Hopbursting but keeping the bitterness low?

[butterpants]

My vision is an American Wheat beer, session strength with IBUs in the low to mid 20ies. I want it to be chock full of melon-esque hops (Pacific Gem, Hull Melon, etc) and really massive on aroma/flavor. My plan is to toss in 6oz (total not each) or so from minute 10 to whirlpool then dry hop with another 3oz for 5 gallons. Beersmith says with a 10 minute whirlpool, my IBU target is attainable.

This would be my first attempt making a beer with such a huge charge of late hops with none early yet still low IBUs. Any complications (aside from a ton of hop matter) you guys can think of with such a process?

 

[Flyboy84]

I do a lot of hop bursting in IPA'S and I like the technique. I start at about 15 min left in the boil and end at flame out for tons of flavor and aroma.

You will need some amount of bittering hops for at least 60 min or the beer won't taste right.

 

[bferullo]

I do this with my american wheat. the recipe is as follows....not much bitterness, but definite fruit/melon flavor. Makes a great summer session wheat. Even my friends who only like "big" beers really enjoy this one.

45% 2 row
45% white wheat
10% munich 10
1 lb rice hulls

30 min centennial addition (20 ibu)
10 min amarillo addition (3 ibu)

about 3/4 oz amarillo at flameout while cooling when temp is about 150 degrees (seems to get good aroma and flavor that stays and doesn't fade as fast)

any neutral yeast (i used s05)

 

[ArkotRamathorn]

For what you are attempting I think it would work perfectly.

I recently bottled a black IPA where all hops were sub 5 minutes (calculated around 75-80IBUs). It definitely has a massive hop presence in the aroma/flavor. There were no other hops added before the 5 minute remaining mark, and you can tell. There was definitely no stiff hop bitterness that I could detect (finished around 1.015 which is a tiny bit high, but not *that* high).

So for your idea, I think itll work perfect because you aren't looking for a bitter-bitterness from the hops. You will get massive hop aromas/flavors so it'll end up pretty damn tasty I bet. For a straight up IPA/DIPA/BIPA I think it leaves something to be desired as its missing that stiff bitterness you expect (even though its almost 80IBUs).

 

[butterpants]

Awesome, thanks guys.

 

[douglasbarbin]

You will need some amount of bittering hops for at least 60 min or the beer won't taste right.

Not necessarily true, if you add enough hops to get the proper number of IBUs. I just had an IPA that I entered in a local competition that was only boiled for 15 minutes, with all hop additions being either FWH or whirlpool. It is pretty good by my estimation, and it scored the highest (39 average) in its category and took honorable mention for Best-of-Show out of 40 total entries.

 

[sudbuddy]

I do this all the time and really love the technique. I have gone back to throwing a very small amount of hops in at 60 minutes to get a crisper bitterness, but I fill in most of the IBUs in the last 20 minutes. I've also found it works better with higher alpha varieties because the AA's help mask any grassy flavors you would get from having all of that plant matter in there. I tried it once with saaz on a lager and it was a grass bomb, but all of my hop forward beers with high aa hops turn out great using this technique.

 

[LKABrewer]

For a low IBU beer, you do not need any 60 minute hops. I do a pale ale with no boil hops (all whirlpool hops) it has plenty of bitterness. The bitterness is very soft but that works great in a lighter beer like a wheat.

 

[m00ps]

For the most hop flavor and aroma with little to no bitterness I would definitely recommend a giant hopstand as opposed to a hopburst. I've done beers with no hops at all while the flame is going and like 8-16oz right at flameout or after it cools to 180F or so. Its like sucking juices right out of the hops