I've been picking up grassy flavors in some of our dry hopped beers lately, and I'm beginning to wonder if it has more to do with beer pH and not the hops themselves. FYI - our typical contact time for dry hops is 3 days, so that shouldn't be the issue. Our knock out pH heading to fermenters is typically 5.2-5.3, and our terminal pH post-fermentation typically ranges from 4.4-4.6. After dry hopping, it's typically up 0.2, so finishing in the range of 4.6-4.7, occasionally even 4.8. So here are my specific questions:
1. could higher beer pH contribute to a more grassy/vegetal expression of hops?
2. what is your target post-boil kettle pH? what do you use to correct in the kettle?
3. what is your target pH in the fermenter after dry hopping?
4. does anyone add acid (phosphoric acid, lactic acid, other?) at dry hopping to counter the increase in pH? seems like this may be a good thing for hop expression as well as beer stability.
5. what yeast-related variables might I consider to affect terminal beer pH (e.g. pitching rate, oxygenation, etc)?
Thanks in advance for the input.
1. could higher beer pH contribute to a more grassy/vegetal expression of hops?
2. what is your target post-boil kettle pH? what do you use to correct in the kettle?
3. what is your target pH in the fermenter after dry hopping?
4. does anyone add acid (phosphoric acid, lactic acid, other?) at dry hopping to counter the increase in pH? seems like this may be a good thing for hop expression as well as beer stability.
5. what yeast-related variables might I consider to affect terminal beer pH (e.g. pitching rate, oxygenation, etc)?
Thanks in advance for the input.
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