# First Wort Hopping



## breakbeer (9/3/14)

I've done a search on here & also read a lil bit about it from some U.S sites, but I'm still a bit confused

Can anyone please simply explain what FWH'ing is or direct me to a thread that tells me the process?

I'd never even heard of it before, but I want to brew a Stone & Wood Pacific Ale recipe that mentions it & would like to stick to the recipe as closely as possible.

Especially any differences in processes if I'm doing BIAB

Also, I'll be using pellets (Galaxy) 

Cheers!


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## manticle (9/3/14)

Very basic because I am on phone.

Chuck some pellets in the kettle as you drain first runnings in there. For biab presumably when you lift the bag. Ibu should be around a 60 minute addition but flavour and smoothness supposedly more like a twenty.


Not done it myself - only reporting on the concept.


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## breakbeer (9/3/14)

Thanks mants! Love a quick response

Any idea if I should remove them as it reaches the boil or leave them in for the full duration?


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## indica86 (9/3/14)

I leave them in for the duration.


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## manticle (9/3/14)

Leave.


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## breakbeer (9/3/14)

Thanks guys!


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## indica86 (9/3/14)

manticle said:


> Leave.


What did I do wrong?


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## manticle (9/3/14)

I meant to add 'pants on during the boil'

Sorry.


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## indica86 (9/3/14)




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## oakburner (9/3/14)

I just used FWH ing on the last two batches of pale and a Red Rye IPA recipe that I have brewed several times. 
I don't think I can notice any difference on the IPA, but it is pushing 70 ibu....the pale is nice...but I have not brewed that recipe before. .. so I have no point of reference. 

One consideration for the technique is the boil length and impact on your bittering potential. I batch sparge and with that last Rye IPA, I got my burner rolling on the first runnings (with the FWH) while I slowly added the second running s....so there was about 20 mins of time for the fwh hops to be in the wort....but not quite up to the boil. ...

I don't know if this results in addition bitterness but it would make sense. ...

OB


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## NealK (9/3/14)

I pull my bag then drop my load straight away. :blink:

I have brewed some very good Munich Helles with only first wort and cube hops.


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## breakbeer (9/3/14)

NealK said:


> I pull my bag then drop my load straight away.


Might ask swmbo to help me with that


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## wereprawn (9/3/14)

breakbeer said:


> Might ask swmbo to help me with that


Leave it for at least 10-15 or SWIMBO will not be happy. :angry:


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## Pogierob (9/3/14)

manticle said:


> I meant to add 'pants on during the boil'
> 
> Sorry.


Well there is a rule I can't promise to keep


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## thylacine (10/3/14)

breakbeer said:


> I've done a search on here & also read a lil bit about it from some U.S sites, but I'm still a bit confused
> 
> Can anyone please simply explain what FWH'ing is or direct me to a thread that tells me the process?
> 
> ...


http://byo.com/stories/issue/item/2958-pre-boil-hopping


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## Midnight Brew (10/3/14)

Here is another really good read with some results posted below by home brewers.

http://brewery.org/library/1stwort.html


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## Donske (10/3/14)

oakburner said:


> I just used FWH ing on the last two batches of pale and a Red Rye IPA recipe that I have brewed several times.
> I don't think I can notice any difference on the IPA, but it is pushing 70 ibu....the pale is nice...but I have not brewed that recipe before. .. so I have no point of reference.
> 
> One consideration for the technique is the boil length and impact on your bittering potential. I batch sparge and with that last Rye IPA, I got my burner rolling on the first runnings (with the FWH) while I slowly added the second running s....so there was about 20 mins of time for the fwh hops to be in the wort....but not quite up to the boil. ...
> ...



I have an IIPA on tap at the moment, it's 10% and calculated at well north of 100IBUs, all the early hopping is Simcoe FWH and the bitterness is very smooth for such heavy hopping, not sure if that's due to Simcoe being a great bittering hop or the FWH but it's something I'll be using for all my IPAs I think.


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## breakbeer (10/3/14)

Thanks for the links guys, gives me something to read while I smash out a couple of brews today 

Donske, how many IBU's were you getting for the FWH?


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## Donske (11/3/14)

breakbeer said:


> Thanks for the links guys, gives me something to read while I smash out a couple of brews today
> 
> Donske, how many IBU's were you getting for the FWH?



About 40 IBU from FWH, the other 65 calculated IBUs from 10 minutes onwards, almost a pound of hops in a 19L batch.


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