Growling Centennial - Brewed at last

[GrowlingDogBeer]

I have decided to do a single hop brew using just Centennial, and lots of it.

Lots of late hops, and Dry Hopping.

Need a bit of help though please on the Dry Hopping front.

I have 200g of leaf Centennial, and 100g of pellets available.

Growling Centennial

Brew Length 45 Litres
Original Gravity (OG): 1.045 (°P): 11.2
Final Gravity (FG): 1.011 (°P): 2.8
Alcohol (ABV): 4.42 %
Colour (SRM): 6.4 (EBC): 12.6
Bitterness (IBU): 38.2

7Kg Maris Otter Malt
500g Carared
500g Munich I
500g Torrified Wheat

40g Centennial (9.7% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil)
40g Centennial (9.7% Alpha) @ 15 Minutes (Boil)
40g Centennial (9.7% Alpha) @ 5 Minutes (Boil)
40g Centennial (9.7% Alpha) @ 1 Minutes (Boil)
40g Centennial (9.7% Alpha) @ Flame Out)

Single step Infusion at 66°C for 60 Minutes. Boil for 60 Minutes

Fermented at 20°C with WLP0022 Essex Ale Yeast

So my plan is to use all the leaf hops in the copper as above and then to Dry Hop the fermenters with the hop pellets.

I will be splitting the brew across 2 fermenters so can Dry Hop them with different amounts, but I don't have a clue how much I should use. Any suggestions welcome.

[crookedeyeboy]

I use a brewers handful!

[Kev888]

I use a brewers handful!

Does she mind?

Anyway, I've not used centennial, but for cascade I use about 70grams per 45L to dry hop my IPAs (of around 50IBU) in the FV. I 'think' centennial is more floral and maybe a bit stronger and your brew is slightly less bitter so possibly I'd go with a bit less than that, but its very much a piece of string/personal taste thing probably even more than bitterness is.

Cheers
kev

[GrowlingDogBeer]

Cheers

I am aiming for something thats not too bitter, but with lots of florally notes, I am hoping that SWMBO will like it, so it's a bit of a girly beer really.

She doesn't get on well with things that that are overly bitter so I'm hoping this should be OK for her.

Perhaps 20 grams in one, and 40 grams in the other to see if I can tell the difference. There should be about 22L in each fermenter.

[Kev888]

Sounds good to me; the cascade is already quite aromatic so I'd imagine that centennial would be just the ticket.

I've some friends who aren't very much into your traditional bitter ale but they all like the IPA very much, and most of that seems to be down to a combination of it's lightness of body and and the aroma from dry hopping. I remember being a bit £dubious stuffing all those dry hops in 'just' for aroma the first time I did it, but it made such a difference I've done it ever since!

Cheers
kev

[simple one]

Well... I find that Centennial is probably up there as one of the most aromatic and oily dry hops I have tried. With that colour of beer, that hop schedule and that ABV and FG, I say that your looking at something in the realms of 1g-2g per litre over a week. But that was with leaf hops. I would say go for broke and stick with the 2g/L..... it'll stink!

[GrowlingDogBeer]

So I brewed it today, my supplies were running low so I thought I'd go for a larger batch, and really max out my brewery.

Brew Length 63 Litres
Original Gravity (OG): 1.045 (°P): 11.2
Final Gravity (FG): 1.011 (°P): 2.8
Alcohol (ABV): 4.42 %
Colour (SRM): 6.4 (EBC): 12.6
Bitterness (IBU): 28.2

10Kg Maris Otter Malt
1Kg Cara Munich
500g Carared
500g Torrified Wheat

40g Centennial (11% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil)
40g Centennial (11% Alpha) @ 10 Minutes (Boil)
40g Centennial (10.7% Alpha) @ 5 Minutes (Boil)
40g Centennial (10.4% Alpha) @ 1 Minutes (Boil)
40g Centennial (10.4% Alpha) @ Flame Out)

Single step Infusion at 66°C for 60 Minutes. Boil for 60 Minutes

Fermented at 20°C with WLP0022 Essex Ale Yeast

Split across 2 fermenters, One dry hopped with 70 g Centennial pellets, the other dry hopped with 30g Centennial pellets.

I've massively reduced the bitterness in this to try and appeal to SWMBO.

I didn't get any photos today as I had a bit too much to do.

It was a bit touch and go in the boiler, I did have to top it up a few times.

[Spud395]

Let us know how herself likes it Steve, I've the same bother at home.

I brewed a nice Amarillo IPA and thought "she'll have to like this", No, "I'll stick with my miller "
I did have it about 35 IBU's and it was to bitter, I think you might be heading in the right direction with the bitterness levels.
Looks like a really nice easy drinker, with loads of flavour!

[GrowlingDogBeer]

I know the problem is the bitterness, she likes the Weisse ish, she like the pilsner, and she like the single hop Citra Brew I made, but that was only 20 Litres and didn't last long.

I'm hoping this one will be similiar to the Citra, but with a bit more body, and slightly less bitter. I only used Pale Malt in the Citra Brew, so I am hopng that by adding the CaraRed and the Cara Munich I should get a nice rounded Malty base.

We can only wait and see, I'll let you know how it turns out.