Go Head Double IPA bottling...

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Going to take my first swing at brewing a double IPA for a bluegrass festival at the end of May. Just a couple question I hope some if the more experienced brewers on here can answer. I've done some research, and I'm getting some conflicting "opinions" on bottling duration. If I brew today, primary for 3 weeks, dry hop for 2 weeks, then bottle, the beer will be bottle condition for nearly two months while waiting on the festival.

Now, having never brewed an IPA before, I've heard that leaving it bottled for this long will be detrimental to a pale ale (mostly in hop aroma). On the other hand, I've read where people have left them in he bottles for 8-10 months with no effect. Can anyone give me some clarity on this subject? Anyone have experiences with Midwest's Hop Head in particular?

I'm really just wanting to brew soon, but if I need to wait for the sake of quality, I will.

Thanks!


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Lol title is supposed to say "HOP Head Double IPA"


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[ThreeSheetsBrewing]

I think you may miss PEAK hop flavors. Being this is a bigger beer it will need 3 weeks or so to carb. I don't think you'll notice or be disappointed with the kit if you keep your current time line. As well, it's better to have a little wiggle room if things dont go just as planned and you need to do some tinkering.

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[Cyclman]

I would ferment 2 weeks (good yeast pitch and oxygenation should lead to that), dry hop for 2 weeks, then bottle for a month. So, brewday 2 months prior to serving is a good timeline. Big hoppy beers do lose flavor rather quickly, enjoy the money you spend on those hops. I would also recommend first wort hopping.

 

[BryanJ]

Make sure what ever you bottle in is allowed into the festivals. They might not allow glass in the festival.

 

[PLAY_DEAD]

Thanks for the heads up! I'll be drinking it at the campground, not in the festival itself. Think I'm going to brew in two weeks.


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[ddicker60]

many people would say a 2 week dry hop is too long, some do more than one (3 days, then a week). Aside from that, you do what you have to do in order to get that carbonation.

 

[brewmeister13]

My opinion with any IPA is to turn it around as quickly as possible. With bigger beers though I've had them carb in 2 weeks and 7 weeks so there is no exact answer. Once it is carbed up though, putting them in the fridge, cold, will help slow the aging process.

 

[PLAY_DEAD]

I have hear 8-10 days is sufficient for dry hopping as well. Just seeing what everyone else thinks!


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[mrphillips]

Any chance we can take a look at your recipe?

Also, be completely sure that your FG is stable before priming. I just had 2 gallons of strong ale turn into gushers because I primed as usual when the FG was at 1.012. I'm not sure how low it got, but I was lucky to have avoided bottle bombs.

 

[PLAY_DEAD]

I'll see if I can copy my recipe when I get home. It's Midwest's Hop Head Double IPA recipe. I usually leave my beers in primary an extra week more than recommended to prevent such instances.


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