making hop extract/tea

[CButterworth]

I got a batch of English bitter going last weekend. Besides hops in the boil, the recipe called for post-boil hops. I forgot to add these.

My assumption (but could be wrong) is that post-boil hops do not lose as much buttering flavors. According to Beersmith, dry hopping with these will not add to the bitterness.

What If...... I boiled a pint or so of water in the microwave, then added the hops and allowed to steep for 20 minutes. Once cooled, I add this "hop tea" to my secondary/keg?

If it seems like a reasonable idea, should I also add a few drops of iodine to the water to ensure its sterility, or would the hops take care of that - after all dry hopping does not require sterilizing the hops????

Thanks,
Charlie

 

[twistr25]

Post boil hops just seems like a flameout addition. Those are typically for aroma and flavor. What kind are they? May be able to just dry hop with them and get the original flavor that was intended.

 

[davesrose]

I'd just dry hop. Alpha acids are the main component that adds hop bitterness: and they are released from hops during full boil. Your boiling hops are the main ingredients contributing to IBUs (Alpha acids/bitterness/etc). Hops at flameout aren't releasing Alpha acids, but release different oils that contribute to aroma. Dry hopping might take longer to release oils from the hops, and they might have a slightly different aroma profile, but so would trying to soak hops in hot water.

 

[bigloudvtwin]

I got a batch of English bitter going last weekend. Besides hops in the boil, the recipe called for post-boil hops. I forgot to add these.

My assumption (but could be wrong) is that post-boil hops do not lose as much buttering flavors. According to Beersmith, dry hopping with these will not add to the bitterness.

What If...... I boiled a pint or so of water in the microwave, then added the hops and allowed to steep for 20 minutes. Once cooled, I add this "hop tea" to my secondary/keg?

If it seems like a reasonable idea, should I also add a few drops of iodine to the water to ensure its sterility, or would the hops take care of that - after all dry hopping does not require sterilizing the hops????

Thanks,
Charlie

Charlie, I was going to ask this almost same question. I recently made a batch of IPA and bottled it. When I tasted it it's not Hoppy enough for me (as usual LOL). Anyways I am going to unbottle it, put it in a corny keg, Boil a few ounces of bittering hops for a bit, then add the "tea" from the boil to my keg then charge it with co2. It might not taste "totally right" however I'm not going to waste it as it came out at 7% ABV! Good luck Chuck!

 

[jpeebs]

I've added hop tea before. It doesn't really do a whole lot. Just dry hop. The taste will come out better. And it will improve the smell as well.

 

[twistr25]

Charlie, I was going to ask this almost same question. I recently made a batch of IPA and bottled it. When I tasted it it's not Hoppy enough for me (as usual LOL). Anyways I am going to unbottle it, put it in a corny keg, Boil a few ounces of bittering hops for a bit, then add the "tea" from the boil to my keg then charge it with co2. It might not taste "totally right" however I'm not going to waste it as it came out at 7% ABV! Good luck Chuck!

Are you looking for more bitterness or hop flavor(citrus/grassy/pine)? Just boiling hops in water won't really do anything if you want more bitterness. I think it needs the interaction with the sugars from the malts to release the oils. And that seems like a lot of effort to unbottle and dump into a keg. Lot of risk for oxidation at least.