Saaz Hops - Dry Hop Or Flame Out

[sgw86]

Hi All,

I am going to be putting down a Pilsner Extract brew this week (thanks to Blakie for his recipe suggestion in an old thread).

This recipe calls for an addition of 15g of Saaz @ Flame out. I was thinking of skipping this step and just adding 20g on Day 3 as a Dry Hop. What would be the best to do? This will be brewed with w34/70 @ 10C to get a nice crisp clean lager.

Is the dry hop not really worth it when trying to get a clean lager? I have never dry hopped or used Saaz before so unsure.

Current recipe

2KG Briess Pilsen Dry Malt
400g Dextrose
120g Carapils Malt
70g Saaz @ 60mins
20g Saaz @ 15mins
20g Saaz @ Day 3 (Dry Hop)
w34/70 Dry Yeast

Any advice on what would be the best path would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Sam.

 

[RdeVjun]

Sounds like a bad idea, dry hops in a Pilsner is nearly unheard of and for good reason- overly aromatic hops not the sort of character you want, particularly if you want it nice and clean. Add them at flame out if you must, personally I would get them in earlier.

 

[QldKev]

I think it may come down to personal opinion. I would never dry hop Saaz, it would be waaay too grassy for me. Throw it in as a zero minute (flame out) addition.

edit: I've got a Grolsch in the fermenter at the moment, that has 41g Saaz at 0min for a 69L batch.
Also thats a pretty full on IBU, up in the upper end of the range, with a lighter malt base you have could be a bit bitter

QldKev

 

[manticle]

I have dry hopped saaz before.

Wouldn't do it again. Doesn't mean it can't work but it didn't for me. Grassy is a fairly good descriptor.

If you're really curious, take a sample of the wort after FG and add the same proportion of saaz. Keep it covered and sanitary and taste it after 5 days. If you like the effect, cold condition the brew for a week and add in some dry hops after day 2.

 

[sgw86]

I think it may come down to personal opinion. I would never dry hop Saaz, it would be waaay too grassy for me. Throw it in as a zero minute (flame out) addition.

edit: I've got a Grolsch in the fermenter at the moment, that has 41g Saaz at 0min for a 69L batch.
Also thats a pretty full on IBU, up in the upper end of the range, with a lighter malt base you have could be a bit bitter

QldKev

QldKev,

Thanks for the advice and thanks to everyone else. I have decided to remove the Flameout altogether as I want a clean pilsner (for example I do a Lager that only has a 60min addition of POR at that works well for me).

As for the IBU the current batch of Saaz in stock at Grain & Grape has only an AA % of 3.7. I also mixed up the 60min addition.

The actual recipe has 60g (3.7%) @ 60mins and 20g (3.7%) @ 15mins

This will give me an IBU of 25 with a 12L Extract Boil.

 

[Nick JD]

QldKev,

Thanks for the advice and thanks to everyone else. I have decided to remove the Flameout altogether as I want a clean pilsner (for example I do a Lager that only has a 60min addition of POR at that works well for me).

As for the IBU the current batch of Saaz in stock at Grain & Grape has only an AA % of 3.7. I also mixed up the 60min addition.

The actual recipe has 60g (3.7%) @ 60mins and 20g (3.7%) @ 15mins

This will give me an IBU of 25 with a 12L Extract Boil.

I've started reducing all my late hops in a lot of my recipes. I think we can get a bit "APAed" with our hop usage. So many beers are perfect with only early hop additions - and it's especially good when wanting to let the malt dominate.

 

[Rod]

I think it may come down to personal opinion. I would never dry hop Saaz, it would be waaay too grassy for me. Throw it in as a zero minute (flame out) addition.

edit: I've got a Grolsch in the fermenter at the moment, that has 41g Saaz at 0min for a 69L batch.
Also thats a pretty full on IBU, up in the upper end of the range, with a lighter malt base you have could be a bit bitter

QldKev

how about the grolsch recipe mate

 

[mxd]

I have dry hopped saaz before.

Wouldn't do it again. Doesn't mean it can't work but it didn't for me. Grassy is a fairly good descriptor.

If you're really curious, take a sample of the wort after FG and add the same proportion of saaz. Keep it covered and sanitary and taste it after 5 days. If you like the effect, cold condition the brew for a week and add in some dry hops after day 2.

+1, I have one now that I dry hopped and very disappointed with the flavour

 

[Nick JD]

Grolsch uses Saaz? I would have thought it was mostly Hallertau.

EDIT: Just checked a few clone recipes. Most are Saaz, Hallertau - but bittered with Northern Brewer.

Which yeast, Kev?

 

[QldKev]

how about the grolsch recipe mate

Grolsch uses Saaz? I would have thought it was mostly Hallertau.

EDIT: Just checked a few clone recipes. Most are Saaz, Hallertau - but bittered with Northern Brewer.

Which yeast, Kev?

I can't comment on how good it is as I've never made it before. It was just one a found on the Internet.

I'll throw up the recipe I used tonight, but from memory it was
Northern brewer @ 60
Hallertau Hersbrucker @ 15
Saaz @15
Saaz @ 0
It was a stepped mash. I was going to do a decoction but could not be bothered on the day, I should have thrown in some Melanoidin to make up for it, but didn't worry about it.

Yeast 2042


QldKev

 

[QldKev]

Grolsch
69L
75% eff
1.048 OG
28.6 IBU
8.0 EBC

Water additions as needed to suit the style based on the source water, I started with rain water since I wanted as neutral as I could get.

13.50kg Pilsner (Weyermann)
0.50kg Caramel/Crystal Malt
0.15kg Caramunich I

Northern Brewer @ 60min to obtain total IBU
42g Saaz 4.0% @ 15
21g Hallertau Hersbrucker 4.0% @ 15
12g Brew Bright @ 10
42g Saaz 4.0% @ 0

I kept the mash simple as mentioned prior,
55c 5min
65c 75min
78c 10min

3.0pkg Danish Lager #2042


Next time I think I would like to do a 72c step, and perform a decoction. But I don't actually think it would truly fit the style.


I'm fermenting 2 of the 3 cubes at the moment, my plan is to drink one youngish aka not long after it's fermented and kegged, and let the other sit in a keg until the end of June.


QldKev