First wort hopping

[rengelma]

Ok I've read about this in the all grain brewing, and I'm wondering if anyone has tried to do this with an extract recipe?

I'm thinking I can add some of my hops along with what ever specialty grains I am going to use and keep them in for the duration of the brew.

Thoughts?

 

[born3z]

I've read about this as well and would be interested to see what others think or if anyone has tried it in an extract batch. If nothing else you could give it a shot and be a pioneer.

 

[Warren1086]

From what I understand with boiling hops in wort is the longer or earlier you put them in BK the more bitter flavors come out and give your brew a nice bite. It's pretty much the opposite of dry hopping, which gives you more of a hoppy flavor and aromatics. I'm sure some of the more experienced members will chime in with more details, and hopefully educate all of us.

 

[rengelma]

Here is the basic recipe/hop schedule I'm looking at....

I think if I treat the first bunch of Tettnang hops like special grains and steep them pre boil I could gain the same effect as first wort hopping in an all grain recipe.

Briess Munich Liquid Extract - 6 lbs, 0 oz
Briess Sparkling Amber Liquid Extract - 6 lbs, 0 oz
Briess Traditional Dark Dry Extract - 2 lbs, 0 oz
De-Bittered Black - 0 lbs, 8 oz
Weyermann Cara Munich III ® - 0 lbs, 8 oz
Tettnang, German Pellets - 2 oz @ FWH
Perle, GR Pellets - 1 oz @ 60 mins
Magnum Pellets, GR - 1 oz @ 40 mins
Magnum Pellets, GR - 2 oz @ 15 mins
Tettnang, German Pellets - 1 oz @ 10 mins
Wyeast Labs Bavarian Lager

should I remove the hops after steeping or do they stay in through the boil?


Thanks!

 

[duckmanco]

I'm trying this very idea on an upcoming no chill in the kettle extract beer.

I plan on doing the following:

Dissolving 1/3 the extract required for the recipe into 2-3 gallons of water (I do full boils) and as the water gets to 150-160 I'll drop in the fwh and let steep at the temp for 20-30 minutes prior to topping up kettle and bringing to a boil.

I figured I would try to recreate the idea of a first runnings of an AG batch by using roughly that volume, temp, with some sugars. Is it bulletproof? I have no idea.... But it's what I'm gonna do. I'm extremely skeptical of fwh truly being able to replicate or replace a 20 minute addition.... But I'll try.... I hate chilling wort.

 

[dcp27]

i dont think it works with the small amount of specialty grains used in extract brewing. IIRC, its pH related and the pH in an extract batch won't be low enough. definitely go for it though. worst case scenario it just acts as a bittering addition.

rengelma: dunno, what style you're going for, but that looks like way too much bittering hops. you have basically 3 bittering additions (FWH, 60, and 40). FWH stays in through the boil and contributes 10% more bitterness than a 60min add, its just less harsh so it tastes less. a 40min add is going to add minimal at best flavor, so its basically an underutilized 60min add.

 

[rengelma]

I hadn't thought about adding some of the extract pre-steep...

As for chilling... I do a three gallon boil and add two gallons of ice to chill, then I top off with water to 5 gallons unless my SG is on the money. I've got a freezer that I use as my hot weather fermenting box, I could crank that down and just put the whole kettle in the freezer.

 

[H-ost]

FWH "works" the way it does because the hops are sitting in the low pH wort for some time (at the very least 15-20min) while the temp is climbing to boiling. During this time the not boiling wort allows the Alpha Acids to slowly and smoothly break apart rather than vigorously getting dissolved and changed.

If you are doing a full boil, I don't see why it wouldn't work the same or similarly to an All Grain FWH as long as you dissolve all of your malt in at the beginning instead of late malt additions, just bring it to a boil slower.

At least that would make sense to me...

 

[hadabar]

Idk...but I'm of the opinion it works...

 

[rengelma]

so, I don't do a full boil... I start with 3 gallons and add water/ice at the end.

So my timeline would look like this:

- Steep Specialty grains 20 mins or up to 150 degrees
- Add my extract and first hops keep at temp for 20min
- bring to boil - 60 Min and rest of the hop schedule
Perle, GR Pellets - 1 oz @ 60 mins
Magnum Pellets, GR - 1 oz @ 40 mins
Magnum Pellets, GR - 2 oz @ 15 mins
Tettnang, German Pellets - 1 oz @ 10 mins
- chill and top up to 5 gallons

 

[Mexicanconnection2002]

I have done this on a few batches by adding extract as I am about 25 mins before the boil and then adding my Fhw hops. This allows them to steep as they would in the all grain process. Really like the results.