Steeped Hops

[malbeven]

A question that's been bugging me for a while. I've often steeped hops in boiling water and added them to the brew just before pitching the yeast. And I've often dry hopped after the initial ferment. Is it ok to add steeped hops later in the brewing process? My thought is that you'd get more flavour / aroma this way than just by dry hopping. My concern is that adding boiling (or at least recently boiled) water to the brew might affect the yeast, possibly killing some of it.

Any thoughts?

 

[Bonenose]

I would think as long as the wort temp in the fermenter after your hop addition is good then no issue. Are you checking temperature after the hop addition and before pitching yeast?

 

[Coodgee]

Steep, chill,add...

 

[manticle]

How much water are you steeping your hops in?

 

[Edd Mather 6]

A classical european method is to put a SMALL cast of hops over the lagering beer post F.V stage, try Saaz , Hallertau, or for difference, Tettnang

 

[Gigantorus]

I think most generally add their hops to the boiling wort - if doing Extract, Partial-mash, BIAB or All Grain methods. But if you are doing a simple K&K (using a Coopers can of hopped extract, which is added to the FV and then water added to 20L or 23L etc.) then steeping in some boiled water is fine.

The point is probably more about how long you steep for - the long the steep the more bitterness will be extracted from the hops (generally speaking - also depends on the variety of hop or hops). A short steep (i.e. 5mins total) will give you less bitterness and a bit more aroma. Though any late hop addition will have a certain amount lost due to the fermentation process and the expelling of the CO2 (eg. aroma will be expelled etc.).

So dry-hopping is generally considered the best method for adding aroma and flavour. Generally 3 to 5 days out from bottling/kegging is considered a good dry-hopping period.

I guess the other more recent style/method, New England IPA, sees you adding few hops in the boil. Most are added at periods like: 2 days after fermentation has commenced, then multiple dry-hops at 7 days from bottling/3 days from bottling etc. This appears to give the beer a very fruity flavour and aroma but also makes the beer very hazy from all the hop particle. The method does kill a lot of hops. So you'll need a fat wallet.

Some of my typical dry-hops for my IPAs and Pale Ales use 100grams to 200grams around 4 days out from bottling. The other side to this is that these styles are then best drunk fairly young (i.e. within 4 to 6 weeks after bottling), as the hop aroma/flavour does start to dissipate after that.

These are my learnings from brewing over the past 5+ years.

Cheers,

Pete

 

[Keemju]

From what i have read dry hoping will not encourage bitterness is that true

 

[mtb]

From what i have read dry hoping will not encourage bitterness is that true

Yup.

 

[Droopy Brew]

From what i have read dry hoping will not encourage bitterness is that true

Technically yes as you are not getting isomerisation of hop oils. Your IBU calculation will remain unchanged.
However in reality you will get a noticeable (depending on amount of dry hopping) increase in perceived bitterness, which lets face it , is what it is all about anyway. You dont taste numbers, you taste flavours.

there are a number of discussions hereabouts on this if you want to find out a bit more.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

As said above, dry hopping will add some bitterness from polyphenols and oxidised hop acid.

 

[nosco]

I tried a hop tea once into a keg using a coffe press. 500ml? It might have been the hops, which one i cant remember, but it was a very grassy flavour that i didnt like. It over powered any other flavours. It took about a week to go away. Its probably different into the fermenter plus alot of other variables but that was my experience.