How do you Calculate Hop Utilization for Late Additions?

[superslomo]

So, if you are working on late additions of DME or LME at the 15 minute mark, how do you approximate how the hops will be utilized? Brew calculus doesn't differentiate between 0 minute additions as "late" versus 15 minute boils as "late." The best I can think of is just running the numbers both on 60 minutes with all extract, and 15 minutes with all extract and hoping that I've got it right...

Any suggestions?

Main plan here is I'd like to do as light a coloration as possible, making a beer that I'm hoping will appeal to some family members who have said everything is too dark, too strong, and so on.

I know, I can just stock coors lite in the fridge, but the challenge is kind of appealing on its own

 

[unionrdr]

I'm not much for using calculus to brew,so I just learned what works & what's over the top. Even my APA isn't that hoppy with 2oz at 20 minutes. Just didn't use stronger,higher AA% hops. I used US Perle & Czech Saaz for instance. I added the Perle @ 20 minutes,the Saaz @ 10 or 12 minutes.
That made for some nice flavors that weren't a frontal assault on the tongue.
It sounds like that's what you wanna give them.
Sorry it took so long to speak up,had to think about it after so many other crises today. My head hurts. Need a beer soon.

 

[edmanster]

My home process for a normal gravity (1.040-1.060) at 60 min is 30%, at 30 min I drop it to 15% so you can see my personal trend is halving it as I go timewise..

 

[unionrdr]

I take 20 or 25 minutes total & divide by how many hop additions I'm doing,if more than two to get equal addition times for the total amount being added.

 

[broadbill]

I'm not sure I'd worry about it. The gravity of the wort will affect hop utilization, but you may not be able to taste the difference either way. Just to be safe though, most folks who do late-addition DME will put 1/3-1/2 of their DME in at the beginning of the boil and add the rest at the end.

As an aside, have you thought about making a blonde and or cream ale for these non-craft beer drinking folks? The reason I ask is that you can make some nice, refreshing, low-hop bitterness brews for them instead of moving more of your hops to a later addition. Chances are they aren't going to appreciate the hop flavor and/or aroma either!

 

[unionrdr]

That's why I made my suggestion. Not very hoppy,like "C" hops & the like,but rather noble hops that lend some pleasant notes that aren't over powering at all.

 

[superslomo]

I was planning on doing an extra pale ale...

Ballparking on the figures on this, but thinking of possibly using that super San Diego White Labs yeast, 6 pounds of pilsen LME, steeping a half-pound or so of carapils for head and some body/mouthfeel, and enough hop additions to just give it a little zing.

The thing I was trying to figure out was whether adding the LME late would mean that I would get lighter color, which for these folks would make all the difference in the world, but I can't figure out how to calculate the IBUs if I add the LME with 15 minutes to go on the boil.

Either that or possibly I can just do a full boil for 30 minutes instead of the full 60...

I want other folks to enjoy it, but I don't want to necessarily hate it myself...

 

[unionrdr]

Steep the grains,& remove them. I like to sparge'em anyway. Bring to a boil to get through hot break,& add half the malt. Do your hop additions,then add the remaining LME at the end,stir,& steep with the lid on for 15 minutes or so. It'll still be plenty hot enough to sanitize whatever might be in there. The late malt additions will give lighter color,& cleaner flavor. I like to use plain DME in the boil for hop additions,then add LME's at the end for this reason.

 

[superslomo]

interesting. so, no need to really get the wort back to a boil after that last LME addition??

 

[unionrdr]

No,it's plenty hot enough to sanitize itself with the lid on at that point. Always works for me.

 

[johnbrain]

So if i partial mash and LME goes in at zero minutes, I won't need to recalculate my hops additions? I've seen various strategies but like the KISS principle.

 

[unionrdr]

Well,it depends on if you use both DME & LME in your recipe. Do your steep or PM first,bring to boil,get through hot break,then add 1.5lbs of a 3 lb bag of plain DME. do hop additions. Then at flame out,add remaining DME & all the LME. You'll get good utilization in a aprtial boil this way,lighter color & cleaner flavor.

 

[brtisbuck]

Try this recipe if you are looking to satisfy a BMC drinker. I didn't find it to taste like Miller Lite, but it is light for an ale. Many I've served this to enjoyed it. I brew the extract version and sub crystal hops for the hallertauer. It makes it seam a little more crisp with an ever so slight grapefruit note that fades with age. Be sure to hit or get close as possible to 17 IBU.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f62/miller-lite-really-triple-hopped-123937/