Scaling up Simcoe Dry Hop??

[brentt03]

So for our IPA, we dry hop with Simcoe and Centennial. For a 1bbl we use ~4.5oz of both; we recently did a 2bbl batch and just double the dry hop addition to 8.8oz. But by doing this the beer was more bitter, still had great hop profile but was not what our original brew was intended to be.

We want to try another 2bbl batch, but want to make sure that we can duplicate the outcome we get on our 1bbl brew; is there a better methodology we can use for scaling based off of the AA??


Thanks

[einhorn]

Were you only using them as dry hop?

[brewmaster 2011]

I dry hop 75% Simcoe and 25% Citra at 1 LBS per BBL. I never calculate the AA% or BA%.

[porter]

Picked up bitterness somewhere else

In my experience, scaling up dry hops works really well. You may even get more aroma out of the hops based on FV geometry.

Since alpha acids are not converted without heat, it is unlikely that the dry hops are the reason for the difference in bitterness.

Did you change any other parameters?

[olienh]

When I scaled up from 20 gallon homebrew bath to 3BBL pro batches, I changed my hop utilization numbers in Beersmith from 100% to 140% and that seemed to be the right adjustment.

In my experience, scaling up dry hops works really well. You may even get more aroma out of the hops based on FV geometry.

Since alpha acids are not converted without heat, it is unlikely that the dry hops are the reason for the difference in bitterness.

Did you change any other parameters?

[beejay]

There is no need to take into account AA utilization in dry hopping. As other have stated AA isn't isomarized without heat. However, there are plenty of compounds that are bitter besides Alpha acids, and more plant matter can be perceived as bitter. In general our bigger IIPAs use about 2lbs per bbl for dry hopping, sometimes more.

Things to take into account with your scaled batch.

Was the final gravity the same as the smaller batch. If it was lower, the second time around it could be that the decrease in residual sweetness makes for a higher perceived bitterness.

Did the beers ferment the same way i.e. same temperature, pitch rate, time line? A higher fermentation temp could result in more high alcohol production which can often lead to a higher perceived bitterness.

Was the larger batch crashed and/or filtered the same way? Any residual hop/yeast matter can leave residual bitterness.

Just a couple possibilities

[brentt03]

There is no need to take into account AA utilization in dry hopping. As other have stated AA isn't isomarized without heat. However, there are plenty of compounds that are bitter besides Alpha acids, and more plant matter can be perceived as bitter. In general our bigger IIPAs use about 2lbs per bbl for dry hopping, sometimes more.

Things to take into account with your scaled batch.

Was the final gravity the same as the smaller batch. If it was lower, the second time around it could be that the decrease in residual sweetness makes for a higher perceived bitterness.

Did the beers ferment the same way i.e. same temperature, pitch rate, time line? A higher fermentation temp could result in more high alcohol production which can often lead to a higher perceived bitterness.

Was the larger batch crashed and/or filtered the same way? Any residual hop/yeast matter can leave residual bitterness.

Just a couple possibilities

These are good things to check for sure! My notes are at the brewery right now, and I am at work; but off of the top of my head, everything was pretty spot on between the batches. Since we are such a small setup, we do not filter our beer just use biofine clear, and it seemed to clear up nicely.

Pitch rate was consistent, all I can think about is that the ferm temp may have set at 2 degrees higher for about 3 days during the first stages of fermentation.