Unbitter Beer

[datman510]

soooooooooo, I've done this particular brew a few times now (AG) and in an attempt to get rid of some of the trub i put my hops into stockings. ive tried the beer its one month since kegging and it tastes very unbitter........ like easy to drink but not exciting at all. whereas before it was sensational and this was the only thing ive changed.

1. should I increase the hops to counter this? if so how much by?

2. should I not use stockings or hopsocks?

the amounts were as per Tonys LCBA 26LT batch,

10 (each) Saaz and Cascade 45mins

15 (each) Saaz and Cascade 20mins

20 (each) Saaz and Cascade 0mins

thanking you and yours.

 

[Bribie G]

The advantage of a hopsock as opposed to a floppy hop stocking is that (especially if you get a coarse mesh one) after it has been submerged for a few minutes in a rolling boil wort you can actually see the hops being seriously molested by the boiling action and slapped around to their hearts content. That was my original reservation about buying a hop sock but after using it a few times it's great. Just looking at the design it's intended to give an 'open' boil experience for the hops without unnecessarily confining them. Also if you have a skyhook you can raise it and let the litre or so of hopped wort pour deliciously back into the rolling wort then re-submerge "Oh let it stop let it stop" :lol:

 

[buttersd70]

agree with bribie, never had (noticable) under utilisation issues with using a proper sock. As he says, they jump around a fair bit if the boil is good.

 

[Jase71]

How about boining pellets straight in the water, then steeping off the juice with a coffee filter to remove the fibrous plant matter ? That's my latest tek, and I dont see any flaws in the method (in theory at least.....)

 

[vicelore]

Hop screen.. seen one in use the other day and was the clearest wort iv ever seen.

Cheers vice.

 

[datman510]

see everything was fine the way it was, ive now got a clearer beer which was the idea but the flavor seems to have suffered.

Jayse i have done that previously but found it to be too much of a F/A.... thanks for you replys guys

 

[Bribie G]

Just cubed a brew, half an hour ago, using two hop additions in a hopsock (as pictured above). First addition was Fuggles flowers sixty mins and second addition was Challenger pellets fifteen minutes. I also used a whirlfloc tablet. On resting then draining the wort it came out as clear as Grandma's tea that she pours when you come round for a visit.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

When I use pellets in a hop sock (the large one from craftbrewer) I always notice a drop in utilisation - so I tell pro-mash that I am using flowers and it cuts back the expected bitterness per gram by a few percent. That gets me back to about equal I reckon. Its not a lot of difference, but enough to notice if I don't compensate.

If you really want to add some bitterness to the current brew... either boil some pellets and add the juice as per Jayse's suggestion, or go buy some iso extract and add it as per the instructions to increase your bitterness. Just a little to bump up the bitterness isn't even really cheating

TB

 

[buttersd70]

A small strained water boil added to the (obviously degassed) keg works great as a save for a beer thats underhopped. Give it a couple of days for the flavours to meld, and its (almost) as good as new. However, it does work better if the hops are boiled, instead of boining them.

Doing this to save a batch was actually my first ever experience boiling hops....It worked so well it put me on the slippery slope to extracts and AG.

 

[Jase71]

However, it does work better if the hops are boiled, instead of boining them.

That's a boine of contention, perhaps.

 

[Aaron]

Do you whirlpool after boiling? I whirlpool after boiling and all the hops end up in a pile in the middle of the kettle. My pickup tube is on the outside so all the hops get left behind. With a decent whirlpool I have never seen a need to use a bag for my hop additions. I have done this in a converted keg with a concave bottom and a large stockpot with a flat bottom. Seems to work well in both cases.

 

[gibbocore]

Hi There,

Bit of an abstract approach, but, i just want to make sure that you used B-sazz both times (in the first and second brews)?

 

[datman510]

yeah B saaz all the way. yes i whirlpool in the past its been fine.

I guess im not that concerned cleaning up the beer is just an afterthought, its nice but not necessary to me but if i can have both the correct bitterness and clean beer win win i say. you guys rule.

 

[jonocarroll]

Do you whirlpool after boiling? I whirlpool after boiling and all the hops end up in a pile in the middle of the kettle. My pickup tube is on the outside so all the hops get left behind. With a decent whirlpool I have never seen a need to use a bag for my hop additions. I have done this in a converted keg with a concave bottom and a large stockpot with a flat bottom. Seems to work well in both cases.

I used hop flowers for the first time this week (about 70g for my APA). I whirlpooled and didn't think about a stuck pickup tube (no hopscreen) until it happened. Managed to dislodge the large flower blocking the tube and it started pouring again, then slowed to maybe 20% flowrate - but it was still flowing, so I let it go, just took longer. Once all was drained, I noticed there was a nice cone of gunk and flowers in the middle, and a single medium sized flower sitting over, but not completely inside the intake of the pickup tube.

I call this the 'Accidental HopBack'. B)

 

[Darren]

When I use pellets in a hop sock (the large one from craftbrewer) I always notice a drop in utilisation - so I tell pro-mash that I am using flowers and it cuts back the expected bitterness per gram by a few percent. That gets me back to about equal I reckon. Its not a lot of difference, but enough to notice if I don't compensate.

If you really want to add some bitterness to the current brew... either boil some pellets and add the juice as per Jayse's suggestion, or go buy some iso extract and add it as per the instructions to increase your bitterness. Just a little to bump up the bitterness isn't even really cheating

TB

Hi TB,

Why would a homebrewer want to filter the hops from the boil?? They settle out quickly in the primary vessel.

Perhaps you missed the "put a stainless steel scrubbie on the end of your pick-up tube for hop flowers" and "the open 12mm copper pick-up tube for pellets" threads??

I say why use a bag and decrease hop utilisation considering that hops are the most expensive component of beer?

cheers

Darren

 

[devo]

Additionally you could whirlpool in order to localise the hop trub to the centre of the kettle and siphon from the edge of the kettle where the wort is clear.