Hops OOppps !!!!

I have just put down a pliszner but have done something a bit dumb. I have added extra hopps to balence the extra malt I put in as well. The problem is I miscalculated and added twice as much Saaz Hop pellets to my boil as recommended. Now three days on and my fermenter is bubbling away nicely but I am smelling a strange / different smell coming from the air lock (not the usual air lock smell).

Can you tell me what to expect? Is that right?

When did you add the doubled amount of Saaz?

While I was mixing the wort. Just before pitching the yeast.

I don't think hops should change the fermentation smell. If it smells a bit off, it may be an infection, but it's not hops related.

As for the outcome of using double hops, how much did you use? Considering the low alpha acidity of Saaz, unless you used some rediculous amount I think your beer will come out fine. Hoppiness will mellow with time, so if you don't like the hoppiness, let it sit a bit longer and it will balance itself out.

Did you just add the hops by themselves or did you use a grain bag? If you used a grain bag, did you boil it first to sanitize it?

Does it smell like hops? The activity of fermentation will pull some of the hop aroma from the fermenting wort. You'll probably get a nice pilsner with a bit more hop prescence, and a longer lasting hop aroma. But that's just a guess.

Too much Saaz will taste/smell like Cascades for a while (based on a receint 40 IBU all-Saaz batch at an un-named local brewery), but it will mellow in time. I'm not clear on when you added the extra hops, you say in the boil, but you also say you added them just before the yeast. Did you actually boil them at all?

nothing to do now but ride it out! I'd say it will be a tasty slightly hopped brew. might just be you've never used that much hops at "0 minutes" that might be the result of the smell of the saazzzzz and the yeast you used. saaz is fairly tame without boil I'd not worry much.

forget about it till racking and have a brew

david_42 said:

Too much Saaz will taste/smell like Cascades for a while (based on a receint 40 IBU all-Saaz batch at an un-named local brewery), but it will mellow in time. I'm not clear on when you added the extra hops, you say in the boil, but you also say you added them just before the yeast. Did you actually boil them at all?

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I boiled the hop pellets in 300 mLs of water and strained it into the wort useing a new cloth straight from the packet. It did seem to smell slightly off but after checking it this morning it still smells different but as the yeast is doing its job and creating alcohol the smell becoming much morew familier. Could it still be infected ?

My guess is that the smell has nothing to do with the hops, but rather the yeast. Did you happen to use a Czech Pils yeast like let's say, I don't know Wyeast #2278?


If you are using a Czech yeast then you are smelling sulphur and yes it will dissipate with time. Time is on your side, just let it do it's thing.

Thanks guys , I really appreciate th advise. You are correct, now that you mention it, sulphur is what I can smell !!! For the record I used Saflarger 23 as I do with almost all of my Pils and Lagers.

I'll keep you all posted on how it turns out.

Blaine, I only just realised you are a fellow Melbournite.
(In fact, you're not that guy I know are you? The one who said he posted here but wouldn't tell me his handle?)

Where do you get your supplies? I get all mine from the place near the Queen Vic. Market, but don't know if there's anywhere that has more variety in grains, yeast etc.

Shambolic said:

Blaine, I only just realised you are a fellow Melbournite.
(In fact, you're not that guy I know are you? The one who said he posted here but wouldn't tell me his handle?)

Where do you get your supplies? I get all mine from the place near the Queen Vic. Market, but don't know if there's anywhere that has more variety in grains, yeast etc.

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Yeah mate I live in gray old melboune. Lagers are the name of the game at the moment with all this cold weather around. I don't think we have met but we have spoken on this site before. I get all my supplies from Brewcraft over on Church St Richmond ( just up from the bridge rd intersection). They have a pretty good range and guys over there are always good to bounce ideas off.

Where do you get your supplies from ? You do mainly AG dont you ?

Blaine said:

Yeah mate I live in gray old melboune. Lagers are the name of the game at the moment with all this cold weather around. I don't think we have met but we have spoken on this site before. I get all my supplies from Brewcraft over on Church St Richmond ( just up from the bridge rd intersection). They have a pretty good range and guys over there are always good to bounce ideas off.

Where do you get your supplies from ? You do mainly AG dont you ?

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Haha, I'm about to have my first real go at a pilsner with the cold weather to help me out...

I'm an extract + specialty grains brewer. I get my stuff from Australian Wine Cellars (I think that's right) in North Melbourne, just near the market. As far as yeast goes, they only have the 'Saf' range of dry yeasts, which is fine, but fairly limited.