General guidelines to laying out your hop schedule

MBasile · 01-18-2010, 05:43 PM

One of the areas I've been struggling with in creating recipes is the hop schedule. I've done some searching on here but haven't found any general tips/tricks, only example schedules for given recipes without explanation of why certain amounts are done at certain times. So can some of you more experienced brewers share your theory behind your hop scheduling?

Some specific questions...
•I've noticed some people including, others not including a 45 minute addition. Is 45 minute a waste since you aren't getting as much bittering as 60 but the flavors are boiled off?
•For hoppy american styles when do you add the flavoring? 30 min? 20 min? 15 min?

Thanks guys!

**Yooper** · 01-18-2010, 05:55 PM

Some specific questions...
•I've noticed some people including, others not including a 45 minute addition. Is 45 minute a waste since you aren't getting as much bittering as 60 but the flavors are boiled off?
To my mind, yes. You won't be getting much, if any, hops flavor out of the hops, but you're not getting the full bittering potential either. I occasionally add hops at 30 minutes, if I want a few more IBUs without over the top bitterness, but not often.

•For hoppy american styles when do you add the flavoring? 30 min? 20 min? 15 min?
I mostly start at 20 minutes for flavor hops, and then might go 15, 10, 5, 0 so that I get maximum flavor, and the 5 and 0 additions contribute greatly to the aroma.

redfox · 01-19-2010, 10:26 AM

thinking of trying no-chill brewing...

what is the Cliff's Notes version of hopping using no-chill methods?

thanks!

**luvhopps** · 01-19-2010, 11:52 AM

When I do a big hopped IPA, I don't add hops at the 60 min. mark. I start adding 2 oz. of hops at 20 min. left in the boil, 2 oz. at 10 min. left in the boil, and 2 oz. at flame out.
I end up with a beer that starts out sweet and flows right into a smooth hop finish, I mean a big smooth hop finish that kicks ass.
I believe that the time you place the hops in, is the time that you will taste the hops in the finished beer. Hops at 60 min. you will taste right away, as with mine you don't get the hop flavor until the middle of your sip. If you went with a 45 min. addition instead of the 60 min. I believe you will end up with a short sweetness before the hop flavor arrives. This is why I like to play with the time of the hop additions. Of course these are just my opinions; and opinions are purely subjective, but I brew some great beers this way.
I don't think there are hard and fast rules for hop schedules, just adding hops at certain times supply different flavors and bitterness. The best thing you can do is experiment.

MBasile · 01-19-2010, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvhopps

When I do a big hopped IPA, I don't add hops at the 60 min. mark. I start adding 2 oz. of hops at 20 min. left in the boil, 2 oz. at 10 min. left in the boil, and 2 oz. at flame out.
I end up with a beer that starts out sweet and flows right into a smooth hop finish, I mean a big smooth hop finish that kicks ass.
I believe that the time you place the hops in, is the time that you will taste the hops in the finished beer. Hops at 60 min. you will taste right away, as with mine you don't get the hop flavor until the middle of your sip. If you went with a 45 min. addition instead of the 60 min. I believe you will end up with a short sweetness before the hop flavor arrives. This is why I like to play with the time of the hop additions. Of course these are just my opinions; and opinions are purely subjective, but I brew some great beers this way.
I don't think there are hard and fast rules for hop schedules, just adding hops at certain times supply different flavors and bitterness. The best thing you can do is experiment.

Thanks for that tip. I need to get a smaller fermenter so I can do 1 or 2.5 gallon batches and play around with hop additions.

Thanks to Yooper too for the quick and to the point response. She even went all girly and wrote in pink!

**Steelers77** · 01-19-2010, 06:04 PM

You just have to brew the same recipe a few times and vary the schedule to see what YOUR pallet thinks. Then change the additions based on the flavor profile you want.
For a long time I brewed beers with recipes I designed and they were not exactly what I wanted so I would move onto the next style, never rebrewing . Now that I am taking better notes making minor adjustments and rebrewing, I am really dialing in some of my recipes.
If I want a sure fire winner I usually brew a recipe from BYO or one of my many home brewing books. This way I boost my ego, remind myself I am a decent brewer and can move on tweaking my recipes.
Remember to do research!!

TechyDork · 01-19-2010, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvhopps

When I do a big hopped IPA, I don't add hops at the 60 min. mark. I start adding 2 oz. of hops at 20 min. left in the boil, 2 oz. at 10 min. left in the boil, and 2 oz. at flame out.
I end up with a beer that starts out sweet and flows right into a smooth hop finish, I mean a big smooth hop finish that kicks ass.
I believe that the time you place the hops in, is the time that you will taste the hops in the finished beer. Hops at 60 min. you will taste right away, as with mine you don't get the hop flavor until the middle of your sip. If you went with a 45 min. addition instead of the 60 min. I believe you will end up with a short sweetness before the hop flavor arrives. This is why I like to play with the time of the hop additions. Of course these are just my opinions; and opinions are purely subjective, but I brew some great beers this way.
I don't think there are hard and fast rules for hop schedules, just adding hops at certain times supply different flavors and bitterness. The best thing you can do is experiment.

that is interesting, i don't think i have seen a recipe that doesn't use a 60 or 90 min bittering addition for an IPA, or any beer for that matter. I might have to give this a try and see how it turns out.

Are you doing a huge addition at the 20 min mark to allow for the lack of biterness without the early addition?

shortyjacobs · 01-19-2010, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TechyDork

that is interesting, i don't think i have seen a recipe that doesn't use a 60 or 90 min bittering addition for an IPA, or any beer for that matter. I might have to give this a try and see how it turns out.

Are you doing a huge addition at the 20 min mark to allow for the lack of biterness without the early addition?

It's called hopbursting. You add a crapton of hops later on. Lots of hops = lots of aroma AND lots of bitterness.

See here:
http://www.mrmalty.com/late_hopping.htm

jjones17 · 01-19-2010, 08:10 PM

Me thinks hopbursting is my next adventure! Sounds great!

TechyDork · 01-19-2010, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjones17

Me thinks hopbursting is my next adventure! Sounds great!

agreed, i will have to give this a try