add 2 2-3 oz increments at separate times as opposed to just dumping in the full hop load at once?

The most common answer I have found is because Vinnie at RR does it for PtY, and it is a common practice with other west-coast brewers as well...I'm not doubting these guys knowledge or credentials by any means, but this just doesn't seem like a good enough answer to me.

Anyone have any first hand experience or info? Would be appreciated for sure.

Cheers!

 

[mcarb]

Well hop aromas die out pretty quick. Pick up a Pliny fresh and compare it to one that has been sitting for a month. Big difference. Not sure if this would make a difference in dry hopping, but hop aroma is fleeting.

 

[peregrinebio]

I don't know but it's a good question. I've brewed the Pliny the Elder clone and it has a double dry hop. Maybe it doesn't just dissipate, but the complexity of the dry hop changes over time.

It would be cool to split up a batch, do an early dry hop, a late dry hop, and one with both.

 

[phenry]

I do it because dry hopping with 8 oz of leaf hops just doesn't leave them all saturated in beer if you don't weight them down. There just isn't enough room in a 5 gallon bucket. Now I'm not sure about the logistics of the big guys' fermenters and how many dry hops they can cram into those, but I feel like splitting up 8 oz into 2 four oz doses each hopped for a week is better than throwing all of them in there and hoping for the best.

 

[ahurd110]

Fair enough. Did you actually notice a difference in final flavor when you started doing it this way?

 

[phenry]

I can't really say for sure, because the only beers I've ever done a double dry hop for are IIPAs. And when I did start, I just about doubled all of my aroma hops in my recipes, hence the need for 2 doses. They do have a huge aroma that will just about knock your face off though.