# Double Hopped?



## amiddler (5/8/08)

OK we have all read the Midstrength labels that say "Double Hopped" but what does the brewery mean by this? When I do an extract brew, generally I will add hops 3 times at 60 min, 10 min and dry hop into secondary so does that mean that my brews are "Triple Hopped for extra flavour!!" ??


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## Adamt (5/8/08)

Yep, thats exactly what it means.

It's amazing how good these marketing-spin phrases sound if you don't actually know what they mean


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## Muggus (5/8/08)

Don't ever trust what a big commercial brewery says about hops.
It might be true that a brew is 'double hopped', but that might simply mean not only do they hop it once for bittering at 60min, but they might hop it at the 15 min mark for some flavour...but that might not even be true. 

Its a far cry from when a reputatable microbrewer says their double IPA is double (or triple) hopped...lemme put it that way.


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## warra48 (5/8/08)

Maybe they mean 2 hop pellets rather than 1 for each 100 litres of wort?

It's all rather meaningless unless they first establish what is meant by single hopped.


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## boingk (5/8/08)

Less body equals bigger hop claim...without changing the amount of hops from a regular brew!!!

Haha, the ol' suckers...


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## Bribie G (5/8/08)

I was under the impression that since the 1970s Fosters Group products generally aren't kettled with hops but just get a dose of hop extract. That would account for the metallic twang of VB. Maybe it's a case of 'one squirt or two'


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## Bribie G (5/8/08)

Ok here's the official story, from Foster's website. Pls excuse length of the post but this is serious  Maybe they should get some advice from this forum about how to brew real beer. 


*Brewing*

*1. Brewing*
At the brewery the malt is cleaned, weighed and crushed to produce "grist". The grist is mixed with hot water in a "mash tun" (tank) and allowed to stand at a temperature which lets the starch from the malt convert into fermentable sugars. The mash is then transferred to a "lauter tun" where the liquid is separated from the grain residue. This sweet liquid is called "wort", (pronounced "wert".)

The wort is transferred to another tank called the "kettle" where liquid sugars are added and the mixture is boiled. During boiling, the protein material in the wort joins together to form "trub". The trub is removed by transferring the wort to a whirlpool.


*2. Fermentation*
After the trub is removed, the wort is cooled, and then transferred to a fermenter - a large closed vessel.Yeast is then added which converts the sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide gas. During fermentation the yeast cells multiply many times. The carbon dioxide gas which is released is collected for use later. Fermentation continues until only non-fermentable sugars remain, when the fermenter is chilled to four degrees centigrade to stop fermentation. Yeast settles to the bottom of the vessel and from here it is removed for re-use, or sold and used to produce food products such as Vegemite.


*3. Storage*
Once the yeast is removed the beer is passed from fermentation to storage vessels. During transfer the beer is cooled to minus one degree centigrade. Hop extract, which gives beer its characteristic bitter flavour, is added at this stage, which permits greater flavour control and enables the brewer to maintain a better taste consistency. The beer stays in storage at this temperature, and any material which might impair the appearance, flavour and shelf-life of the beer settles out.


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## amiddler (5/8/08)

From Fosters itself!! WOW!! I would have thought the big boys would have brewed beer with real hops. I guess that is why there beer is so life less on the flavour department. Obviously they brew under the beer IMPURITY law rather than the purity law we all know. 

Thanks for the run down on double hops guys, as I was thinking it is just another marketing spin. 
Speaking of marketing spins, don't let me start on "Low Carb" beer which is the same as ordinary made beer with a higher attenuating yeast, Isn't IT....??

Drew


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## reviled (6/8/08)

NZ's Epic Pale ale claims to have 15 whole hops per bottle!!! It is really hoppy, but I would have thought 15 hops would be excessive?


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## the_fuzz (6/8/08)

one of the main reasons that Iso Hop is used is that the beer will have less chance of becoming light struck, obviously the cost and control is also a major player


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## daryl5412 (6/8/08)

Iso hops are added on the way to the bottling line, along with all sorts of othe stuff to aid in head retention, add colour etc.

The big brewerys make a high gravity wort, around 8% alc, and thin it down to the required alc levels, thats how they control it so well.

The one high gravity wort, once fermented out, can make up to 4-5 products, depending on additives :huh:  :angry:


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## Bribie G (6/8/08)

Yup. I read somewhere ages ago and don't have a reference for it, but Fosters (CUB) actually don't call their main facilities _breweries_ as such within the company. They are known as 'wort production facilities' - that figures, from Daryl's post. Have also heard that Fosters Lager, once an iconic beer, is just VB with less hop extract. 
In all fairness, out of their range of megaswills I have always quite liked Melbourne Bitter as a lawnmowing ale. Maybe it's the special way they manipulate the wort at the production facility  

On the subject of low carb beers (Drew's Post) the AG brewers will know much more about this than me but AFAIK, when the grain is mashed and converted to fermentable sugars, a number of unfermentable carbs (Dextrins etc) remain and give beer body and mouthfeel but, of course, are carbs nonetheless. By mashing longer, more of the starches get turned into fermentables and thus less carbs such as Dextrin in the finished brew. Not difficult.

_rave from the grave:_
It's not special new techonlogy by any means. In the UK there was a low carb German Lager in all the pubs decades ago that was also a beaut Deutsche brew so everyone drank it for the taste at a time when there were very few imports. Forget its name .. Hofbrau or something.


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## KHB (6/8/08)

i remember trying this and thinking wow id hate to try there single hopped brew!


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