puney_the_youkel

Recipes 

I want to share a technique for maximizing hops by using a french coffee press to add hop aroma an flavor to beer.
In summary, I make a strong wort with primarily bittering hops. For these additions, I use high IBU hops and boil for at least sixty minutes. I make the wort between 10%-20% stronger than usual by using less water, but the same grain bill.

At the end of fermentation, I make a very strong hop tea in a one liter french coffee press. Generally, I add one liter of boiling water to two ounces of aromatic hops which steeps for approximately sixty minutes. I add this tea to the keg and replete by adding another liter of boiling water and steeping for another sixty minutes, for a total of approximately two liters of hop tea. This hop tea essentially brings the final volume of beer up to my desired five, or ten gallons.

Finally, I finish the beer as usual. Force carbonate and chill for about a week.

The results are very profound. I am producing a hop flavor and aroma with two ounces of hops, which previously required three to four times the amount of hops. My double IPA once required a pound of hops, most of which were used for aroma and flavor, now requires around four ounces per five gallons of beer.

Give it a try. As an experiment, make a strong hop tea with a french press and add it to an existing lightly hopped beer in a keg. Or on a smaller scale, make a cup of hop tea and add a portion of it to a pint of Pale Ale or IPA.

This technique works very well for me. I am able to continue to make my highly-hopped Double and Triple IPA's with a reasonable amount of hops.

Desert_Sky

Recipes 

interesting......


but I really don't believe you, so Im going to need you to send me a sample

chillHayze

Recipes 

I do not have a french coffee press, but an american coffe machine. Any luck with that?

__________________
RDWHAHB
Every little thing is gonna be alright.

puney_the_youkel

Recipes 

Come on over, got plenty of Ale. I'll prove you wrong or get you drunk, whatever comes first

BarleyWater

Recipes 

Have you seriously thrown a pound of hops into 5gal of beer?

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Fermenting: Nada
On Tap:Cran Wit, Dr Pepper Dubbel, Cascadian Pale Ale, Dark Chocolate Stout, Imperial Stout, Brown Mild, Schwarzbier
On Board: IIPA

www.franconiabrewing.com

Chello

Recipes 

yeah....

i get full flavor and aroma out of maybe 1oz of hops during my boil. I suppose for an IIPA it would use more, but i don't see how making a hop tea would reduce the amount of hops needed?

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"Retail is for suckers."

BarleyWater

Recipes 

I have heard it mentioned as a means of bittering for a partial boil to help in utilization, but that was for bitterness and AA extraction, and I'm not sure how well that would work either, but that may reduce the quantity of hops necessary to achieve a desired ibu.

The essential oils that make up the aroma and flavor compounds seem like they would be in the same concentration in the beer, regardless of the method used to get them in. And I have gotten plenty of aroma out of my IIPAs and Imperial Pilsners with 1-2oz of hops. Especially from pellet hops, it isn't giong to take much to get out all of the essental oils.

__________________

Fermenting: Nada
On Tap:Cran Wit, Dr Pepper Dubbel, Cascadian Pale Ale, Dark Chocolate Stout, Imperial Stout, Brown Mild, Schwarzbier
On Board: IIPA

www.franconiabrewing.com

puney_the_youkel

Recipes 

This is my press:
http://www.worldmarket.com/kitchen-tabletop/cookware/coffee-pot-tea-pot/Bodum-Chambord-French-Press/lev/4/productId/1752/Ne/1100001/sectionId/2866/N/1100166/PIPELINE_SESSION_ID/351ebfa9c0a85b663fceb7a35d72e5e5/categoryId/1100166/pCategoryId/1100163/gpCategoryId/1100131/Ns/NEW_ARRIVAL_FLAG%7C1%7C%7CCATEGORY_SEQ_3009%7C0/index.pro?PIPELINE_SESSION_ID=351ebfa9c0a85b663fce b7a35d72e5e5

puney_the_youkel

Recipes 

Pretty much all I make is Double and Tripple IPA's. Until I started adding hop teas, a pound of hops was my minimum. My tripple had 8oz dry hopped in each keg alone.
I can reach the same hop intensity now, with two ounces.
Keeping up with the Russian River Brewing IPA's takes lots of hops.

Recipe:
Type: All Grain
Date: 1/28/2008
Batch Size: 10.00 gal
Boil Size: 10.35 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: BREWTREE- 15 Gallon Brewing System
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
30 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 86.96 %
3 lbs Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 8.70 %
1 lbs White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 2.90 %
8.0 oz Melanoiden Malt (20.0 SRM) Grain 1.45 %
4.00 oz Mt. Hood [6.00 %] (Dry Hop 10 days) Hops -
5.00 oz Williamette [5.50 %] (Dry Hop 10 days) Hops -
4.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (60 min) Hops 55.1 IBU
5.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (Dry Hop 7 days) Hops -
1.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [12.30 %] (60 min) Hops 13.0 IBU
4.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.40 %] (20 min) (First Wort Hop) Hops 23.7 IBU
4.00 oz Mt. Hood [6.00 %] (15 min) Hops 12.6 IBU
7.00 oz Cascade [6.60 %] (10 min) Hops 17.8 IBU
3.00 oz Vanguard [5.50 %] (10 min) Hops 6.3 IBU
0.50 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
2.00 tbsp PH 5.2 Stabilizer (Mash 60.0 min) Misc
20.00 gm Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 min) Misc
2 Pkgs American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) [Starter 125 ml] Yeast-Ale



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.098 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.090 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.023 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.012 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 9.85 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 10.23 %
Bitterness: 128.6 IBU Calories: 412 cal/pint
Est Color: 10.9 SRM Color: Color


Mash Profile

Mash Name: Temperature Mash, 1 Step, Light Body Total Grain Weight: 34.50 lb
Sparge Water: 4.21 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F TunTemperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE Mash PH: 5.4 PH

Temperature Mash, 1 Step, Light Body Step Time Name Description Step Temp
75 min Saccharification Add 43.13 qt of water at 161.4 F 150.0 F
10 min Mash Out Heat to 168.0 F over 10 min 168.0 F



Mash Notes: Temperature mash for use when mashing in a brew pot over a heat source such as the stove. Use heat to maintain desired temperature during the mash.
Carbonation and Storage

Carbonation Type: Kegged (Forced CO2) Volumes of CO2: 2.4
Pressure/Weight: 21.6 PSI Carbonation Used: -
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 60.0 F Age for: 28.0 days
Storage Temperature: 52.0 F

puney_the_youkel

Recipes 

I think that less is needed by using a French Press because nothing is lost during fermentation. More is gained than conventional dry-hopping because hot water extracts more flavor from the hops than can be extracted at cellar temps.