Finishing Hops -- The Wrong Way?

[chartster]

Hi all,

After spending a few hours last weekend steeping grain, boiling malt, hopping and so on as part of a major step up in my home brewing adventures (courtesy of one of the American Pale Ale kits from Dave's Home Brew), I finally arrived at the time to add the third batch of hops (finishing hops) this morning.

I'm not sure if it was because I was in a rush or not quite awake yet, but instead of steeping the hop bag in a cup of hot water after removing it from the foil and then adding to the fermenter, I threw the hop "tea-bag" straight into the fermenter (mind you, I didn't handle the hop bag with my hands -- it was tipped in straight from the foil sachet). I immediately slapped my head thinking this could ruin the batch I spent quite a chunk of the weekend making. Am I likely to infect the brew this way? I guess you learn from these mistakes!

Cheers

 

[MarkBastard]

Congratulations, you just dry hopped. It'll be fine.

 

[Yob]

I do this process all the time, hops are quite sterile by nature, both flowers and pellets.. your brew will be fine mate.

I usually throw them in at about half to 3/4 way through the ferment process... the ferment can reduce aroma/flavour of the hops if added too early on..

enjoy
:icon_cheers:

 

[chartster]

Thanks guys!

I just get a bit jumpy about potentially infecting my brews, and I've never really used additional hops before in any meaningful sense. With this brew being quite a step up in complexity from my usual K&K brews, I was concerned that all the work could have been for nothing due to this "mistake". Turns out it's a good mistake if there ever was one! Hahaha!

 

[Bubba]

Dry hopping is the process of adding unboiled/steeped hops to a brew alreasy in the fermenter, or even in the keg. It will add aroma first and foremost, and a tiny bit of flavour. Dry hopping is usually for aroma, as is a short boil of about 5mins, boil for 10-20mins for more flavour, and 60mins for bitterness so as stated above you have dry hopped for aroma and will have a nice aromatic beer when it is done.