Galaxy Dry Hopping - How much is too much?

[timmybradley]

Hi guys,

Hoping I can get some help here. I'm doing a Stone & Wood Pacific Ale (23L Batch) clone and planning on dry hopping with galaxy hops to get that fruity passionfruit aroma.

I've read lot of posts about successes and failures about dry hopping galaxy with too much resulting in a grassy taste. I'm thinking somewhere around the 20g mark around day 4 top be on the safe side.

Thoughts? Appreciate anyone's help/advice.

Cheers, Tim

 

[AndrewQLD]

I wouldn't go over 1/2 g per litre, it's not a great hop for dry hopping.

 

[timmybradley]

Cheers Andrew,

Will take it down a notch then and give a generous addition in last 20 mins for flavour.

 

[Gigantorus]

Tim,

Galaxy is a somewhat light flavour I found.

I've come to quite like Simcoe for dry-hopping. It has nice solid flavours.

I've also found Citra a good one too.

But so many options out there really. All depends how it's used too.

Cheers,

Pete

 

[goatus]

I disagree with the above. I dont think there is a "too much" for galaxy dry hopping - its all the length of time its in there with Galaxy. I dryhop with a huge amount, but only for 4 - 5 days MAX. If you do it for any longer you will start to get a harsh grassiness (which I think is why its got a bad name for dryhopping). If you like a super big aroma hit, go nuts with the galaxy, just pull it out after 4 - 5 days. Love this hop.

 

[chrisluki]

Cheers Andrew,

Will take it down a notch then and give a generous addition in last 20 mins for flavour.

I added 25g at flame out this week and when testing the liquid in the fermenter I was getting a huge passion fruit aroma just from that!!

Great hops.

 

[balconybrewer]

pretty sure any decent stone and wood clone would be dry hopped with galaxy with around 2g/l. i agree with goatus, dont exceed 5 days and the more the better!

 

[timmybradley]

Thanks everyone. Brewed on Saturday and dropped 15 at flame out, 20 in the whirlpool.

Was thinking of doing 20g in secondary and 20g in the keg? Is this pointless? Should I just go with 40 in secondary and leave it at that?

 

[Dan Pratt]

Can you share the recipe for your SW ale?

To answer the q's, I would throw the 40g into the fermenter for the dry hop and as mentioned pull them out or cold crash at around day 4-5. When its packaged and you taste your beer then decide if it needs more from a keg hop addition.

 

[hwall95]

I recently used 40g for 25L batch and combined with the boil additions it tastes pretty similar to S&W pacific ale.

I also did any experiment with my dads mexican kit since he had 50L of it chilling in fridge. I drained out 10L and threw in 50g of galaxy into it and out intrestesing - very passionfruity!

 

[timmybradley]

I recently used 40g for 25L batch and combined with the boil additions it tastes pretty similar to S&W pacific ale.

I also did any experiment with my dads mexican kit since he had 50L of it chilling in fridge. I drained out 10L and threw in 50g of galaxy into it and out intrestesing - very passionfruity!

Thanks hwall95. Nice work! Get the old man to do the hard part and you reap the benefits

Can you share the recipe for your SW ale?

To answer the q's, I would throw the 40g into the fermenter for the dry hop and as mentioned pull them out or cold crash at around day 4-5. When its packaged and you taste your beer then decide if it needs more from a keg hop addition.

Thanks Pratty.

Here's the recipe I used, will let you know how it turns out:

Malt
4Kg Maris Otter
0.8Kg Wheat Malt (I had to use dark wheat malt as only wheat malt available)

Hops
60g Galaxy (Pellets) +40g dry hop

1 Tsp Ca2SO4 into mash

Mash
75 minutes @ 65C, 17L, pH = 5.4
Fly Sparge - 16L

Hop Schedule (30 minute boil)
5g 30 mins
10g 15 mins
10g 5 mins
15g 0 mins
20g Whirlpool

OG - 1044
Batch size = 23L
Est. IBU = 22
Est EBC = 9
Est ABV = 4.4%

Cheers,

Tim

 

[Dan Pratt]

Post a picture and possibly a side by side when you get her into a glass.

Here is my SWPA clone;

60% Ale
40% Wheat

Galaxy @ 5mins to 17ibu
Galaxy Dry Hopped 3g/L for 4days @ 21c

US05 @ 17c and its important to mash dry to get a crisp clean finish, I mash at 64c/40m, 72c/20m, 78c/30m.

I think you will get a good finish with your mash at 65c, i tried that before and after a side by side it needed to be lower.

 

[timmybradley]

Nice!

Will definitely post something up once it's ready.

Were you happy with how yours turned out?

I'm using US05 as well but at 19C at the moment - too high you reckon?

Yeh I'm using an esky mash tun so it's single stage only for me unfortunately...

 

[QldKev]

I find the pellets get very harsh at higher hop levels, whilst you can push the fresh whole flowers heaps further

 

[tugger]

my galaxy smash has 100g of galaxy in it, 3x20g in the boil and 40g in the fermenter.at 20L. its fairly hoppy but not over the top.

 

[brewinski]

I find the pellets get very harsh at higher hop levels, whilst you can push the fresh whole flowers heaps further

Yeah, I did the same with the flowers, and it was very close to SWPA. they were dry hopped for 5 days. At 2,5g per litre.

Id have to check notes for rest of Hop schedule. But it was a shite load all up, something like 4g+ per litre, with some in mash, then regular drops right up to flame out, to achieve the 4g

If you read this post backwards you will get the picture

 

[timmybradley]

Yeah, I did the same with the flowers, and it was very close to SWPA. they were dry hopped for 5 days. At 2,5g per litre.

Id have to check notes for rest of Hop schedule. But it was a shite load all up, something like 4g+ per litre, with some in mash, then regular drops right up to flame out, to achieve the 4g

If you read this post backwards you will get the picture

Our of curiosity, what do you find are the benefits in mash hopping? Just increased bitterness?

 

[brewinski]

I assume that, yes, Galaxy are pretty low on the bitter end of the business. It would taste like a soft drink(passiona) if you didn't get some bittering from them.

I was following a recipe that was stated to be the authors 4th or 5th generation. There was nothing in the way of invention on my part.

 

[AndrewQLD]

The SW Pale Ale is precisely why I think Galaxy is not a good hop for dry hopping, it's a horrible beer that is very one dimensional in both hop and malt qualities, however we can't all like a particular beer so my comment is just an opinion.

 

[timmybradley]

Thanks Brewinski, I figured that might have been the case.

Yeh Andrew - I'm more of a complex beer kind of guy in general but I think the Pacific Ale is a decent, sessionable beer - I'm catering for an engagement party so I really just wanted to go with something that would be pretty much inoffensive to the masses... My old man who generally refuses to drink anything other than Crown Lager enjoyed Pacific Ale - so I consider it somewhat of an entry level Ale for lager drinkers and a reasonably safe bet.