Last minute hop addition

Not sure if this technique exists but I had an idea today.

I plan to add one - two ounce(s) of hops in a weighted sanitized hop bag into my bottling bucket and then add my sugar water.

After a two minute rest I will rack my beer into the bucket and let it sit for another five minutes.

I can't think of any reason not to do it....

You do have the possibility of contaminants or buggies (if leaf hops) getting into your beer. You probably wouldn't notice it right away, but letting the beer hang around for awhile then opening one up a few months down the road might surprise you. Then again, you could be totally fine. There are various other systems used for infusing hop aroma into beers during the pour into the glass. Have you looked at any of those? I am sure there are some posts about it on here. I have even read of people putting fresh hops in the glass.
If you try it, let us know how it turns out.

macabra11 said:

You do have the possibility of contaminants or buggies (if leaf hops) getting into your beer. You probably wouldn't notice it right away, but letting the beer hang around for awhile then opening one up a few months down the road might surprise you..

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People dry-hop all the time. As How to Brew says, "When you are dry hopping there is no reason to worry about adding unboiled hops to the fermenter. Infection from the hops just doesn't happen."

I have pellet hops and I use them in my dry hop addition. I assume I'll be fine in that regard.

I've read about a few crazy things DFH was doing with hop additions at the pour, but that kind of stuff isn't in my budget... nor my hop budget

I plan to bottle on the 24th. We'll see how it goes.

Here's another idea: If you have a French press, put your hops in there. Pour the HOT priming solution over them, targeting 150F. Let steep 5 minutes then press and pour into bottling bucket. Boom, hop tea done!

MULE said:

Not sure if this technique exists but I had an idea today.

I plan to add one - two ounce(s) of hops in a weighted sanitized hop bag into my bottling bucket and then add my sugar water.

After a two minute rest I will rack my beer into the bucket and let it sit for another five minutes.

I can't think of any reason not to do it....

Click to expand...

The only reason would be wasting hops. I can't imagine a 7 minute contact time would do anything.

Denny said:

The only reason would be wasting hops. I can't imagine a 7 minute contact time would do anything.

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I agree. I like 944play's idea, though.


TL

What you are doing is dry hopping, but you'll need to leave the hops in place for a week or more to get any benefit. There absolutely is no need to worry about infection because hops act as natural preservatives. In fact, they were added in large quantities to beer in the 1700's to prevent spoilage during shipment over seas. We call that beer IPA today.

Tom

I dunk my DH bags into starsan, wring them out, then add the hops, and throw the bag into the keg.

While the hops themselves shouldn't cause any infection issues, the bag very well may, without being sanitized.

944play said:

Here's another idea: If you have a French press, put your hops in there. Pour the HOT priming solution over them, targeting 150F. Let steep 5 minutes then press and pour into bottling bucket. Boom, hop tea done!

Click to expand...

I'm ordering a French Press this weekend. From what I've been finding, not only is this a good way to make the most of the hop oils, it reduces the amount of wort and beer that gets soaked up with whole hop cones.

I also mash AG starters in mine.

Well I was going to order one on eBay, but found one at Wal-Mart. I'm going to try it out on my APA this week.