British bitter - dry hop or not?

[Aleosaurus cervisiae]

Looking through a few recipes for British bitter, noticed most do not include dry hopping. If you were to dry hop, what would you use? Personally, I dry hop only my APAs (with Cascade).

 

[warra48]

For me, yes, with EKG.

 

[Adr_0]

Yes. Smell a commercial example and they definitely dry hop - 90% with EKG as Warra said.

 

[Aleosaurus cervisiae]

What about Styrian Golding?

 

[slash22000]

1) You shouldn't limit yourself to dry hopping your American ales with Cascade. American pale ales / IPA's are like God's gift to dry hoppers. There are SO MANY amazing varieties to choose from.

2) Historically I believe a great number of British beers were "dry hopped" (well, sort of - cask hopped?). These days they seem to have earned a reputation for being malt-forward, but dry hop away. Lots of great British aroma varieties, East Kent Goldings being a classic.

 

[pk.sax]

I used flameout fuggles. Very happy with the result. The yeast is still making it known it is there. I don't reckon I'll like the muting of yeast flavours dry hopping will bring. The malt is already working hard to drown the yeast driven flavours.

 

[manticle]

Depends on the style of bitter a bit for me - best bitter I tend to focus on the malt. However dry hopping is often used in commercial English ales and many of my homemades have benefitted from similar.

EKG, Styrians and Challenger are my favourites. 2-3 days only - Styrians left too long taste weird and 2-3 days is sufficient.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Just put down my first 'proper' bitter (I did one before but classified it as a pale mild) and bottled it yesterday.

I no chilled this and put in a small 0 minute addition with the major addition FWH at 90 minutes.

Smelled amazing from the fermenter and the S04 threw what smelled like some pear, which I was surprised with.

I wanted a hint of aroma/dry hop but still that solid bitterness. Based on smell, I reckon I got it.

It was all Styrians.

 

[dago001]

Hey Goomba, its about time you accepted the fact that you are a "new Van Diemener". Brisbane is long gone for you buddy, your fate is sealed like a bucket with holes in it.

As far as Bitters go, my few attempts have all used EKG as a dry hop. I have also used Styrians, but preferred the EKG.
Cheers
LB

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Hey LB, I don't think i mentioned Brisbane this time. Surprising. I have to use that as a mark, given what I had equipment wise (kegs) and the differences in temperature and how that affects brewing. I could write a thesis on these differences - how climate affects brewing from a style perspective, drinking perspective, et al.

Sealed like a bucket with holes and a screwdriver getting the burrs out..... :lol: h34r:

Actually, if you're down my area and my bitter doesn't get drunk quickly enough (see the bottles thread) before I go away, you can have/swap some. 1.5L bottles of 3.5% beer.....

 

[sponge]

I've got a big +1 for styrians. I've used EKG with success also, but always come crawling back to styrians.

 

[pk.sax]

I love Styrian in my saison. For some reason it's not much in demand in Canberra, I had to get fuggles but boy, I'm not disappointed.

 

[Byran]

Just made a bitter with my new pack of styrians I got from yob. Havent used them until now. Im interested to compare the flavours with the one I made with EKG.
I think ill dry hop it a little if it is worth a try.

 

[Bizier]

I think dry hop is a key part of a bitter, but the key is the amount. I feel some examples benefit most from a very light hand.

 

[Midnight Brew]

Trying to decide whether to dry hop or not. Its a standard Bitter.

100% Best Red X
FWH Magnum to 14 BU
Cube I: Northdown to 14.5 BU
Cube II: Brambling Cross to 14.6 BU
Both cubes get Wy 1469

OG: 1038
FG 1012
Alc 3.4%
EBC 21.5

Do I dry hop lightly with say under 1g p/l or go without?

My goal here is hop experimenting and being a bitter (well sorta I'm treating it like one) it could probably benefit from a small amount of dry hopping. Its got some serious aroma coming from the FV from the cube hop. Going to carb to 1.5 vol.

 

[manticle]

If I read right you have 2 cubes?

 

[Bribie G]

If you keg, try keg hopping in a little voile bag, around 30g of Styrians or Aurora. In the UK, dry hopping is usually in the cask. That's why hop plugs are the size and shape they are, so they fit through the spile hole of a cask.

 

[Midnight Brew]

If I read right you have 2 cubes?

Yep 2 different cubes, 2 different hops. So what ever I do for one I want to replicate for the other.

If you keg, try keg hopping in a little voile bag, around 30g of Styrians or Aurora. In the UK, dry hopping is usually in the cask. That's why hop plugs are the size and shape they are, so they fit through the spile hole of a cask.

Was thinking 20-30g dry hop but thinking now to go the keg hop. Im going to carb the keg with dex until my keezer is up an running (about 2 weeks off). Would I throw them in that carb up stage or wait till about to serve and throw them in?

 

[manticle]

Thought they were the same brew.

Up to you then. My experience - both work. Uk beers require much subtler dry hopping than big us beers though.