Advice on Next Brew and hopback usage

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kshuler

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HI-

I am going on a trip tomorrow, but as soon as I come back my plan is to start my 1st ever partial mash brew, as well as using my new hopback for the first time. My first question-- if anyone has ever used a hopback, how much hops can I cram into one? The total volume inside is around 0.6 gallons- I can easily fit lots of and lots of dry hops in, but I know they swell quite a bit when they get wet. Anyone know how to figure this out other than trial and error?

Here is what i am thinking of brewing. Very heavy on the aroma hops, low on bittering hops. I really love hop aroma and flavor, and a not overly bitter brew. I like it very hoppy but very drinkable.


BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Klaus Test 2
Brewer: Klaus Shuler
Asst Brewer:
Style: Imperial IPA
TYPE: Partial Mash
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 6.50 gal
Boil Size: 7.99 gal
Estimated OG: 1.086 SG
Estimated Color: 8.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 82.0 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 50.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
13 lbs Pilsner Liquid Extract (3.5 SRM) Extract 71.23 %
2 lbs Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 10.96 %
1 lbs Rye, Flaked (2.0 SRM) Grain 5.48 %
1 lbs Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) Grain 5.48 %
12.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 4.11 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 2.74 %
10 drops Fermcap Additive
1.30 tabs Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
7.99 gal Seattle, WA Water
2 Pkgs American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) Yeast-Ale


FWH and boil Hops:
3.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (60 min) (FWH) 34.5 IBU
1.00 oz Columbus [14.00 %] (60 min) 26.6 IBU
2.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (15 min) 16.0 IBU
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (5 min) 4.9 IBU

Hopback additions:
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (0 min) (Hopback)
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (0 min) (Hopback)
1.00 oz Columbus [14.00 %] (0 min) (Hopback)
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (0 min) (Hopback)

Dry Hopping:
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (Dry Hop 14 days)
1.00 oz Columbus [14.00 %] (Dry Hop 14 days)
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (Dry Hop 14 days)


Mash Schedule: My Mash
Total Grain Weight: 5.25 lb
----------------------------
My Mash
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Step Add 6.83 qt of water at 160.9 F 150.0 F


Anyone think 4 oz of hops will overfill the hopback? Any thoughts on the hop schedule-- I tend to like citrussy, piney, and spicy notes.

Thanks in advance for any comments!

Klaus
 
Can you tell us more about the hopback? And are you using leaf hops or pellet? I've been working for a couple of weeks to get mine working and I keep clogging it up.

Assuming the hopback additions work out, I think you have a pretty awesome hop schedule going on here. You mention that you don't want overly bitter, but the IBUs are around 80. The first wort hopping is going to help mellow the bitterness a bit, but those columbus hops are going to bring it back. If I were to change anything, I'd fwh the columbus, based on your comment.

I'd be a little concerned that the malt bill is going to stop fermenting a little high. Maybe make sure to mash the partial mash portion low (148-150F) and for an extra 30 min or so. Another move might be to sub some corn sugar for some of the LME. I generally don't like this move, but it really helps on an IIPA.
 
HI there-

I have a separate posting regardin the hopback design. The link is

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/tri-clover-hopback-170858/index5.html

I was hoping to find out from people who had used a hopback before about how much hops you can cram into one without clogging. I am intrigued by the Troegg's hopback interview in which he says that ALL flavor and aroma hops are done in the hopback. If I could cram 4-5 ounces in there, I would be happy.

Anyone comment on the hop bill, or amount? Too much? By IBUs it should be in the range of an imperial IPA, although the color will be a bit lighter, which is how I prefer it.

Klaus
 
Beer is currently in the fermentor. Made a few minor changes to the hop bill. Actually I made it MORE bitter after examining the recipe for Pliny the Elder, which, at least by recipe is extremely bitter by IBUs. Yet it doesn't seem overly bitter at all to me, just clean, hoppy bliss. I added 1 oz of magnum to it.

The hopback worked brilliantly-- could probably shove 6 oz in it. No flow restriction with 4 oz of hops even when I accidentally had it running by gravity trying to prime the pump. My problem is that the fermentation stopped after only 24-36 hours. Think I pitched too warm and the yeast weren't happy when the temp dropped from 72 to 64. Still trying to fix that one.

UWjester, I did what you said with the mashing temp- kept it at right around 150 for 90 full minutes to make sure it was entirely fermented. Now that I think about it, though, maybe I should have skipped the carapils to decrease the body a bit, too and make it lighter and more refreshing. I am using leaf hops for everything, although I have been toying with modding the outflow screen for the hopback with very fine mesh and trying it with pellets.

Anyway, the beer smells DIVINE. Very very hoppy aroma, and I haven't even gotten to the dry hops yet!

Klaus
 
Great! I should have mine ready by the weekend brew of Two Hearted.

Klaus, I recently came across an article on "cold pitching" and tried it. Changed most of what I thought about pitching yeast. I had a big fermentation going in about 8 hours on an APA.
 
LooyvillLarry-

If you are duplicating the design, can I recommend one minor addition that will make it a little easier to use? The downside to having a hopback with 0.7 gallon volume is you lose a lot of beer to the thing. After priming fails on the march pump as the kettle runs dry you need to lift the thing so you can gravity drain it through the chiller. Unfortunately, it is stainless steel and 212 degrees at that time! An the thing weights a TON. So it is actually a real pain in the arse to lift. You MIGHT consider welding a handle onto the top so you can lift it easily for a bit.

Just a thought.

Klaus
 
Thanks ! I'll do that for sure !

I just got the pipe in today, so hopefully tonight I get it ready to weld.

Cool, post pics when it is done! Actually, I was thinking of making another one so I can do a Tröegs hopback amber clone, which I gather puts ALL of the hops in the hopback. The design really is modular... all that is required to double the volume inside is another tube with ferrules and a single 4" tri-clamp. The other thing I was thinking of doing with it would be to turn it into a filter. Just get 8 feet of very fine steel mesh, fold it in half, seal the edges, place the intake tube of the hopback into this where it is folded, make a coil of the parts and place them inside the hopback. You would get a HUGE 8 square foot surface area for filtering, and I bet it could handle any pellet hops used in the boil!

Klaus

Klaus
 

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