Late hop addition ideas

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sipNswirl

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Hello, I've been using a system that requires a whirlpool so my 0min additions are steeping in the hot wort for 30 minutes until i start chilling...maybe 60 min until the kettle is empty.
all of my beer is lacking aroma so I'm wondering how to fix that. I usually use pellet hops so dry hopping is probably the best way, but i still like the late addition on the hot side, right before chilling.
i pump my wort from the kettle through a counter flow chiller and out a 3/8 hose. I'm trying to think of an easy hopback-type solution but pellets seem to get pretty gunky and clog things up. any suggestions?
 
You could try hot hop filtering the wort while it's on it's way to the chiller.
Take a small container (I use baby food jar) drill two 5/16 holes in the lid.
Should be a very tight fit for your 3/8 hose to fit through..
Fill the jar with your aroma hops.
Stick the hose coming out of your kettle in one hole, and come out the other with another hose.
This allows the hops to act as a semi filter for the wort while it is still hot.
The hose that is exiting the jar, obviously goes straight to your chiller.

I don't know if this a real, widely used procedure, or if I made it up.
But it works like magic. I wouldn't use pellets for this though.. They will break down and clog your chiller. Whole hops are the way to go.

Hope this helps,
 
Don't toss the flameout hops in until the wort has cooled down somewhat.
 
cool thanks for the tips. I like the jar idea for whole hops, but would have to retrofit the system a bit to put it in-line before the chiller. I wonder what the difference would be if I did that after the wort has been through the chiller and going into the fermenter. I don't get whole hops often so I'm really trying to come up with a solution for pellet hops.
I was also thinking about adding them after the 15min whirlpool and 15 min rest, right before starting to chill. Seems like I'd get a lot of hop material in the fermenter as the point of the WP is to seperate the hops, but would accomplish the mission i suppose. I'm not usually too worried if some material gets through.
thanks again!
 
The thing I forgot to mention about the jar process.. Is that once all my wort is transfered I put the jar in the freezer. Once the jar freezes, take the solid chunks and pitch into primary fermenter. The hop ice melts slowly into the wort and adds aroma nice and slow.
This method has allowed me to get outstanding hop aroma and even hidden flavors that hops have to offer.. It has helped me to distinguish hop varieties from each other with great ease.
 
The thing I forgot to mention about the jar process.. Is that once all my wort is transfered I put the jar in the freezer. Once the jar freezes, take the solid chunks and pitch into primary fermenter. The hop ice melts slowly into the wort and adds aroma nice and slow.
This method has allowed me to get outstanding hop aroma and even hidden flavors that hops have to offer.. It has helped me to distinguish hop varieties from each other with great ease.

So I could do this with a quart mason jar, and then pour the liquid into ice trays and freeze? Sounds like a fun experiment!
 
I did this recently and just threw all my hops in a big mesh bag that I used to use for steeping grains. clipped it to a handle of the kettle and that worked pretty well for me. Hadn't had problems with pellet hops going through the pump previously but leaf hops definitely will clog my hoses.

anyway, i was very happy with the whole hop-sack solution.
 
prrriiide said:
So I could do this with a quart mason jar, and then pour the liquid into ice trays and freeze? Sounds like a fun experiment!

Yes, I usually do it with large baby food jars, but I imagine you could use any type of jar that can be sealed. It really is a great way to get that fresh hop flavor into your beer. I like the ice cube tray idea. Sometimes I do have a little trouble getting the frozen hops out of the jar. I just thought if it stays in the jar, its less likely to get contaminated. I'm sure it'll be fine though.
Let me know how it works out.
 
I like the idea of freezing the jar and using it later. I bet if i put a filter in the jar too, i could use pellet hops. might be a slow process but could work...

just a side thought. what is the difference in aroma/flavour between say a 0min addition and dry hopping? I would assume dry hopping is a bolder, more fresh result. like maybe i should just be dry hopping all my beers for the aroma addition and just keep my pprocess the same.
 
You could build a simple hop back style situation. I was actually just discussing this with a friend, If you got a big enough jar you could drill holes in the lid and put hose fittings on there to get a better seal, although the simple tight fit method might be just as good.
To the jar idea, do you end up with leaking issues?
 
I haven't had leak issues yet, but I see how continued use might cause some leaking.
Hose fittings are a good idea as well.
 
Thanks for all the ideas. I'm going to start thinking about making a hopback with a jar. I figure if i got a big enough container I can put the pellet hops in a bag, in the jar to help with containing the material. If the jar is big enough there should be enough liquid to keep things flowing.
The system I am using is the 60L pilot system from the local Brewery here in town. They have generously lent it to me as they are too busy to be playing around with new recipes right now. It is modelled very closely to their full size plant so the procedure on brew day is very similar. When I asked the brewer what he would do to increase aroma he simply said "dry hop it"....too easy!
 
If you have time check out this thread...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/how-get-best-hop-aroma-flameout-additions-213803/

It discusses putting hops in the kettle after flameout (so wort is not boiling) and let sit 20-30 min or so before cooling in order to get more hop aroma. One person did an experiment comparing this method to the standard flameout hops + rapid cool and posted the results. Since you have to wait anyway, you could just add hops AFTER flameout to get the benefit of a hopback-type device without having to build one.

that...and dry hop.
 
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