Dry hopping with wet hops.

[Dave70]

It's looking kinda doubtfull that I'll have enough bittering cones to do a full batch this time around, but I should end up with a few nice handfulls of cascade.
Does the thought of throwing fresh hops - obviously un boiled - into a secondary or indeed a keg of beer sound risky?
Or conversly, genius.

 

[peas_and_corn]

It'll make the beer taste like chlorophyll. Some people like it, but I hate it.

 

[Lecterfan]

I must admit, I've generally used my homegrowns all at flameout, but I have used them for dry hopping (once dried)...but no, not wet. When harvesting the hops I seem to have an abundance of little insects etc etc that I don't mind sending to a hot, wort-ery grave, but that I personally would be hesitant to throw in as 'dry' hops. A randall or straight into a jug of beer is a different thing again I suppose.

And then there's the above issue from p_a_c to take into account!

 

[bum]

It'll make the beer taste like chlorophyll. Some people like it, but I hate it.

I've had some commercial beers that I believe were wet hop dry hopped (damp hopped?) and while I wouldn't say they tasted like chlorophyll I am definitely in the second of the camps p&c mentioned. You might be in the first though so give it a crack. No point dying wondering, you know?

 

[QldKev]

I've done many 0min and fermenter additions with fresh wet hops. Do it and you wont look back. For dry hops I always just chucked them in without pre-boiling etc. Never had a problem.

QldKev

 

[waggastew]

Having made two harvest ales with homegrown hops over the last few years my third attempt this year will only use them in the boil. Last years (mix wet and dry in boil) had a 'touch' of infection/bandaid. The year before (dry in boil, wet as a 'dry hop') alot of bandaid. Don't actually know if hops were responsible but have not had that level of issue in other beers.

Plan for this year is to brew is to use only my Chinook in an Stone Arrogant ******* Clone. Depending on if I can get my AIPA out of the fermenter in time I may use all wet hop additions, otherwise dried.

 

[slash22000]

I've never used wet hops personally, but recently I've been drinking numerous bottles of Sierra Nevada 2012 Northern Hemisphere Harvest which is famously wet hopped (according to SN it started the "wet hop craze" ..).

Immediately I noticed a "vegetal" taste that I've never tasted in a normal beer, closest thing I could equate would be that it had overtones tasting how freshly cut grass smells. I don't think it detracts from the beer (bloody beautiful by the way) but I would totally understand if people didn't like it.

I guess you would need to try it for yourself.

 

[Lecterfan]

I wonder how many commercial beers actually use the wet/green hop as a 'dry' hop though as opposed to using wet hops throughout the main boil/flameout/whirlpool phase?

edit: because I don't think it would be many...I suspect 'wet hop' beers are largely still being hopped at flameout/whirlpool with the wet/green hops. But that's just a guess... I know myself with my hops that wet hops at flameout still add a slightly different flavour and aroma to dried flowers at the same time.

 

[Dave70]

If this method produced a beer anything like the SN wet hop ale, I'd buy myself a trophy, or perhaps a small plaque with some engraving.

Since there seems to be an even split of of bottom scratching here, I shall split my next batch of APA and see how it goes.

 

[kalbarluke]

This may sound silly but I did this last year. When harvesting hops I would put a few hop cones straight into my full beer glass to see how the beer would taste dry hopped. Although there were big floaties in my beer, it had a nice smell and taste.To me that's not so different to throwing them in the keg. If you are afraid you might ruin a perfectly good beer you could wait until the keg is mostly empty (say 1/4 full) and throw them in then. Use a hop sock if you have one.

I will say though that when I have used home grown hop flowers in the brewing process they have been dried.

 

[Bizier]

If you are doing it in a keg, you have the huge benefit of being able to pull it out easily, provided you use some kind of bag or stocking or whatever. I say go for it and taste it regularly (i.e. even in the morning) so you can pull the hops if they start getting grassy, or even better, if the hop flavours are good and it is not yet grassy.

 

[adryargument]

I love the wet hop character.
Just do it.

All of my hops are being vac sealed wet so i can dry wet hop them.

 

[hoppy2B]

To answer the OP question, I think it sounds genius. :lol:

No chill with a wheat beer might work also as the wet hops I have used seem to give more IBU than expected. Maybe because the resins haven't dried and are more easily isomerized.

 

[Yob]

I'm with kalbarluke, I had some Chinook last year that I was picking off by the handful and putting into a jug, giving them a good mashing and drinking.. it re-ignited my love of Chinook, Even SWMBO loves a fresh hopped beer now.

Last year I was still on the Bottle but I wouldnt hesitate to chuck some in a keg this year (in a stocking or what not)

:icon_drool2:

 

[The Judge]

About to give this a try with a handful of Cascade fresh from the bine into a 4L mini keg. Anyone got feedback from this in previous attempts... Was it genius or fail?

 

[twinathon]

I brewer a wet hopped ale with Cascade a month or so ago when I first picked my Cascade. I utlisied my wet hops at 15 mins, flameout and as a dry hop. I'm not a massive fan of the beer, but that has more to do with the massively over hopping I did. I used 2-3 times more hops when I used wet hops than I should have. The beer has a floral candle character that is overpowering.

I will be doing it again next year, but with significantly less wet hops.

 

[Belgrave Brewer]

I did a collaboration Harvest Ale with Kooinda last year where we put 33kgs of wet hops into secondary. It was a stunning beer.

Hops have antibacterial properties. An infection can happen, but it is very rare.

 

[Benn]

I've got a decent amount of fresh Cascade cones (straight off the bine and into a weighted hop sock) in a keg of Black IPA at the moment & it's tasting good. It's getting smoother by the day. This keg will not last long :icon_drool2:

 

[husky]

About to give this a try with a handful of Cascade fresh from the bine into a 4L mini keg. Anyone got feedback from this in previous attempts... Was it genius or fail?

I did exactly that on the weekend, no hopsock either just chucked a heap straight in the keg. Very tasty!

 

[TimT]

I've just done a wet hopped pale ale with my Cascade. Added the hops in towards the end of primary fermentation. Little aroma (possibly lost some of that during fermentation) but a veeeeeeeery strong citrussy character. What's chlorophyll taste like?