General Hop Questions from Rookie

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au1991rx

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1) I read alot about hop utilization during the boil and have a question. Is it the sugars in the boil that increase utilization? If I mini-mash w/ some 2-Row is their enough sugar in the boil to do a late addition with the rest of the liquid extract in the last 15 minutes of the boil. Or are they not really related?

2) If I don't use a hop bag and just dump them all in the boil at the designated times how will it affect the beer since it all goes into the primary? It will settle out
right. Will I get more hop flavor in the final brew this way? The aroma and flavoring hops at the end would it be better to put those in a bag and just dump the bittering hops into the primary? I feel like it probably all depends on what you like your beer to taste like in the end. I am not a hop head yet but I am developing a taste for it. Should I even mess with the hop bags? Thanks.
 
Actually, the HIGHER the gravity (sugars), the LOWER the hops utilization. That's why you get better hops utilization with a full boil. Those who do late extract additions might add some of the extract at the beginning, and the rest later, to increase the hops utilization (less sugar in the wort if there is less extract). I've only done it a couple of times, but when I did it, I put the DME in right away, and added the LME with 15 minutes left.

I hate hops bags and don't use them. You get better hops utilization usually, since the hops can float freely, I've heard. I strain my wort going into primary and lots of the hops stuff is strained out. Then, it all settles out in the primary anyway.

I don't know what you mean about bittering hops in the primary, unless you mean use a hops bag just for the aroma hops and removing it? I just dump my hops in at the appropriate time and don't mess with the bags. Even dryhopping- in they go!
 
Sounds like you're ahead of the curve for a rookie and have done some homework. Good for you!

Yooper is correct. I used to use hop bags, but once I switched from pellets to whole hops, I ditched them, for the same reason. IMHO, I seem to get a bit better extraction that way and I the hop aroma seems more 'in your face' while brewing. Always a good thing!:D

You can strain out the hops using a strainer and funnel or, with a little extra effort, siphon them out. I am all grain and do full five gallon boils and I use an auto-siphon to transfer to my primary b/c it's a pain to lift and hold five gallons of wort! The siphon leaves the vast majority of hops in my brewpot.

Either way works fine.
 
Bittering, flavor and aroma hops go into the boil kettle. Quantity and timing determine what you get. Bagging doesn't make much of a difference IF the bag is only about 1/2 full. I think most people start out using bags but eventually just start tossing the hops in. (probably when they do their first IPA and realize they don't have five hop bags)

I only bag to dry hop these days and then only because I dry hop in the keg.
 
Rhoobarb said:
I am all grain and do full five gallon boils and I use an auto-siphon to transfer to my primary b/c it's a pain to lift and hold five gallons of wort! The siphon leaves the vast majority of hops in my brewpot.
quote]


I do it this way also. So simple to have relativly clean wort going into my fermenter.
 
Great info from all. I am about finished with the mini-mash and will start the 60 minute boil soon. I had never considered using the auto-siphon to transfer the wort. I had always just dumped into in the primary bucket (using hop bags). With this mini-mash I end up with about 4 gallons to the boil and it is heavy. Using the siphon I can see where you would leave the hops back in the brewpot and not have to worry w/ the bags. Outstanding idea..

Thanks.
 
If I am using pellet hops does the auto-siphon still work pretty well to transfer to the primary from the boilpot?

Thanks.
 
I don't use an auto siphon, but I do rack the first few gallons before pouring the rest. The answer is yes- the pellet hops break up and form a mess on the bottom. I usually rack the first two gallons or so (I am not Hercules, after all) and then pour the rest through a strainer. The pellets are a mass of green crud and stay on the bottom.
 
Note to self: Buy a stainless steel auto-siphon and high temp tubing. Other than that it went pretty well. Waiting on bubbles now.. Thanks for all the help.
 
What I meant was (in case you didn't figure it out) I melted/bent the plastic siphon (for all the other rookies out there)..
 
au1991rx said:
What I meant was (in case you didn't figure it out) I melted/bent the plastic siphon (for all the other rookies out there)..


Well, I chill first and whirpool before attempting to siphon wort to my fermenter, for the very reason you just said and also to avoid the dreaded HSA.
 
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