First Wort Hopping(FWH)

I've heard some people talking about First Wort Hopping. I'm wondering if I could do this while steeping the grains in an extract brew?

I've heard some people talking about First Wort Hopping. I'm wondering if I could do this while steeping the grains in an extract brew?

that would be more like mash hopping. you could still fwh, you'd just have to toss hops in the brew kettle as soon as you start heating it up to boil.

What is the point of a first wort hop?

nasa258e said:

What is the point of a first wort hop?

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Got an email from Brad Smith of Beersmith. The AG guys are hopping the mash tun. I guess it gives a deep smooth non-bitter hop finish. That's really all I know and I might have some of that screwed up. Just wondering if it can be applied to extract.

jester5120 said:

that would be more like mash hopping. you could still fwh, you'd just have to toss hops in the brew kettle as soon as you start heating it up to boil.

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Call me stupid but can you explain what I might expect in the taste. Being an extract brewer what would happen if I steeped what would have been the 60 min addition?

I would compare it to a 15 minute addition. It gives you some mild flavor and aroma from whatever hops you use. Typically a 60 minute addition loses all its flavor and aroma but fwh maintains some of those qualities. It adds a slight increase in bitterness too. I almost always fwh in place of a 60 minute addition in my beers

First Wort Hopping is adding the hops to the BK as the sparge is filling it. The hops are basically steeped until the kettle is brought up to boil and they are left in for the duration. I believe it is suppose to help smooth out the bittering. Apparently the commercial guys have done this for years, it allows them to use fewer hops for the same hop contribution. The FWH's are calculated at the full boil time for IBU's

hoppybrewster said:

Got an email from Brad Smith of Beersmith. The AG guys are hopping the mash tun. I guess it gives a deep smooth non-bitter hop finish. That's really all I know and I might have some of that screwed up. Just wondering if it can be applied to extract.

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I know one of northern brewer's amber extract kits involves a fwh

hoppybrewster said:

Got an email from Brad Smith of Beersmith. The AG guys are hopping the mash tun. I guess it gives a deep smooth non-bitter hop finish. That's really all I know and I might have some of that screwed up. Just wondering if it can be applied to extract.

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That's not FWH. That's using mash hops (mash hopping).

FWH is adding the hops to the first runnings in the BK and letting them sit in there during the lautering and into the boil.

It is supposed to provide more hops flavor and a smoother bitterness. I don't get more hops flavor out of it, but I do seem to get a smoother bitterness. It works great for IPAs, APAS, American ambers, and so on.

I don't think you could accomplish a FWH approximation for extract without a lot of extra work and time, and I have no idea the effect it would have on flavour/colour/fermentability.

Supposedly the temperature in the 160s and the sugars extracted during the mash play a key role in why/how FWH works.

I suppose you could add all your extract after steeping, bring the temp up to 160-170F, make sure the extract is decently mixed in, then let your FWH sit for a half hour or so, then start the boil.

Yooper said:

That's not FWH. That's using mash hops (mash hopping).

FWH is adding the hops to the first runnings in the BK and letting them sit in there during the lautering and into the boil.

It is supposed to provide more hops flavor and a smoother bitterness. I don't get more hops flavor out of it, but I do seem to get a smoother bitterness. It works great for IPAs, APAS, American ambers, and so on.

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So if you BIAB, how/when should you FWH. And, what's the advantage and disadvantage of mash hopping over FWH?
I'm doing this one way or another on Monday and have no idea the best way to do it.

I BIAB, and I FWH pretty often. I use a mashing pot and another to sparge in, and once my sparge is done I pour the contents of my mash pot into the sparge pot. Then I put the heat on the sparge pot (which is now my brew kettle) and as soon as that happens I add my FWH addition. I've been enjoying the results.

Thanks. I'm now thinking of doing 1/2 oz of mash hopping and 1/2 of FWH to see how that works.
Sadly, I'll have to make this brew a few times and do things differently to figure out what I like best. Who is going to drink all this beer?