Dry hopping didn't turn out as planned

[brewfan86]

Okay so i just bottled my home brew today, an american pale ale using zythos hops. But i didn't get the aroma i was thinking i would. So heres the details, used a good amount 4oz in pellet form and left them in my secondary carboy for a week. I placed them in a one gallon paint strainer bag from home depot. But as I was bottling i didn't notice very much of an aroma. What did i do wrong?? my hops were fine and had a nice aroma when i tossed them in. I did notice they never sank down as assumed they would. I've since heard the tip about using marbles to weigh them down. I was wondering if the hops not being fully submerged would have anything to do with it, also does the size of my strain bag and quantity of hops used have to do with it? I noticed my hops expanded and the bag seemed fuller maybe they didnt break down properly? its my first time dry hopping so idk how the hops should look after use.

thank you in advance for any help

 

[twistr25]

If there is not enough room in the hop bag that will hinder how well the hop aroma disperses. I've seen that Zythos does not work as well as a dryhop, but I have not personally used it. I just dryhopped a Black IPA with Centennial hops and it had an awesome nose on it, but I dumped them in completely unrestricted. Best thing to do is try it differently next time and see if does better. Best thing about this hobby is trial and error.

 

[RmikeVT]

You didn't do anything wrong. Be patient and wait for your beer to be carbonated and at serving temp. 4oz is a good bit of dry hopping too. Although, I don't have any experience with Zythos.

I have no scientific backing, but in my experience, my drop hopped ales always have a very mild aroma at room temp and before carbonated. Once carbonated and at serving temp it is much more pronounced. I would imagine it has something to do with the co2 coming out of solution and carrying the hop aroma with it.

 

[unionrdr]

I use muslin hop sacks with no more than 1oz per sack,even when dry hopping. I dry hop one week. But some hops don't have a lot of aroma or flavor to them. They're kinda light,in other words. Zythos may likely be one of them. Rmike's right though,carbonation does make the aroma from the dry hop more pronounced. It lifts them up to where we can smell them. It's just that to me,some hops are a bit light.

 

[billl]

" its my first time dry hopping so idk how the hops should look after use."

Pellet hops should be just waterlogged green mush by the time you pull them. They shouldn't look like pellets at all. If your just look "expanded", then you didn't really get them wet enough.

For the next batch, I'd recommend a larger bag and some marbles.

 

[dstranger99]

Simcoe does very well as a dry hop. Try those next time.......

 

[brewfan86]

Thanx Everyone
The only reason I used zythos was because of the shortage of some of the more popular hops at my LHBS. I asked the guy there what I could use to get a somewhat similar nose and he had recommend this hop. I checked out its hop profile and it sounded like it would work okay, I loaded up on it on it just incase hence the 4oz's. But ill definitely experiment with some of the hops you've all mentioned. Hopefully I get some aroma once carbonated and conditioned. I will definitely try a new approach next time as far as placement of the hops. They floated up to the surface and never sunk as I expected so I might try marbles in my sack or perhaps just pouring directly into my carboy next time.

" its my first time dry hopping so idk how the hops should look after use."

Pellet hops should be just waterlogged green mush by the time you pull them. They shouldn't look like pellets at all. If your just look "expanded", then you didn't really get them wet enough.

For the next batch, I'd recommend a larger bag and some marbles.

As far as there appearance after I cut my bag open they didn't look like a mush like they would in the boil They didn't maintain the form of pellet exactly though either. The look is kinda like pulp from a juicer kinda clumpy and spongey. Wish I would've took a pic to share. But definitely not a mush consistency.

 

[billl]

Oh, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with Zythos. It isn't reall "a" hop. It's a blend of many popular american hops. It was one of hopunions attempts to deal with the hop shortage for some of the new, popular varieties.

 

[Pugnax88]

Oh, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with Zythos. It isn't reall "a" hop. It's a blend of many popular american hops. It was one of hopunions attempts to deal with the hop shortage for some of the new, popular varieties.

Thats good to know, i have a Black IPA that will be using a fair amount of Zythos both during the boil and for dry hopping. I can't wait to brew it and see how it comes out.

 

[brewfan86]

Oh, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with Zythos. It isn't reall "a" hop. It's a blend of many popular american hops. It was one of hopunions attempts to deal with the hop shortage for some of the new, popular varieties.

Yeah I had read that which is why I was interested In trying them out. Idk it might have just been my method of placing them and not my choice of zythos. Wouldn't want to discourage anyone frm using them.