Hop tea in Secondary?

[Smitty]

Hello all. I'm currently doing a Coopers Cerveza kit and would like to jazz it up a little bit by adding a hop tea. I'm just wondering if anyone has any thoughts on which would be better, adding the tea to secondary a few days before bottling or adding to the bottling bucket the day of bottling. It's a 23 litre batch and I'm planning on making a 1 litre hop tea using 1 oz of Citra hops. TIA.

 

[deuc224]

Do you bottle or keg?

 

[Smitty]

Do you bottle or keg?

Bottle

 

[Alan Reginato]

Bottle

Try this. High proof alcohol plus hops, 3 hours, filter, than add directly to the bottle. Just test before, to know how much.
I use 4 g to 200 ml. And add 2 to 4 ml each bottle. Sounds like madness... But works.

 

[Dgallo]

Try this. High proof alcohol plus hops, 3 hours, filter, than add directly to the bottle. Just test before, to know how much.
I use 4 g to 200 ml. And add 2 to 4 ml each bottle. Sounds like madness... But works.

If he’s bottling he can just add it to the batch at bottling and avoid the excess effort of syringing each bottle.

@Smitty why are you choosing a hop tea instead of dryhoping If the beer is still the fermenter

 

[Alan Reginato]

If he’s bottling he can just add it to the batch at bottling and avoid the excess effort of syringing each bottle.

Because it's easy to overdose and he could try different quantities each bottle or even different hops.

 

[Dgallo]

Because it's easy to overdose and he could try different quantities each bottle or even different hops.

I guess but what he is talking about is 1oz of centennial, as someone who dryhops at 1.5 - 2.25 oz/gal, a tincture made with only 1 oz certainly wouldn’t be too much for the batch, theoretically it would actually be easier to overdose a bottle.

Your second point makes sense but doesn’t seem like it pertains to this situation

 

[Smitty]

If he’s bottling he can just add it to the batch at bottling and avoid the excess effort of syringing each bottle.

@Smitty why are you choosing a hop tea instead of dryhoping If the beer is still the fermenter

It's my first time trying it and read that putting into the fermenter blows off any arome/flavor with the C02.

 

[Smitty]

I appreciate your time and your input gentlemen. I'll let you know how it turns out!

 

[Dgallo]

It's my first time trying it and read that putting into the fermenter blows off any arome/flavor with the C02.

That’s only if you dryhop during active fermentation. Dryhoping after fermentation will NOT blow off any aroma. The concern for post fermentation dryhoping is increased oxidation risk, however this is more of a concern with heavy hoploads, not with the small amount you’d be planning. Making a hop tea is also increasing any oxidation risk and so is transferring to a secondary fermenter. I believe your vest choice would be Dryhoping as it will give you the best hop character. There is a reason the best of the best hoppy beer breweries are not using ethanol based hop extracts, it’s because they aren’t as clean as they can also extract non desirable plant compounds.

 

[Smitty]

That’s only if you dryhop during active fermentation. Dryhoping after fermentation will NOT blow off any aroma. The concern for post fermentation dryhoping is increased oxidation risk, however this is more of a concern with heavy hoploads, not with the small amount you’d be planning. Making a hop tea is also increasing any oxidation risk and so is transferring to a secondary fermenter. I believe your vest choice would be Dryhoping as it will give you the best hop character. There is a reason the best of the best hoppy beer breweries are not using ethanol based hop extracts, it’s because they aren’t as clean as they can also extract non desirable plant compounds.

Thanks for the info. Something to consider.