I totally forgot the hops!!!

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matt1776

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Hi all,

After completing my last batch of partial-mash yesterday I realized I completely blanked on adding hops. It didn't occur today, so it's been going about 24 hours. Any suggestions? Can I boil hops and then add at this point? Am I totally screwed? Please help?

Thanks,
Matt
 
Ah well, ah, you, em... you can eh,....

You FORGOT the hops?

Sure, boil them, but keep in mind that you'll get better AA extraction from water than you will from wort. You'll have to cut back on your quantity to compensate.
 
Fingers said:
Ah well, ah, you, em... you can eh,....

You FORGOT the hops?

Sure, boil them, but keep in mind that you'll get better AA extraction from water than you will from wort. You'll have to cut back on your quantity to compensate.
Click to expand...

Let this be a lesson to never brew with a family event planned that afternoon. I was worried about missing my grandmothers 91st bday and distracted.

So what should I cut back on? I've got a 2.5 gallon bucket I've thought about using for small batches. I might just pour off half of my mistake and try to salvage the other half. Do you think I can just boil the hops in a small ammount and add to the day old stuff as I transfer?

I'd like to free up my primary 6.5, so I can start another batch tomorrow, this time remembering the hops.

Grr.
 
Don't pour any of it off. Just boil up a half gallon or so of water and add your hops as you normally would, but use only 2/3 of your 60 min bittering hops. You'll water your beer a tad with the extra liquid, but it should turn out fine. After only a day of fermenting you won't notice the difference in forgetting the hops. Let us know how it turns out.
 
First question: what is the recipe? If the IBU target was under 40, you can probably salvage the batch. At 24 hours the fermentation hasn't started, so put half the batch back in the kettle and do the hops. Cool it and pour it back in the fermenter. The yeast in the other half will multiply as needed.

[Water saturates around 90 IBU, which puts a limit on what you can do.]
 
david_42 said:
First question: what is the recipe? If the IBU target was under 40, you can probably salvage the batch. At 24 hours the fermentation hasn't started, so put half the batch back in the kettle and do the hops. Cool it and pour it back in the fermenter. The yeast in the other half will multiply as needed.

[Water saturates around 90 IBU, which puts a limit on what you can do.]
Click to expand...

Actually, it did start fermenting pretty quickly yesterday, at least I assume so (bubbles in airlock). The IBU is probably about 30, it's an american amber ale.

Thanks,
Matt
 
matt1776 said:
Actually, it did start fermenting pretty quickly yesterday, at least I assume so (bubbles in airlock). The IBU is probably about 30, it's an american amber ale.

Thanks,
Matt
Click to expand...

Don't boil your beer just do as fingers suggested and use straight water, it will dilute the beer some but a half a gallon or so won't make much of a difference. I think that it will turn out drinkable anyway, and next time, DON'T GET DISTRACTED! Why were you brewing on your grandmothers birthday? I think that better planning would be involved in the next batch. Anyway good on you for brewing and if there are anymore scheduling conflicts please consult us first and we will help out as much as possible, even if it is just a gentile reminder to make a damn hop addition! :drunk: :drunk:

Cheers and tell your grandmother we all said happy Birthday!:ban:
 
wop31 said:
Don't boil your beer just do as fingers suggested and use straight water, it will dilute the beer some but a half a gallon or so won't make much of a difference. I think that it will turn out drinkable anyway, and next time, DON'T GET DISTRACTED! Why were you brewing on your grandmothers birthday? I think that better planning would be involved in the next batch. Anyway good on you for brewing and if there are anymore scheduling conflicts please consult us first and we will help out as much as possible, even if it is just a gentile reminder to make a damn hop addition! :drunk: :drunk:

Cheers and tell your grandmother we all said happy Birthday!:ban:
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'll never make that mistake again. It's my brain fart of the summer.

Matt
 
I might make another batch with a lot more hops and then blend the brews. It seems as though that could work OK.

Morebeer sells hop juice which might work but it is sort of expensive.

HopJuice
 
If it was a partial mash, why not boil some LME or DME in the half gallon along with the hops? It'll avoid watering down the beer and it will ferment so long as the yeast hasn't sat dormant for a long time.
 
wop31 said:
Don't boil your beer just do as fingers suggested and use straight water, it will dilute the beer some but a half a gallon or so won't make much of a difference.
Click to expand...

Problem is, a half-gallon of 90-IBU (max) water is only going to raise the overall batch to about 8-10 IBUs. If you want anywhere near the 30 IBU the recipe called for (without totally watering down the beer) you're going to have to boil some of the original wort.
 
I boiled and added the half gallon last night. Of course some of the water boiled off and there was a lot of "hop sediment" left behind that I didn't pour in. What do yall think will happen?

Does anyone think dry-hopping when I secondary ferment will help? If so, what kind of hops would yall recommend?

I'm curious to taste how this will turn out.

Thanks,
Matt
 
dry hopping will give you aroma and maybe some flavor but no bitterness, I like cascade or any flavoring hop. I dont think it can hurt to try it in your situation, but I like the blending aproach just make a bitter ipa or apa and blend the two.
 
I think you planned to do it...what better excuse than to brew another batch! This time, double the hops and blend it with the first batch. Double the beer, double the fun! :)
 
I would add a hop tea to your secondary. Hops added after fermentation will be likely to lose a lot of flavor and aroma with the CO2 bubbles that escape. That is why a batch might smell super hoppy in the primary and come out with little hop flavor. I bet you could boil 2 oz of hops in 2 cups of water and add that to the secondary for a lot more hop flavor.

Does the volume of water matter that much? I would think that a strong hop tea would have more effect than hops in a gallon. The extra water would dilute it, right?

I would add the boiled hops and all to the secondary if I were you.
 
Sounds like what you’re going to end up with is a malty pale ale with some citrus aroma (assuming you dry hop some cascade).

I can certainly think of worse things to drink.
 
Jay52 said:
I think you planned to do it...what better excuse than to brew another batch! This time, double the hops and blend it with the first batch. Double the beer, double the fun! :)
Click to expand...

LOL. I don't think I was looking for an excuse. But maybe subconsciously...?
 

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