Did I boil my wort wrong?

[awielan]

So I am on my second brew (but still haven't drank the first)

Anyway, I just went off the directions that came on my first kit and it said "add xxxx hops at xxx time" right. So I just threw the hop pellets into the boil, no bag or anything.

Is this what you are supposed to do? Or are you supposed to put them in a steeping bag and then remove them at the end of the boil?

I ask this because people talk about dry hopping requiring a bag of hops to sit in the secondary. But if I just threw all the hops in and didn't strain them out when I put the wort in the fermenter isn't that the equivalent of dry hopping for the entire fermentation process?

thanks guys!

 

[ajwillys]

Nah, you are fine. Some people use a bag and some just throw them in. I personally prefer just throwing them in. At the end of the boil, most people strain them out before fermenting but some don't even do that. Especially for IPA's and other hoppy beers.

 

[Yooper]

So I am on my second brew (but still haven't drank the first)

Anyway, I just went off the directions that came on my first kit and it said "add xxxx hops at xxx time" right. So I just threw the hop pellets into the boil, no bag or anything.

Is this what you are supposed to do? Or are you supposed to put them in a steeping bag and then remove them at the end of the boil?

I ask this because people talk about dry hopping requiring a bag of hops to sit in the secondary. But if I just threw all the hops in and didn't strain them out when I put the wort in the fermenter isn't that the equivalent of dry hopping for the entire fermentation process?

thanks guys!

I just toss my hops right in the boil at the appropriate time. Some people do use bags, but it doesn't really matter. The boiling wort is what causes the alpha acids to come out of the hops, to bitter the wort, and the only important thing is to make sure the hops aren't confined because they won't be as effective. So, a bag is fine as long as the hops are loosely in the bag.

If you throw all the hops in with the primary (and I usually do), that's fine. But it's not the equivalent of dryhopping. Because the alpha acids are isomerized at boiling temperatures, you get different things out of them. That's why some are added at 60 minutes (bittering) and some at 15 minutes (flavor) and some at the end of the boil (aroma). During fermentation, much co2 coming out of the fermenter "blows off" hops aroma, so dryhops are added after the fermentation is over. Dryhopping gives different flavor to beer than adding hops to the boil. There is no bitterness extracted from dryhopping, but lots of fresh hops aroma.

So, whether you keep the hops from the boil, or strain them out is just a matter of personal preference. If you want more hops aroma and flavor, that is done with additional hops additions, particularly dryhopping.

 

[Marko73]

You will find a lot of people here with real different methods. Usually it is linked to how you are going to transfer your wort to the fermenter. It is really personal preference. I started using a hop bag a few brews ago and I have started to do that pretty consistently. Seems to be less sediment in my primary.

Don't worry though; just find the method that works best for you.

 

[wildwest450]

But if I just threw all the hops in and didn't strain them out when I put the wort in the fermenter isn't that the equivalent of dry hopping for the entire fermentation process?thanks guys!

Like aj said your fine. Dryhopping involves putting in unboiled "dry" hops into fermenter or secondary, this will only extract aroma from the hops.

 

[abracadabra]

Dry hopping is adding hops after the boil. You are going to need to strain the hops out of the beer at some point in time. Either by putting the hops in a bag or something and pulling that out or running your wort thru a strainer after the boil which is also a good way to aerate the wort. Staining the hops out after it has fermented is not a good thing because you are going to aerate the beer not a good thing.
Hopefully you can get most of the beer off the trub and hops but you'll probably lose more than you would have had you strained the hops out before hand.

 

[awielan]

Wow thanks everyone for the quick replies. I love hoppy beers so if it adds a bit more hop to the final product that would be OK with me

There was a LOT of sludge when i racked it to the bottles probably causing me some unnecessary beer loss but oh well. I tasted my Rye IPA when i took my hydrometer reading today and it was delicious so maybe I will continue just throwing them in!

Thanks!

 

[Yooper]

Wow thanks everyone for the quick replies. I love hoppy beers so if it adds a bit more hop to the final product that would be OK with me

It won't add more hop flavor. Once they're boiled, they're done for. You won't get more out of them. I don't bother straining (unless I've used a ton of leaf hops that just clog my siphon) but don't get any benefit out of leaving them in, either.