adding flameout hops into cooling wort

[terrazza]

Has anyone had positive results doing this before? Adding flameout hops into the wort after it has begun cooling and reached say 185 degrees? Any sanitary issues you experienced? I know the risks, but doubt the bugs in hops ever contaminate, so think I am going to try this.

I was hoping to get a better aroma, something more similar to what separates out the fresh wet hop ales from other ales.

 

[HItransplant]

Im pretty sure you dont need to worry about hops causing an infection, otherwise dry hopping would be a no-no.

speaking of dry hopping, if you want increased aroma...thats what I would do. I doubt adding hops at flame out vs. adding them 5 min later when youve cooled to 185 will cause any change in the final product.

I also dont think you are going to match a "fresh hop" ale without actually using fresh hops.

just my $.02

 

[mojotele]

Contamination from hops just doesn't happen. Ever.

Well, maybe if you roll the hops around in a nice fresh pile of e. coli.

 

[JeremyHB]

I think the results that you are looking for with your aromatic hop addition may be best achieved by doing a First Wort Hop or FWH.
In my experience you get a better aroma by allowing the Alphaic Acids to isometrize differently. Read this article and it will tell you everything you need to know.
Any questions, (it is a confusing article because the methodology oof adding the aroma hops before the boil) seems really backwards and wrong. Trust me, it is not. Just plain science. I'm not a scientist so here's the link:
http://www.brewery.org/library/1stwort.html

 

[maida7]

fresh hops have a grassy vegetal flavor. You can get this from dry hops. Use lots and leave them in for a longer time.

You can get an infection from hops. Fresh wort is much more easily infected then fermented beer.

 

[HItransplant]

You can get an infection from hops. Fresh wort is much more easily infected then fermented beer.

huh, that makes sense. I never thought about it like that.. I guess I stand corrected. Maybe a late late addition is risky.
thanks maida

 

[shamrockdoc]

fresh hops have a grassy vegetal flavor. You can get this from dry hops. Use lots and leave them in for a longer time.

You can get an infection from hops. Fresh wort is much more easily infected then fermented beer.

I respect your moves here. I agree that fresh wort is susceptible to infection but I have never heard of hops causing an infection at flame out or at 185 degrees. In my humble opinion I'm thinking it will be fine and doubtless that hop additions will cause a nasty wort infection.

 

[maida7]

I respect your moves here. I agree that fresh wort is susceptible to infection but I have never heard of hops causing an infection at flame out or at 185 degrees. In my humble opinion I'm thinking it will be fine and doubtless that hop additions will cause a nasty wort infection.

Yeah, it's totally OK at flame out or 185. But under 100F or so and your in a much riskier area. Adding hops when it's fully cooled and unfermented would be a bad idea. That's all I was saying.

And if you want that grassy fresh hop flavor, use dry hops following the fermentation.

 

[kanzimonson]

I don't really see there being a huge difference between hops added as you cut the flame versus at 185. I mean, it takes me like 2 minutes or less to get to 185 once I turn on my immersion chiller. So long as the wort isn't boiling, you're not losing huge amounts of oils to evaporation/volatilization (is that a word?).

Sure, there's probably some minute differences in the hop character you get. After all, you're still at isomerization temps (but for how long - a couple minutes more?), and hop oils are always chemically changing and bonding to crap when they're hot, but it's the time difference that makes me suspect there's not really a point.

 

[Budzu]

Has anyone had positive results doing this before? Adding flameout hops into the wort after it has begun cooling and reached say 185 degrees? Any sanitary issues you experienced? I know the risks, but doubt the bugs in hops ever contaminate, so think I am going to try this.

I was hoping to get a better aroma, something more similar to what separates out the fresh wet hop ales from other ales.

Myself and Stubbornman (right down the road from me) have done this alot since discussing it earlier this summer. We used IC, and added whirlpool hops right at flameout, then started chilling, stopped chilling at 180, added more hops and continued the whirlpool. An IPA he has made using that technique had AWESOME hop character. I used the technique with a higher gravity Bohemian pilsner. I was asked if the beer was dry-hopped. It really is something to try, and will add something slightly different, and give your hop character even more depth.
One beer I even added hops at 145 with no ill effects.
Combine this with all other hop additions you can think of, like mash, FWH, sparge hopping, go crazy!