Mike continues his quest to drive hop aroma in his IPAs without opening up his fermentor to dry hop. His first attempt in this line of experimentation didn’t have strong enough results. Ever the resourceful homebrewer, Mike took good notes and reformulated his recipe to reach his aroma goals. Watch this video to learn more about how he did it.

Our Tasting Notes

Well, this IPA certainly had a nice hop aroma. It was more present in this beer as compared to the one he brewed 4 months ago. We think we know why.

Certainly, the LUPOMAX versions of Citra and Sabro were a big part of it. The intensity from the concentrated form of these hop varieties showed off in the aroma (and the flavor, for that matter). Adding 2 ounce of hops right before pitching his yeast was the key in this batch’s success.

Mike’s IPA had aromas of orange and pineapple. They were distinct and bold. Now, we have enjoyed other beers on the Brew Dudes set that have had stronger aromas. There have been beers that we knew were going to be hop bombs from the moment the bottle was opened and you could sense it from across the room. Mike’s beer was not like that.

I will say that the aroma was pleasing and if not overly penetrating. We don’t think beers need to knock you over the head with the aroma. It should be an invite to what comes next – the flavor. This beer’s aroma kept its promise in the flavor.

Another key outcome for Mike in this experiment was to avoid the hop bite that sometimes plague other hop forward beers. His IPA had none of that reportedly unpleasant quality and he was happy for it.

What do you think? Will you try adding hops right before pitching your yeast? Leave us a comment.

BREW ON!