Rule of thumb for hop schedule
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m3n00b
Well-Known Member
There isn't one. What style are you going for? What hops do you have? Some hops are multipurpose and some are only good for bittering or flavor. I guess a general schedule would be:
60min for bittering.
25-15 min for flavor
5-0 min for aroma
60min for bittering.
25-15 min for flavor
5-0 min for aroma
eltorrente
Well-Known Member
One rule of thumb is to experiment and see how your taste buds like the various schedules. Everyone has a different take on things.
I've developed my own standard hopping schedule(s) over the years.
If I'm going for an IPA or Pale Ale, or similar "hoppy" beer - I like to bitter with "clean" bittering hops, like Warrior or Magnum for minimum 60min boils. I love hop flavor, so I don't want to boil off the oils, so I keep my boiling times for my flavor hops to under 10 minutes.
My rule of thumb is that for every ounce of flavor hops that I boil, I at least match that amount after the boil (add them when the steam has died down). So, if I add 1 ounce for 5 minutes, 1 ounce for 2 minutes, then I'll add at least 2 ounces after the boil. The delicious oils will go away very quickly in the boil - you'll get some character from them, but really you get maximum flavor the less you boil them.
Adding them after the boil (around 170-180 degrees or so), will preserve the oils and they won't evaporate so readily, plus you'll retain a decent amount of aroma - and excellent flavor impact.
I've developed my own standard hopping schedule(s) over the years.
If I'm going for an IPA or Pale Ale, or similar "hoppy" beer - I like to bitter with "clean" bittering hops, like Warrior or Magnum for minimum 60min boils. I love hop flavor, so I don't want to boil off the oils, so I keep my boiling times for my flavor hops to under 10 minutes.
My rule of thumb is that for every ounce of flavor hops that I boil, I at least match that amount after the boil (add them when the steam has died down). So, if I add 1 ounce for 5 minutes, 1 ounce for 2 minutes, then I'll add at least 2 ounces after the boil. The delicious oils will go away very quickly in the boil - you'll get some character from them, but really you get maximum flavor the less you boil them.
Adding them after the boil (around 170-180 degrees or so), will preserve the oils and they won't evaporate so readily, plus you'll retain a decent amount of aroma - and excellent flavor impact.
mrphillips
Well-Known Member
m3n said it right - there is no rule. That's the beauty of homebrewing! There's IPA's that have a hop addition every 10 minutes, and Stout additions that have just one addition at 60 minutes (at the start of the boil).
Personally, I've had good luck with evenly spaced hop additions. For a stout, 1 addition at 60 mins., and a second at 30 minutes. A pale ale, one at 60, one at 20, and one at 5.
If your addition times don't make sense, who cares? Like another poster said, as long as you know WHAT HAPPENS along the hop-timeline, just go crazy. Check out this link. It was a big help to me. Page 2 will give you the most information.
http://www.babblehomebrewers.com/attachments/article/68/hopusage.pdf
Personally, I've had good luck with evenly spaced hop additions. For a stout, 1 addition at 60 mins., and a second at 30 minutes. A pale ale, one at 60, one at 20, and one at 5.
If your addition times don't make sense, who cares? Like another poster said, as long as you know WHAT HAPPENS along the hop-timeline, just go crazy. Check out this link. It was a big help to me. Page 2 will give you the most information.
http://www.babblehomebrewers.com/attachments/article/68/hopusage.pdf
mrphillips
Well-Known Member
Your next step is to research different hops and their flavors. A quick search on the RECIPIES tab on this site will give you an idea of what to use, but again, go crazy and try something new! Even if it tastes like hell, you'll still drink it. Come on, you know you will 
Keep in mind that the beer style you're making is the important thing.
For example, if you're making a Southern English brown, or a Scottish ale or a German bock- usually the only hop addition would be at 60 minutes for bittering hops. It'd be weird to have hops aroma and flavor in a bock. So, your hop schedule would be at 60 minutes only.
On the other hand, making a super hoppy IIPA, you might have hops at 60/20/15/10/5/0 minutes, AND dryhopping or whirlpool hops.
Those are two extreme examples, but it's important to keep in mind the style you're making and the balance of the beer when deciding on hopping.
For example, if you're making a Southern English brown, or a Scottish ale or a German bock- usually the only hop addition would be at 60 minutes for bittering hops. It'd be weird to have hops aroma and flavor in a bock. So, your hop schedule would be at 60 minutes only.
On the other hand, making a super hoppy IIPA, you might have hops at 60/20/15/10/5/0 minutes, AND dryhopping or whirlpool hops.
Those are two extreme examples, but it's important to keep in mind the style you're making and the balance of the beer when deciding on hopping.
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