Dry hop recommendations needed

[hercher]

I recently made an amber style ale that I am kegging this weekend, and want to dry hop. I have available Sorachi Ace and Cascade.

The full recipe, to date:

Grain:

Maris Otter, 9 lbs
Crystal 60 1.25 lbs
Crystal 80 .25 lbs
Amber Malt 1 lb

Hops:

Pacific Jade 13.7 AA, 1 oz 75 minutes
Pacifica 5.7% AA, 1 oz 45 minutes
Pacifica 5.7% AA, 1 oz 30 minutes

OG 1.066.

Pitched San Diego Super Yeast (WLP090) in a 3 pint starter.

Note, I've never used the Pacifica or Pacific Jade before. I would use those for dry hopping, but my LHBS didn't have any, so I bought 2 oz of the Sorachi Ace and Cascade.

Which should I drop hop with, and why?

 

[Nanobru]

Both, because they are both delicious. By the way, no need for a starter with pitchable yeast. Save your time and money

 

[skeezerpleezer]

By the way, no need for a starter with pitchable yeast. Save your time and money

Bad advice in my opinion. Although not all beers need them, they are not a waste of time and $. Underpitching can result in off-flavored beer.

 

[mxpx5678]

Cascade all the way. It is my favorite.

 

[hercher]

Both, because they are both delicious. By the way, no need for a starter with pitchable yeast. Save your time and money

It had occurred to me to use both. Should I use an ounce of each? I've read that the Sorachi Ace can become a little overwhelming. Would maybe a hal ounce of that and an ounce of the Cascade be better?

I got the yeast via mail order, so I couldn't be sure how much viable yeast would be in there. Generally, I agree that a starter isn't necessary, but I think it is always better to use one than not. It's easy to underpitch, difficult to over pitch.

 

[Nanobru]

Bad advice in my opinion. Although not all beers need them, they are not a waste of time and $. Underpitching can result in off-flavored beer.

I disagree. By making a starter when it is not needed, you unnecessarily raise your risk of infection (by making two batches of beer instead of one), and over pitching causes off flavors as well.

 

[skeezerpleezer]

I disagree. By making a starter when it is not needed, you unnecessarily raise your risk of infection (by making two batches of beer instead of one), and over pitching causes off flavors as well.

I don't disagree that they aren't always needed or can cause off flavors by pitching low or high, however if you refer to the Mr Malty pitching calculator, for a 5g batch of 1.066 yeast that was packaged 1 day earlier, it recommends a 2.7 liter starter. It probably isn't that critical on a low gravity beer (I don't usually mess with doing a starter for a 6% beer or under), but I would recommend that the person check the proper pitching rate rather than say they are wasting time and money.

http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html

As for dryhops, I like both and would do a mixture of them. Sorachi is more potent than cascade, but it is also a good potent (some people also say citra is too potent, but in my opinion the more citra dryhop the merrier). I would do at least 2oz total.

 

[hercher]

As for dryhops, I like both and would do a mixture of them. Sorachi is more potent than cascade, but it is also a good potent (some people also say citra is too potent, but in my opinion the more citra dryhop the merrier). I would do at least 2oz total.

I've never used most of these hops before, but am quite familiar with Cascade. If you did 2 oz total, would you tend to an 1 oz of each, or more of one, given that I used Pacifica and Pacific Jade.


As for the starter issue, this thread was intended to discuss the specific beer. there are plenty of threads with plenty of very passionate argument about starters. I would request posters limit their replies to the question at hand.

 

[skeezerpleezer]

I wouldn't be against keeping the beer all NZ hops and doing only NS, but 1oz of each would be great IMO. I really like all the NZ hops I have used, as well as Galaxy (Australia), which I find similar to Citra.

 

[skeezerpleezer]

I used pacific jade for the 1st time in my Stone 15th clone and it is good and pungent, like a NZ version of chiniok or columbus.

 

[hercher]

I wound up using an ounce of both the Sorachi Ace & Cascade. It turned out quite nice -- the bitterness is prominent, but not overwhelming. The Cascade aroma comes out a little more prominently, though I'll concede that could be due to my greater familiarity with it. I'm thinking of doing a pale ale or IPA with nothing but the NZ hops, and really loading up on them. Thanks for the advice, everybody.