Forgot to Add Bittering Hops for 40 Minutes

[4ericweidner]

I made a mistake today and forgot to add 1 oz of Kent Golden Bittering Hops until 40 minutes had elapsed in boiling. I then added 1 oz Kent Golden at 40 min, .5 oz at 45 min and .5 oz at 55 min. I'm worried that it will turn out sweet? Any suggestions on if I can correct and any thoughts on if will be 2 sweet?

Thanks
Eric

 

[Yooper]

I think you're timing info must be "backwards". Normally you boil hops for 60 minutes, with flavor additions at 15 minutes and about 5 minutes. If you boiled your hops for 40 minutes, you're probably ok but it looks like you mean you added hops with 20 minutes remaining, 15 minutes, and 5 minutes?

You may end up with a too-hoppy, too sweet beer since none of those additions would provide much in the way of bitterness to offset the sweetness of the malt.

Remember when you're brewing that you start your timer when you add the first hops and count down from 60. What you should have done is "start" the boil over, or at least the timing of it, when you added the first hops.

Extract doesn't need to boil, so the only reason you're boiling is for the hops. An hour boil extracts the majority of the bittering power out of the hops.

When the beer is completely fermented out, you could taste it and see if it's drinkable or needs more bitterness. If it needs more bitterness, you could try a hop tea (boil hops in water and add to the beer) or a hops extract available at homebrew stores.

 

[4ericweidner]

Thanks Yooper, you're correct I added them with 20, 15 and 5 minutes remaining.....It was pretty sweet so I think I'll try a hop tea. I boiled 2 qts of water with .5 oz of Amerillo Hops for 40 minutes....currently letting it cool down so it doesn't kill the yeast when I add to the primary bucket. One last question, should I try to swirl the hop tea in the primary or just pour it in and hope that it mixes? Appreciate the quick response earlier and heads up on boiling for 60 minutes if I ever have a mental lapse again.

Take care,
Eric

 

[Yooper]

Thanks Yooper, you're correct I added them with 20, 15 and 5 minutes remaining.....It was pretty sweet so I think I'll try a hop tea. I boiled 2 qts of water with .5 oz of Amerillo Hops for 40 minutes....currently letting it cool down so it doesn't kill the yeast when I add to the primary bucket. One last question, should I try to swirl the hop tea in the primary or just pour it in and hope that it mixes? Appreciate the quick response earlier and heads up on boiling for 60 minutes if I ever have a mental lapse again.

Take care,
Eric

I'd boil the amarillo hops at least 60 minutes as well, to extract all of the bitterness they can give. You'll get quite a few more IBUs (hops bittering measurement) out of a 60 minute boil of .5 oz vs a 40 minute boil. If you already finished, you're stuck there I guess. But keep it in mind next time- bittering hops for 60 minutes!

 

[4ericweidner]

Thanks Yooper!!