How Fast do you Chill Your Wort Post Boil?

[ultravista]

To maximize aroma and flavor, how fast are you chilling your wort after the last hop addition or flameout?

 

[stpug]

I've been known to chill to ~175F and then do a hop stand for 45-60 minutes, and then finish chilling. This is pretty common practice for my big hoppy beers.

It's my non-hoppy beers that get quick chilled down to 64F in 10 minutes.

 

[ultravista]

I ask because I have had a problem with plenty of bittering but lack of flavor and aroma in my brews. I have been killing the heat, adding the flameout hops, and letting it stand for an hour or more.

Also, I use a plate chiller.

 

[stpug]

I ask because I have had a problem with plenty of bittering but lack of flavor and aroma in my brews. I have been killing the heat, adding the flameout hops, and letting it stand for an hour or more.

Also, I use a plate chiller.

Have you used the method of ~1/2 IBUs as your bittering addition, and the remainder come within the last 15 minutes? This helps to put the focus on the hop flavors and aromas (however, it does use up a few more hops since you're adding more).

I don't honestly think it makes too much of a difference, BUT have you tried dropping your wort temp to 180-165F immediately after flameout to do your flameout hops? The theory is that you'll get less isomerization of the hops (particularly the late addition hops) and maintain the aromatics of the hops better. While I agree with the isomerizatoin part, I'm not totally convinced on the aromatic part. It's worth a shot though, IMO.

If you're using a pump with your plate chiller than you could simply recirculate back into your BK until you see temps in the <180F range; then stop the chiller and continue with the hop stand. If you're not using a pump, then you could have some frozen water bottles or 2 liter bottles; sanitize them as best you can; and stir your wort around with them to quickly drop the temp a few degrees. I think the important cusp to achieve is ~180F so that the isomerization is basically stopped but plenty hot to extract aromatics/flavors from the hops.

Edit:
And, of course, a good hop stand always pairs well with a nice dry hop addition

 

[Jayhem]

Dry hop is key for Pale Ales and IPA where you want big aroma. No less than 2 oz per 5 gallons!

 

[Rivenin]

that might be why, if you're just killing the heat, you're still leaching out bittering for awhile. can't remember the exact degrees, but FO hops are supposed to be added and than mixed around for a few minutes than chill to keep the hop aroma. if you want to do a hop stand, you need to kill the heat to like 160* and toss them in there for awhile.
Just use your plate chiller and recirc back into the pot till to hit 160.

 

[ultravista]

If not boiling, shouldn't I also get flavor and aroma from the flameout addition?

 

[RonPopeil]

flavor is maximized from 15-10 minute additions for most people. i've been playing with my hop scheduling and i've found a couple methods that works for me.

Straight ahead IPA

0.6 - 1.0 BU/GU@ 60 for bittering. include FWH to this.
late additions at 15/10/5 and maybe 0. same amount per addition. can also do it as a "hop blast" by adding incrementally more as you get closer to 0.
dry hop 1-3 ounces for 4-7 days

Straight ahead Pale Ale

0.5-0.85 BU/GU from FWH/60 additions.
0.5-1.0 ounce at 20min
2-3 ounces at flame out
1-3 ounces dry hop 4-7 days

 

[acidrain]

If not boiling, shouldn't I also get flavor and aroma from the flameout addition?

And bittering too, if you're not actually monitoring the temp.

 

[Dakota21601]

I bought a 50' SS chiller and as soon as i hit the water on my last 10 gallon we kept stirring with the chiller and it dropped fast. About 10-15 min. I barely had time to sanitize my buckets and straighten up things. Stirring is a big help and stretching the chiller out to span the whole ten gal.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[ultravista]

How did you build that 50 foot chiller?

 

[poislb]

Just wrap it around a corny keg or something similar in size..

Take me about 15 min to go from 212 to 65. A little longer in the summer months though, and for that I use a pre chiller.

 

[C-Rider]

NOthing to do w/hops but cooling 2 gallons in my sink w/ice bottles takes about 1:15.