First Wort Hop - The Science??

Anyone know of a definitive article explaining the science behind FWH'ing?

I know it works. Done it many times. I have even mash hopped with success.

Having said that, I have yet to read any article or book that explains the science behind the technique, answering the age old question of exactly why the aroma/flavoring oils survive the boil.

I have heard conjecture that it is related to the PH of the runnings amd rumor that is is also related to oxidation, but nothing definitive.

I've been trying to explain the technique to a semi-retired brewmaster (35 years as a brewing chemist) who has no idea how this technique could work.

subscribed as I've have wondered about this as well.

I too have subscribed, if I recall, Mosher touched on this subject in his Radical Brewing book but I don't recall the details.

I FWH almost every beer I brew in moving all 60 minute additions to FWH and I love the effect on the beers. In general I receive a very nice, balanced and mellower bitterness to each beer and my later aroma additions tend to stand out greater.

I'm curious to understand how this works as well but I will not give up the process, I'm sold on it and have sold other brewers on it as well, most have been very pleased with the way it changed their beer.

Some stuff I found

http://brushvalleybrewer.wordpress.com/category/links/page/2/
http://home.comcast.net/~david.s.draper/beer/1stwort.html#table
http://www.ehg.ca/book/export/html/614

Look also for 1995 issue of Home Brewers digest article by Dr. George Fix http://www.hbd.org/

or look for Priess, Neuremburg and Mitter published an article on it in 1995 (Brauwelt International, Vol IV, p 308)

Something about the pH of the mash and lower temp lets the hop oils chemically bond and they arent broken down in the boil.

I'd like to bring up this old thread because I'm trying to write a paper on the subject. Has anyone come across any new information? After extensive google searches, I have realized that there is really only one piece of original information written on the subject and every other website just kind of borrowed the information.

CrystalShip said:

I'd like to bring up this old thread because I'm trying to write a paper on the subject. Has anyone come across any new information? After extensive google searches, I have realized that there is really only one piece of original information written on the subject and every other website just kind of borrowed the information.

Click to expand...

There is, as far as I know, very little actual research on the subject. Even proper taste panels are hard to come by.

Check basicbrewingradio.com I recall them mentioning it and they may have done an exbeeriment with FWH.

Thanks guys. I also found a section in "How to Brew" by John Palmer where he mentions that during FWHing volatile hop oils are oxidized into more soluble compounds that resist evaporation during the boil. http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter5-1.html

Now, if I only knew where his info came from!

Has something to do with isomerization of the alpha acids and oxidation of oils at a lower temp before the full on boil.

Or at least I remember reading that somewhere...