Microwaving dryhops

[NJbeer]

Not specifically for sanitation, but to get them warm and help release the oils. Just like 90seconds.

Thoughts?

 

[afro_lou]

Like, for aromatherapy or something?

 

[NJbeer]

what harm can it do? I was thinking it could increase the aroma, by adding them warm vs. cold

 

[Paps]

Depending on your microwave....
90 seconds could cook/burn them.
Perhaps a series of short busts (20 seconds) with a 20-60 break inbetween until they hit the desired temp you want them ( i would assume right around 170-F for optimal hop oil utilization)
However if you are then immediately dumping them into 212-F boiling wort they wont stay at 170 long......
I don't really see the benefit of doing this but that's on paper.
Perhaps spli 2 batches from the same mash.....do one normally and the other with microwaved hops and ferment them in the same area using the same yeast,ect & compare the flavors.
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edit...just noticed you said "dry hops".....omit what i sai dabout the boiling part

 

[day_trippr]

Seems to me if they smell stronger coming out of the microwave you just lost stuff that'd be better in the beer...

Cheers!

 

[afro_lou]

Yeah, I'd think that any microwaving would release/destroy all that hoppy goodness that would better be utilized in beer.
I'm sure your kitchen would smell awesome though!

 

[NJbeer]

no, you are adding it post fermentation, room temp

 

[afro_lou]

Ah! I'm a little slow tonight...
Still not sure that you would gain much, but I could be wrong! I would think that if you heated the hops to near "boiling" you'd probably be extracting more bitterness from them than aroma.

I think the saying is, "you gain nothing from never trying" so go for it and report back! I'd love to add another step to my dry hop schedule [emoji6]

 

[ong]

I think a better way to conduct this experiment might be to submerge a vacuum sealed packet of hops in water at the temperature you're trying to reach, e.g., 170 degrees. That way you can keep them in there for several minutes and know they won't be exceeding that temperature. Like sous vide cooking...

 

[tagz]

If it ain't broke...

 

[wbarber69]

Well hops and cannabis are very closely related. And in order to get the chemicals that you actually want from the cannabis plant you need to exceed temperatures of at least 175f. Usually around 215 for best results to change the natural thca into the more commonly known thc. There could be a similar compound or cannabinoid in hops that could benefit from this same process. It's worth a try. Id do a 5 or 6 gallon batch. Take that and split it into a few different batches. Do a regular control of course. And then try a few different temps. I wouldn't use the microwave though. I'd use an oven and a laser thermometer to get the best results.

 

[Owly055]

Well hops and cannabis are very closely related. And in order to get the chemicals that you actually want from the cannabis plant you need to exceed temperatures of at least 175f. Usually around 215 for best results to change the natural thca into the more commonly known thc. There could be a similar compound or cannabinoid in hops that could benefit from this same process. It's worth a try. Id do a 5 or 6 gallon batch. Take that and split it into a few different batches. Do a regular control of course. And then try a few different temps. I wouldn't use the microwave though. I'd use an oven and a laser thermometer to get the best results.

I propose smoking the hops in your bong, then dumping the liquid in the beer ;-)

I wonder if anybody smokes hops?


H.W.

 

[GHBWNY]

Not specifically for sanitation, but to get them warm and help release the oils. Just like 90seconds.

Thoughts?

I'm inclined to think that pre-releasing oils into the air would not be as beneficial as the initial release of those oils directly into your beer. If it were a tried-and-true method in brewing, I think we would have heard about it sometime in the past 200 years.

 

[ArcLight]

What you are doing is making a hop tea.
Try it both ways - a split batch, one with dry hops, the other with the hop tea.
See which you prefer.

 

[afro_lou]

I like both wbarber69 and Owly055 ideas. But if you're going to do it right, you might as well make an alcohol or butane extraction and decarboxylate it correctly. Then you'd at least have pure extract that has been activated...

 

[MaxStout]

Hops are a beautiful thing. Bordering on sacred. And you want to nuke them in a microwave?

Heathen.

 

[beersk]

What you are doing is making a hop tea.
Try it both ways - a split batch, one with dry hops, the other with the hop tea.
See which you prefer.

No one said anything about tea. He just heating the hop pellets up, no water added, in the microwave. I'm not sure it would add anything either, but it couldn't hurt to try. I wouldn't heat them up too long though. Maybe 30 seconds, max.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I wonder if anybody smokes hops?

Rule34.

 

[wbarber69]

Done it plenty of times. They sell hops flowers in the smoking blends section of most head shops and tobacco stores. Or you can use your hop Union varietys. It's great for insomnia. Not the best tasting smoke but better than some tobaccos I've had.

 

[ArcLight]

No one said anything about tea. He just heating the hop pellets up, no water added, in the microwave. I'm not sure it would add anything either, but it couldn't hurt to try. I wouldn't heat them up too long though. Maybe 30 seconds, max.

I'm not sure it would add anything either, but it couldn't hurt to try.

I guess you could try it.
I would like to hear back about how it turns out.

 

[Talgrath]

Rule34.

Porn about smoking hops? That's a very specific fetish, but okay.