Hop-backing A Lager

[remi]

Just after some advice. I'm planning on an all B Saaz (Motueka) Lager in the next week or so to make use of the cold conditions in my shed- probably all Pils malt, maybe 10% Munich.

I have a Hop-back that I am keen to use for the first time. I will bitter as normal, but am wondering how to best utilise the Hop-back: ie one decent Hop-back addition to cover flavour and aroma, or should I use a 20 min or 15 min addition as well as the Hop-back. I'll be using flowers...

Any advice/ experience appreciated.

Remi

 

[bignath]

Just after some advice. I'm planning on an all B Saaz (Motueka) Lager in the next week or so to make use of the cold conditions in my shed- probably all Pils malt, maybe 10% Munich.

I have a Hop-back that I am keen to use for the first time. I will bitter as normal, but am wondering how to best utilise the Hop-back: ie one decent Hop-back addition to cover flavour and aroma, or should I use a 20 min or 15 min addition as well as the Hop-back. I'll be using flowers...

Any advice/ experience appreciated.

Remi

Don't know much about making best use of a hopback, but i sure wouldn't mind having a look at your recipe that you intend to brew! Have a heap of B Saaz flowers in the freezer but don't know how best to use them in a recipe by themselves. Have only ever combined them with Cascade for Smurto's Golden Ale.

Pretty please?????

 

[kevin_smevin]

Just after some advice. I'm planning on an all B Saaz (Motueka) Lager in the next week or so to make use of the cold conditions in my shed- probably all Pils malt, maybe 10% Munich.

I have a Hop-back that I am keen to use for the first time. I will bitter as normal, but am wondering how to best utilise the Hop-back: ie one decent Hop-back addition to cover flavour and aroma, or should I use a 20 min or 15 min addition as well as the Hop-back. I'll be using flowers...

Any advice/ experience appreciated.

Remi

Are you doing a whirlrpool at the end of boil - if so this will alter your hopping. I used a hopback in-line before i run it through a plate chiller. My whirlpool last 20 minutes, so hops i add at flame off are more like a 20 minute addition in terms of aroma - haven't quite figured out their contribution to bitterness yet. Regardless of your process, it would probably be worthwhile adding hops at different times as this will create different hop flavours/aroma's so you will get more depth in your hop character

 

[bconnery]

Don't know much about making best use of a hopback, but i sure wouldn't mind having a look at your recipe that you intend to brew! Have a heap of B Saaz flowers in the freezer but don't know how best to use them in a recipe by themselves. Have only ever combined them with Cascade for Smurto's Golden Ale.

Pretty please?????

Moteuka is great in a german pils style beer.
I've done 90/10 pils/munich, bitter to around 30-35 IBUs with a combination of 60 minute addition and a flavour addition of a little over 1g/litre of your batch size.
That's for a reasonable hop flavour.
I've tasted a couple of pilsners from NZ recently that have me thinking about revisiting this with a larger flavour addition, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

[remi]

Are you doing a whirlrpool at the end of boil - if so this will alter your hopping. I used a hopback in-line before i run it through a plate chiller. My whirlpool last 20 minutes, so hops i add at flame off are more like a 20 minute addition in terms of aroma - haven't quite figured out their contribution to bitterness yet. Regardless of your process, it would probably be worthwhile adding hops at different times as this will create different hop flavours/aroma's so you will get more depth in your hop character

Yep- I manually whirlpool with a long spoon for a few minutes, and then let it settle for 10-15 minutes. Pump through a plate chiller after that.

Was planning on a recipe along the lines suggested by bconnery- 90/10 pils/munich bittered to 35 IBU or so.

I have read that a hopback addition can substitute for the flavour and aroma additions (basically any addition from 20 minutes on). I'm not sure if this is correct, or whether I should do a 20 min flavour addition, and use the Hopback for aroma only- skipping the flame-out addition that I would do otherwise?

Remi

 

[remi]

Bump for this evening's traffic,

Still not sure what to do here in terms of late additions utilising the hopback...

gram/litre at 15-20min or so, and then another gram/litre in the hopback

vs

all in the hopback.

Appreciate feedback from those who have hop-backed...

Remi

 

[kevin_smevin]

Bump for this evening's traffic,

Still not sure what to do here in terms of late additions utilising the hopback...

gram/litre at 15-20min or so, and then another gram/litre in the hopback

vs

all in the hopback.

Appreciate feedback from those who have hop-backed...

Remi

I'd do a flame out addition and hop back addition. You'll get more aroma from the hop back. You'll get something a bit different from the 20 minute addition compared to hop back in theory - still hoppy, just a different kind, no where near as strong. You could however simply do a 60min bittering addition and the hop back for aroma. I think you'd have to try it both ways and see if it made a difference. Have fun.