"Hop Tea" method for adding aromatics - Page 4

Dennisusa · 02-07-2012, 10:52 AM

Results of my Hop-Tea test: Failed quite badly.

Methodology: I added a hop tea infusion directly into the serving kegs of a recent 12-gallon all-grain pale ale batch that had received no dry hopping whatsoever. The consensus among all my friends was - disappointingly low aromatics. Doubly painful, as I'd used 6 oz blend of highly aromatic hops (cascade, amarillo, centennial). I did not try vodka-infusion or any of the other suggestions in this thread. This test was limited purely to the hot water, french-press tea-infusion method I described above. Once again, a perfectly reasonable hypothesis fails to pass a simple real-life test.

**unionrdr** · 02-07-2012, 06:54 PM

When I made hop teas,it was because I used cooper's cans before I'd started using plain DME in the boil for hop additions. I just made a hop tea,then stirred in the cooper's can & brewing sugar. I didn't think it'd work as an aeromatic,but wasn't 100% sure that no aroma would come from adding to secondary. I wondered about that myself,as that French press method is pretty strong they claim.

**Magnanamous** · 02-28-2012, 07:26 PM

I am really disspointed that the tea technique didn't work for the last poster. Anyone else have any positive results?

Also, I have read a lot a post differentiating "flavor" and "aroma." I have only a rudimentary understanding of human physiology

but I thought that flavor was experienced in only four or five categories whereas aroma was a whole vast spectrum. I would question the ability for anyone to be able to differentiate between hops without olfaction.

**unionrdr** · 02-28-2012, 10:01 PM

you also have to remember that our senses of smell & taste are linked at the roof of the mouth. They do work together to some degree.

bigbeergeek · 03-07-2012, 05:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dennisusa

Results of my Hop-Tea test: Failed quite badly.

Methodology: I added a hop tea infusion directly into the serving kegs of a recent 12-gallon all-grain pale ale batch that had received no dry hopping whatsoever. The consensus among all my friends was - disappointingly low aromatics. Doubly painful, as I'd used 6 oz blend of highly aromatic hops (cascade, amarillo, centennial). I did not try vodka-infusion or any of the other suggestions in this thread. This test was limited purely to the hot water, french-press tea-infusion method I described above. Once again, a perfectly reasonable hypothesis fails to pass a simple real-life test.

How did you prepare the tea? How much water combined with the 6 oz of hops? What was the water temperature? How long was the contact time? Was this prepared in a french press? I'm curious because I'm going to do my first hop tea in the very near future and I've read my share of positive reviews around the interwebs -- yours sticks out as an example of what not to do. So, what did you do?

Dennisusa · 03-07-2012, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigbeergeek

How did you prepare the tea? How much water combined with the 6 oz of hops? What was the water temperature? How long was the contact time? Was this prepared in a french press? I'm curious because I'm going to do my first hop tea in the very near future and I've read my share of positive reviews around the interwebs -- yours sticks out as an example of what not to do. So, what did you do?

BATCH DETAILS (purely from memory):

Pale Ale, Size: 10g, OG: 1.05, FG: 1.015, ABV: 5.0%, IBUs: 35, WYEAST 1056, Force-Carbonated in 2 Corny Kegs, Served on tap.

HOP TEA PROTOCOL:

2 large press-pots (~4-6 large cups each), Pre-boiled water to minimize O2, cooled to approx 175F, Added 3oz to each sterilized press-pot, gentle stir, steeped approx 2 hrs until room temp with strainer covering the tea, siphoned one into each Corny, smell- and taste-tested by multiple beer geeks so final opinion was not just mine.

I'm hugely disappointed and baffled why it failed. I'm not saying I got no aroma, but relative to the amount of aromatics I'd put it, it was a dud. I'd tried this once before on a keg that had been standing and had de-carbonated because of a leeky poppet - and I just took advantage of the an already open Corny (I'd peaked in to see what was going on) and it worked with just 1 oz. I felt I needed to repeat the process to confirm my technique and findings but could not. Surely I must have done something wrong this time, but for the life of me can't figure out what it was. Did I make the water too hot, let it steep too long? I don't know, but I think you should go for it and like me, eliminate dry hopping or anything else that could cloud your results. Please share your results on this forum

One word of caution, alpha acids will isomerize in water well below boiling temps (down to ~ 180, if memory serves me), so adjust IBUs if you're steep temps and times are a factor.

**unionrdr** · 03-07-2012, 04:10 PM

I was thinking that 4-6 cups of water might not have been enough volume for 3oz of hops.?...since 1oz seemed to have worked better.