Sous Vide Hop Back

[Owly055]

Think about that a minute........ those of us doing BIAB, lacking plate chillers or counterflow chillers and pumps do not have any way of using a hop back. A hop back releases flavor and aroma from the hops into the wort in a sealed environment, immediately chilling and condensing the oils. ANYTHING YOU SMELL during the boil is flavor and aroma LOST.

Sous Vide offers a precise temp controlled environment, and it is normally used in a SEALED ENVIRONMENT. Nothing can escape into the atmosphere.

I propose using Sous Vide with fermented wort in a jar just prior to bottling or kegging. A canning jar would receive the hops and be filled brim full of beer and sealed. It would then be heated for a suitable time at a suitable temp. It might be only 130F, or it might be 180, 160, etc..... It might be held at that temp for 10 minutes, or 48 hours, or ....... It would then be cooled condensing volatile oils into the beer. Once cooled, it would be mixed with the secondary, carefully pouring it off to keep the hops trub in the jar. The hops could be contained in a tea bag or something of the sort if desired.

I just did a sous vide addition to secondary.... Heated to 130 for 24 hours, I cooled it and poured it directly into the fermenter, hops trub and all. I'll treat it with gelatin and cold crash after a few days, then "keg" it in my Tap-a-Draft system.


H.W.

 

[Callacave]

I like this idea Owly. Check out this little contraption from NorCal Brewing Solutions. He's got a few other configurations, but this might be great for reducing oxygen during transfer, and also keeping hops out.

http://www.norcalbrewingsolutions.c...50-Wide-Mouth-Canning-Jar-Randall-Closeup.jpg

 

[Owly055]

I like this idea Owly. Check out this little contraption from NorCal Brewing Solutions. He's got a few other configurations, but this might be great for reducing oxygen during transfer, and also keeping hops out.

http://www.norcalbrewingsolutions.c...50-Wide-Mouth-Canning-Jar-Randall-Closeup.jpg

Interesting idea! I don't use a pump, which would seem to be what this is designed for. It actually seems to be designed to make it possible to use a canning jar for a hop back. It would not be difficult however to use some CO2 pressure in the port leading to the long stem to force the wort through the screen.

H.W.

 

[MadJohnShaft]

I like it!

 

[Owly055]

I have gathered up parts to allow me to transfer beer from one of my mini kegs to the other via my quart jar hopback using CO2 pressure. I also bought a 1/4" brass ball valve so I can keep the flow rate extremely slow. If I can dribble it through over 24 hours, that would be ideal..... but I doubt I can turn it down that slow...... Just bought two 1 3/4 gallon ball lock corny kegs from Williams recently.... OUCH!!

Important discovery!! The glass jar hop back came as stated with 1/2" OD stainless steel fittings...... smooth, no flare or anything, intended to be used with hoses. I discovered that 3/8" sharkbite fittings slide right on. They also slide right off without the release tool, as they don't grip on the smooth stainless.

I will be testing this today, and I suspect it will hold the pressure just fine, as I do not intend going over about 5 psi. I'll soon know if it works.

I have another sharkbite ordered... the 3/8 size is not stocked locally. That fitting will be connected to a tap so I can put a jar of hops right in the fridge with the keg and serve through it. The jar will always be full of beer, which will be under pressure, carbonated and cold. I hope to try this with Cascade leaf hops. I recently bought bought a pound just for this.

H.W.