Fresh (Wet) Hops

[fmader]

With a lot of cones on the bines, I want to do a couple fresh hopped ales probably next month. I've never used fresh hops in a brew before. For those of you who have, approximately how many ounces of fresh hops would equal an ounce of dried hops as far as alpha acids and bittering goes? I'm assuming that there is some sort of conversion factor here.

[Stevie]

This was covered on Brew Strong a while back. Can't remember the rule of thumb. Chop and brew also did a video on it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6q0qhrgehs
http://thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/847

[james]

Use 4-8 times as many wet hops vs dry

[fmader]

Use 4-8 times as many wet hops vs dry

4-8 times? That's a pretty big gap between amounts there. So can we assume 6?

[james]

It really depends on the moisture content as well as who you ask.  Personally I go with 8x or more

[klickitat jim]

Weigh a couple ounces, dry it over night, reweigh it. Do math.
If 2oz wet weighs 1/4oz dry then you need 8 times as much wet than dry.

Another thought... you aren't cloning another beer right? Or expecting to clone this one later? So, I'd bitter with a known commercial hop, then do like a pound of your woo hoo wet hops at flame out.

[hopfenundmalz]

Wet hops are 80% water, 20% vegetal material.

Commercially Dried  hops have 8-10% moisture, use 10% to keep the math simple, so 90% vegetal material.

To get the same amount of vegetal material (Lublin and oils), 90/20=4.5 times as much wet as dry. To get the full fresh hop aroma, use 5 or 6 times, because you can!

[dannyjed]

Another suggestion is to use some hops with a known AA% for your bittering addition and use the wet/fresh hops for flavor/aroma.

[Joe T]

+1 to using hops with a known aa for bittering. But if you really want to use all your own hops, just wing it! It's OK! And fun! I measure wet hops by the handful! Or just top off your kettle with hops at flameout and whirlpool as usual. Wet hopped brewing is a fun once a year event that shouldn't be taken too seriously!

[HoosierBrew]

Another suggestion is to use some hops with a known AA% for your bittering addition and use the wet/fresh hops for flavor/aroma.

+1

[duboman]

+1 to using hops with a known aa for bittering. But if you really want to use all your own hops, just wing it! It's OK! And fun! I measure wet hops by the handful! Or just top off your kettle with hops at flameout and whirlpool as usual. Wet hopped brewing is a fun once a year event that shouldn't be taken too seriously!

+1
This is what I do once a year, I take my favorite house pale and just wing it with the centennial and cascades I grow, usually winds up as a damn tasty beer!

[klickitat jim]

Weigh a couple ounces, dry it over night, reweigh it. Do math.
If 2oz wet weighs 1/4oz dry then you need 8 times as much wet than dry.

Another thought... you aren't cloning another beer right? Or expecting to clone this one later? So, I'd bitter with a known commercial hop, then do like a pound of your woo hoo wet hops at flame out.

I love quoting myself. Especially when its what everyone else has been saying

[dannyjed]

Weigh a couple ounces, dry it over night, reweigh it. Do math.
If 2oz wet weighs 1/4oz dry then you need 8 times as much wet than dry.

Another thought... you aren't cloning another beer right? Or expecting to clone this one later? So, I'd bitter with a known commercial hop, then do like a pound of your woo hoo wet hops at flame out.

I love quoting myself. Especially when its what everyone else has been saying

Sorry bud, I didn't see that...I think my beer ADD must have been kicking in

[klickitat jim]

Its all good, I was just being a goof

[69franx]

How different is the result with wet hops? A LHBS has emailed me saying that they are taking pre-orders for fresh Cascade and Chinook grown here in Ohio. Really interested in throwing some wet chinook in for bittering, and a couple late cascade additions for flavor and aroma. They will have pounds and ounces available, so thinking about a pound of each... Any thoughts?
edit: or should I be looking at 2 pounds of cascade?