I'm a fairly experience brewer. I know the difference between fusel alcohol (solventy, fusely, acetoney) and hot alcohol (clean ethanol flavor). I recently brewed a DIPA and I'm getting some ethanol flavor in it that seems out of balance. I've learned that with a high alcohol beer like a trippel, you want to age that to let it mellow out. But I'm dealing with an IIPA here. Aging will deteriorate the hop aroma and freshness.
I want to know how brewers deal with ethanol that is apparent in their beer in a DIIPA. I don't think fermentation temperature is the key, since I used a fermentation controlled 65 degree 1056 american ale wyeast with a big starter. Do you let your IIPAs mellow for a while before you dry hop? I think I gave it a good 4 weeks before I dry-hopped... Thoughts?
FYI: this was a Citra DIPA clone. I hit all my numbers, it came out to about 8.1% alcohol.
I want to know how brewers deal with ethanol that is apparent in their beer in a DIIPA. I don't think fermentation temperature is the key, since I used a fermentation controlled 65 degree 1056 american ale wyeast with a big starter. Do you let your IIPAs mellow for a while before you dry hop? I think I gave it a good 4 weeks before I dry-hopped... Thoughts?
FYI: this was a Citra DIPA clone. I hit all my numbers, it came out to about 8.1% alcohol.