losing hop aroma with ageing beers

[jubby]

When brewing light summer and hoppy ales, I usually bung in lots of late hops (anything up to 100g) which gives a good hop aroma when the beer is just conditioned, which is about four weeks in the barrel for a mid strength beer of about 4 to 4,5%. However the hop aroma decreases from this point, but the taste is still there. Is this normal, or is there a way of keeping the aroma? I have noticed that when drinking JHB or similar light hoppy ales in a pub, the aroma varies considerably sometimes. Perhaps the commercial brews suffer the same?

I use plastic barrels at the moment, primed, with finings after a primary fermentation of around 10 to 15 days (depending on the yeast strain) I keep this at room temp for a week, then outside to condition. I am now switching to cornie kegs which will not be primed. Will this make any difference?

[jubby]

Yes chris, that is interesting, thanks.

I have gathered from this thread, that force carbonating destroys hop aroma and there is no way of preventing loss of aroma with time. All you can do is dry hop shortly before conditioning is complete, which adds the aroma later, but will eventually decrease. Would that be correct?

[mysterio]

I'm drinking my Landlord 'clone' at the moment, it has next to no hop aroma just a week after being kegged despite being bursting with aroma at kegging time (infact the aroma was overpowering). The aroma seemed to just fall off a cliff. Pretty frustrating. Especially when beers like Deuchars, Landlord, famous for their hoppy aroma aren't dry hopped. I'm smelling a pint of my beer right now and can't smell a thing, infact I can probably smell Norm's bloody pepsi syrup better than I can smell the hops.

Agree that bottling seems to preserve aroma much better, although no idea why. My keg is sealed, I naturally carbed it and only released gas to vent to serving pressure. Maybe this initial rush of CO2 pushed all of the aroma out ?

I used to think that force carbonation was somehow responsible but I don't think so after experimenting with natural carbing for a while.

[SiHoltye]

I'm resigned to dry hopping until an earlier stage silver bullet comes along - or not. I don't mind dry hopping, the extra hassle is in prepping the bag, and then the worry in your mind about oxidation/infection when you open the keg to remove it. However, if I want smelly beer, that's what I'll do

[adm]

Could it also be something to do with the length of time the beer sits conditioning in the keg? I've noticed that some of the recent beers I have done that have been first wort hopped seems to be ready to drink much earlier - maybe 2 weeks conditioning in the keg after primary fermentation is complete. They have been bursting with aroma. All have been first wort hopped, with a large amount of flame out hops.

The commercial breweries often have the beer on tap withing 10 days or so of pitching the yeast, so it could be something to do with the amount of time from pitch to consumption.

[RabMaxwell]

I have read on the internet that a lot of breweries use aroma hop extracts when kegging instead of dry hopping these day's.Maybe the aroma /flavour from extracts take longer to disappear but having never used them not entirely sure but i wonder

[Gurgeh]

despite being bursting with aroma at kegging time (infact the aroma was overpowering)

One is beginning to understand that the quantity of hop aroma is limited and volatile.

I have had:
outrageously aromatic fermentations - no aroma in the bottle
outrageosly aromatic keggings - no aroma after conditioning

unaromatic fermentations - plenty aroma from bottle
unaromatic keggings - just a little aroma after conditioning

My kegs are now used solely for cider, stout & lager
My bottles are for anything hoppy

[steve_flack]

The commercial breweries often have the beer on tap withing 10 days or so of pitching the yeast, so it could be something to do with the amount of time from pitch to consumption.

I think perhaps you're right but then again I've had quite a few draught American beers that have been kegged, shipped across the Atlantic and still arrive with decent hop aroma and flavour.

[mysterio]

American hops have much higher quantities of aromatic oils though, right ?

I'm going to go back to bottling for a while I reckon.

The commercial breweries often have the beer on tap withing 10 days or so of pitching the yeast, so it could be something to do with the amount of time from pitch to consumption.

Possibly part of the explanation but I have some of my beers on tap after 10 days and the aroma is already degrading

[steve_flack]

American hops have much higher quantities of aromatic oils though, right ?

True and I don't seem to have a problem with getting (and keeping) aroma and flavour in kegged American ales. It's fair to say that my Brit ales are usually subtle when it comes to hop flavour and aroma but I don't use anything like the amount of hops I would on a US ale and UK hops have a lot less oils anyway.

[RabMaxwell]

American hops have much higher quantities of aromatic oils though, right ?

True and I don't seem to have a problem with getting (and keeping) aroma and flavour in kegged American ales. It's fair to say that my Brit ales are usually subtle when it comes to hop flavour and aroma but I don't use anything like the amount of hops I would on a US ale and UK hops have a lot less oils anyway.

What about dry hopping with American hops in our english bitters then. Would this be enough to keep a hop flavour/aroma in our draft ales longer.

[mysterio]

Guess it depends if you like US hops, I quite like them but i wouldn't do it in a bitter, just smacks you in the face too much.

[jubby]

Guess it depends if you like US hops, I quite like them but i wouldn't do it in a bitter, just smacks you in the face too much.

I would agree with that, I like American hops, but they have their place.

I think when brewing hoppy beers, I will stick with my hop schedules and dry hop when the aroma decreases, probably with a few pellets to see how it works out.

[steve_flack]

I would agree with that, I like American hops, but they have their place.

I think with American hops you pretty much have to go big and most of my American style beers are hop focussed. With English bitters I'm very trad, Challenger and Goldings and much more balanced.

[Stonechat]

I would agree with that, I like American hops, but they have their place.

I think with American hops you pretty much have to go big and most of my American style beers are hop focussed. With English bitters I'm very trad, Challenger and Goldings and much more balanced.

If that American IPA I was privileged to taste at the CBA meet earlier this month is anything to go by, "hop focussed" is an understatement.
It was a hophead's nectar. Just wish there had been more than a "swallie" as Rab C would say