How long for Aroma Hops?

I'm working on a Christmas Ale and the recipe called for Saaz aroma hops, however, it didn't say for how long to leave them in. It did state to put them in after the boil was all done with, which I did. I'd say I left them in for about 5 minutes. Is that too long, too short?

do aroma hops add flavor to the beer, or just "aroma?"

There really isn't a difference between an aroma or bittering hop, just when you add them. I've never heard of adding the hops after the boil except for when dry hopping, but you should be fine. Aroma hops are generally left in the end of the boil for less than 15 minutes

Your recipe is calling for "hopping at flameout", which means adding hops after you have turned the heat off and have started to chill the wort. The objective is to chill the wort as fast as possible, thereby trapping the aroma and flavor compounds of the hop, but since you are not boiling them you are not getting any bitterness, so to speak. So you just leave the hops in there until you have chilled the wort and it is ready to go into the fermenter, at which point they will be strained out.

I don't strain my hops. I pour the whole brewpot into the fermentor.Will this kill my yeast?

I wouldn't pour the whole thing in there, I try to strain not only the hops but the hot/cold break material. It's important to get some cold break in the fermenter because it provides nutrients for the yeast but you don't want it all. As for leaving hops in the fermenter, I have not done it and can't say exactly what it might do but I wouldn't intentionally pour the hops in there.

I have not left hops in the fermenter making beer. I did do it once making mead. I have never done it again making mead. I guess the alcohol acted as a solvent and started pulling the alpha acid out of the hops.

I imagine if you ferment reasonably quick and rack to a secondary - leaving the hops in the primary behind- it will probably be drinkable. They aren't going to hurt the yeast, it is what happens to the flavor after a few weeks...

What works the best at straining out the hops?

Now do the pellets strain out or are we just talking out the whole hops?

I stick a copper scrubby on the end of my racking cane and it does a good job. Prior to that I dumped the cool wort through a strainer. Pellets are harder to get but you will still catch most of them. If you siphon, give your wort a good stir in a circle to start a whirlpool. This will relocate most of the trub to the center of the kettle and you can siphon from the outer edge.

I pour my wort into the fermenter through a sanitized colander/strainer thing.

Here's what I tried for straining yesterday. Worked real well.

http://i12.tinypic.com/85c72af.jpg

mrk305 said:

I don't strain my hops. I pour the whole brewpot into the fermentor.Will this kill my yeast?

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If you are using a turkey fryer type set-up, I find the easiest thing to do is to whirlpool after chilling and letting it sit for ~5 minutes then using a racking cane or autosiphon to siphon from the edge of the kettle. You will leave almost all the break and hops in the middle of the pot that way.

mrk305 said:

I don't strain my hops. I pour the whole brewpot into the fermentor.Will this kill my yeast?

Click to expand...

AIUI, the CO2 produced during fermentation will carry off most if not all aroma from the hops in the fermenter. Since there is no boil there will be no acids from the hops so they will not affect the yeast. This is the reason for dry hopping in the secondary; it provides aroma but no additional bitterness.

mrk305 - No hops will not kill your yeast.

Aroma hops typically go in at 5 minutes, but anything from ten minutes to dry hopping post-ferment or Randalling at the tap, contribute to the aroma.

sweet, thank you guys.

i really like the "nanobrewery" name. that's clever!

posting incoloris supposed to designate sarcasm here... I was kidding.... (and buzzed)

mrk305 said:

posting incoloris supposed to designate sarcasm here... I was kidding.... (and buzzed)

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I was wondering what the color was for...I though it was supposed to be teal

Beerrific said:

I was wondering what the color was for...I though it was supposed to be teal

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maybe as long as it's pastel. can we get a ruling on this!?

Back to the original question. I always used to do aroma hops with 1-2 minutes to go, or at flameout, then I found this recipe
http://www.tastybrew.com/newrcp/detail/104

The flavor and aroma using this style of hopping in all my pale ales and IPAs has improved considerablyIMHO.

mrk305 said:

posting incoloris supposed to designate sarcasm here... I was kidding.... (and buzzed)

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man I'm glad I didn't call a 'threadjack' on your post.

Remember, friends don't let friends drink and post...unless it'll be hilarious! :fro:

When I put hops in at flameout, I do so and then go ahead with my normal chilling routine. That's simply, to toss in the hops, followed by the chiller. Then, I go turn on the hose and chill as I would. I like the results.


TL

Poindexter said:

I have not left hops in the fermenter making beer. I did do it once making mead. I have never done it again making mead. I guess the alcohol acted as a solvent and started pulling the alpha acid out of the hops.

I imagine if you ferment reasonably quick and rack to a secondary - leaving the hops in the primary behind- it will probably be drinkable. They aren't going to hurt the yeast, it is what happens to the flavor after a few weeks...

Click to expand...

Could you be more specific on the effects of leaving break/hops in the primary? I have always done this..