Hoppy not Bitter

[Michael311]

I've brewed about 30 batches, mosyly Imperial IPA's and mostly recipes somebody else has created. I've done three "all me" recipes that have tuned out fine.

I realize now the commercial Double IPA's I really like are not bitter, but hoppy. My favorites are: Heady Topper, Pliny the Elder and Alpine's Duet. I know that's not outside of the box choices but in my opinion there's a reason at least HT and PTE are at cult status level. But to me, they are very hoppy, but not bitter. I've had lots of commercial DIPA's from Stone, Green Flash, etc that are just too bitter and they don't seem like well balanced beers to me.

So my question is, how do I accomplish that as a home brewer? I've done Pliny clones and they end up more bitter than the real thing. Is it simply a matter of conservative amounts of bittering hops? I've been moving toward very late hop additions and my next attempt will be flame out and hop stands while bittering with hop extract.

Thoughts?

 

[Singletrack]

I can help you Michael, but first I need several samples of your stash of HT and PTE, and maybe even an AD (embarrassed to say I don't know that one). My place or yours?

I think you're looking for smooooooth bitterness, and you should FWH and use late addition hops and copious dry hopping. To me, Stone IPA is just bitter. Fresh Ruination is a liquid poem to the glory of the hop.

 

[Michael311]

I can help you Michael, but first I need several samples of your stash of HT and PTE, and maybe even an AD (embarrassed to say I don't know that one). My place or yours?

I think you're looking for smooooooth bitterness, and you should FWH and use late addition hops and copious dry hopping. To me, Stone IPA is just bitter. Fresh Ruination is a liquid poem to the glory of the hop.

I wish I had a stash. PTE in my area means hitting up the beer guy at Whole Foods which makes me feel like a junkie needing a fix. Earlier in the year I went to Russian River and picked up a case. HT I found on Craiglist and had to overpay for those. Alpine Duet is now more available and can be found on tap around town now that Green Flash bought them. Anyway, all amazing beers and something to aspire to.

Yes, FWH, late additions and dry hopping is my strategy these days.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

I would focus on a solid bittering charge at 60-90 with a high-alpha hop. Something like warrior or apollo for the american side.

And wait a realllllllly long time and start dumping in hops in the last 15 minutes. I have settled in on a DIPA that has 4oz of apollo at 90 minutes and then a 8oz mix at 15 minutes and a 9 oz mix at flameout with a 30 minute whirlpool. It works out great. This is for a 10-gallon batch, fyi.