Hops in Primary fermentation?

[max-the-knife]

I brewed my first lager 2 weeks ago. When I chilled my wort and poured it into my primary fermentator, I did not strain out the hops (I never have for that matter) and left it in the primary. I checked the gravity at day 12 and it was finished with fermentation and was a nice light color and tasted good. I racked to my 2ndary Saturday, day 14, and the beer is now a darker color and has a somewhat stronger flavor that 2 day earlier. Question, does leaving the hops in the secondary for 2 weeks add additonal colors and flavors?

 

[HotbreakHotel]

Did you mean leaving the hops in the primary for two weeks? I'm thinking you probably didn't rack them to the secondary with the beer.

In my experience leaving the hops in doesn't make the beer darker, but it can affect flavor in a really low hopped beer like hefe or something.

 

[defenestrate]

like hotbreak said, i doubt you actually racked the hops over. flavors changed day to day earlier in the fermentation for sure, so i would credit that just to the process.

in the future i would use either a hop bag during the boil or try to keep them out of your fermenter by some other means.

 

[Shoemaker]

The hops will really not leave any extra taste by throwing them into the primary with your wort. I do it all the time. It will just settle to the bottom.