Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: First Wort Hopping ?  (Read 9440 times)

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27093
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: First Wort Hopping ?
« Reply #15 on: February 08, 2010, 02:53:11 pm »
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27093
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: First Wort Hopping ?
« Reply #16 on: February 08, 2010, 02:58:21 pm »
DC - I think FWH may work well with lower AA varietals (ahem, Mt. Hood comes to mind?) but I found when I used big boys like Simcoe, the bitterness was just overwhelming since I went with the "treat it like a 20min addition" philosophy. 

Of course, this makes no sense relative to TM's statement, since Zots are one of the lowest AAs out there, usually.

To each their own.  ;)

Definitely to each their own.  I've often FWH with high alpha hops and haven't experienced what I found to be objectionable bitterness.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline mathboy

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 1
Re: First Wort Hopping ?
« Reply #17 on: February 08, 2010, 07:43:41 pm »
A couple of interesting links about this that caught my eye recently:
http://appellationbeer.com/blog/mr-rock-prefers-that-beer-be-the-star/
http://www.brewery.org/library/1stwort.html

In discussing this in my local homebrew club list, I have come to understand that not only does one use low-alpha hops, one should do so in lieu of the aroma hops, or at least drastically reduce the aroma hops.  Maybe, then, in the end, we should make certain that the IBUs of the finished product does not change.  I occasionally use ProMash, and I know that the program will calculate IBUs for FWH.  Of course, who knows how accurate that calculation is....


Bruce

also, FWIW,
I have an orange and a blue cooler,
I decoct,
AND I just started to fly sparge. 


and I'm damned proud of it!

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27093
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: First Wort Hopping ?
« Reply #18 on: February 09, 2010, 09:35:37 am »
In discussing this in my local homebrew club list, I have come to understand that not only does one use low-alpha hops, one should do so in lieu of the aroma hops, or at least drastically reduce the aroma hops.  Maybe, then, in the end, we should make certain that the IBUs of the finished product does not change.  I occasionally use ProMash, and I know that the program will calculate IBUs for FWH.  Of course, who knows how accurate that calculation is....

One of the reasons I ran my FWH experiment was to see how accurate it is...at least with the -65 setting I use.  The answer is pretty darn close.  And although much of the literature says to use low alpha hops and that you will get aroma from them, my experience is vastly different.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline blatz

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3513
  • Paul Blatz - Jupiter, FL
Re: First Wort Hopping ?
« Reply #19 on: February 09, 2010, 09:37:22 am »
I thought the tests suggested 10% more than a 60 min addition(setting = 110), which doesn't correlate with the -65% (20min) ???
The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

BJCP National: F0281

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27093
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: First Wort Hopping ?
« Reply #20 on: February 09, 2010, 09:39:44 am »
Well, PM told me it was gonna be 30 IBU.  It measured 32.3.  IIRC....I'd have to dig out my notes to get the exact figures.  The 60 min. addition in the experiment came out at 30...again, IIRC.

EDIT:  something doesn't seem right now that I look at what I typed, but I won't have a chance to double check for a day or so....
« Last Edit: February 09, 2010, 09:41:29 am by denny »
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline blatz

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3513
  • Paul Blatz - Jupiter, FL
Re: First Wort Hopping ?
« Reply #21 on: February 09, 2010, 09:43:39 am »
right - you used the same weight of hops at FWH in one batch and at 60 min in the other batch, IIRC.

that would make sense then - 10% more than the 60 min contribution, or am I missing something?  but then promash set at -65 doesn't compute correctly.  when you put in the -65, do you set the 'time' at 20 min or 60 min?

I'm corn-fused now I think  :(
The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

BJCP National: F0281

Offline bluesman

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8825
  • Delaware
Re: First Wort Hopping ?
« Reply #22 on: February 09, 2010, 09:49:28 am »
Perhaps the lupulin gland oils that are dissolved at 150F vs boiled at 212F react to form different compounds that affect the perceived bitterness in various ways. There have been studies on the effects of temperature on alpha acids in the lupulin glands of hops. I would be interested to understand the findings, but it's $30.00 per study.  
Ron Price

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27093
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: First Wort Hopping ?
« Reply #23 on: February 09, 2010, 10:03:41 am »
right - you used the same weight of hops at FWH in one batch and at 60 min in the other batch, IIRC.

that would make sense then - 10% more than the 60 min contribution, or am I missing something?  but then promash set at -65 doesn't compute correctly.  when you put in the -65, do you set the 'time' at 20 min or 60 min?

I'm corn-fused now I think  :(

Both of us, buddy....I'm running on a severe lack of sleep!  I put in -65 assuming a 60 min. total boil time.  Then, in the recipe calculator, I just choose FWH.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline stout_fan

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 78
  • Winner: Least original Avatar
Re: First Wort Hopping ?
« Reply #24 on: February 11, 2010, 01:05:42 pm »
I always used to FWH. But then for an IPA I waited until after hot break.
Way more bitterness.
The hot break seems to take some of the acids out of solution.
So did I change?
Heck no!
Now I do both. :D
I'd say something witty down here, but I'm at a bit of a disadvantage in that department.

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27093
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: First Wort Hopping ?
« Reply #25 on: February 12, 2010, 09:21:20 am »
Perhaps the lupulin gland oils that are dissolved at 150F vs boiled at 212F react to form different compounds that affect the perceived bitterness in various ways. There have been studies on the effects of temperature on alpha acids in the lupulin glands of hops. I would be interested to understand the findings, but it's $30.00 per study.  

This is what I've always heard and gone on.  It seems to be backed up by this...

http://www.franklinbrew.org/brewinfo/brauweltfwh.html
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline bluesman

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8825
  • Delaware
Re: First Wort Hopping ?
« Reply #26 on: February 12, 2010, 10:52:02 am »
Perhaps the lupulin gland oils that are dissolved at 150F vs boiled at 212F react to form different compounds that affect the perceived bitterness in various ways. There have been studies on the effects of temperature on alpha acids in the lupulin glands of hops. I would be interested to understand the findings, but it's $30.00 per study.  

This is what I've always heard and gone on.  It seems to be backed up by this...

http://www.franklinbrew.org/brewinfo/brauweltfwh.html

Yes. It appears the effects of oxidation on first wort hops are less therefore lending a rounder hop flavor and aroma. I'm sur Kai will chime in on this if he has time.
Ron Price

Offline BrewQwest

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 79
Re: First Wort Hopping ?
« Reply #27 on: February 14, 2010, 09:38:14 am »
I think it will really depend on the type of hops and the style of beer you are trying to use and brew.

I agree. I tried it because I heard of SMOOTH bitterns.
I used it in Czech Pilsners and Alts.
May be it is my process but I come to a different conclusion.
I would not count it as 20 min addition.
I would say it was more like full boil time addition (90 min for me).

I have only tried it twice... the first time I added it to the wort AFTER I had collected all my runnings and then turned on the burner... The second time I placed them in the kettle BEFORE the runnings and let them steep in the hot runnings as collected.  Needless to say, the second time worked much better  :D
On a never-ending journey for the perfect pint of beer...