First All-Grain: Hop Question

[seattlejohn]

So I am brewing my first all grain batch this weekend.

Background: I have brewed about a dozen extract+grains batches in the last 9 months or so. I have read every mainstream book out there from Papazian to Palmer to the newest Homebrew everything book.

In the past I have done 4 gallon boils that end up being about 3.25 gallons that I mix with boiled/cooled water. Since I make IPAs/DIPAs, I usually just hop the hell out of them, usually starting with 2 oz or more of Columbus @ 60.

Question: I have read and heard that a full boil (7.5 gallons for a 6 gallon batch), which I am going to do on my new propane burner and 9 gallon pot, gets more out of the hops. Should I worry about using 'too many' hops? Should I just be careful with the bittering hops and can I still go crazy with the flavor hops?

Here is what I am making for my first AG DIPA (6 gallon final, post-boil volume):
For Mash:
14# 2 row
1# crystal 40
.5# Munich
.25# Wheat
.10# Biscuit
At boil:
1# of corn sugar
Hops:
Lots of Columbus, Amarillo, Simcoe and maybe some Chinook at various times
Yeast: Wyeast 1272 (starter is pretty big after 24 hours!)

 

[Jeepnbrew]

So I am brewing my first all grain batch this weekend.

Background: I have brewed about a dozen extract+grains batches in the last 9 months or so. I have read every mainstream book out there from Papazian to Palmer to the newest Homebrew everything book.

In the past I have done 4 gallon boils that end up being about 3.25 gallons that I mix with boiled/cooled water. Since I make IPAs/DIPAs, I usually just hop the hell out of them, usually starting with 2 oz or more of Columbus @ 60.

Question: I have read and heard that a full boil (7.5 gallons for a 6 gallon batch), which I am going to do on my new propane burner and 9 gallon pot, gets more out of the hops. Should I worry about using 'too many' hops? Should I just be careful with the bittering hops and can I still go crazy with the flavor hops?

Here is what I am making for my first AG DIPA (6 gallon final, post-boil volume):
For Mash:
14# 2 row
1# crystal 40
.5# Munich
.25# Wheat
.10# Biscuit
At boil:
1# of corn sugar
Hops:
Lots of Columbus, Amarillo, Simcoe and maybe some Chinook at various times
Yeast: Wyeast 1272 (starter is pretty big after 24 hours!)

just depends on what your looking for... If you just want the aroma and hop feel dump them in the end... If you want bittering and flavor then put them in 10 mins apart through the boil. just write it all down so you know what you did and can tweak it next time..

 

[davesrose]

Hops:
Lots of Columbus, Amarillo, Simcoe and maybe some Chinook at various times

Could you be a bit more specific about how much hops you're thinking about?? As for "full boil" getting more hops....well I don't think going above a good rolling boil does anything more then give you more evaporation. I mean if you think of it theoritically, once your wort reaches boiling point, those hops aren't getting any extra heat (that extra heat is only going to more gas).

One interesting basic brewing episode I saw was them experimenting with hop utilization in boil times. They tried one small batch that had less hops boiled for a full 60 mins....and a batch that had some more hops at 30 mins from another 60 minute boil. They noted that the 30 minute one had a better balance of bitter and aroma, as well as having a perception of more bitter (even though the 60 minute one would have more IBUs). I'm pretty sure that the one "Hop Whompus" ale I've tried probably had at least 4 times as much hops as what you're thinking ($100 worth of hops with mash hopping, FWH, and even post boil hopping included with insane boil hopping, dry hopping, and keg hopping)....and it still wound up being drinkable (and would definitely be a feast for a hophead). The only advice I have for high IBUs is that you should maybe have plenty of AAs in your initial boil, then balance it with the same in the "aroma phase" (within 15 minutes of flameout).