Looking for thoughts on how and when to best use Spectrum hop oil

[BongoYodeler]

There isn't a whole lot of real world homebrew-level info on Spectrum hops that I've found, so I'm throwing this out to suss out any info I can.

I'm planning a brewing my take on the New West Coast IPA using Bru-1/Citra this weekend, and I want to include Bru-1 Spectrum hop oil. I'm leaning towards adding the Spectrum directly to the fermenter a couple/few days into active fermentation, per the following from the YVH site...

I'm thinking, with about 10 gravity points from expected fg, (as measured with my Rapt Pill) - warm up the 20g packet to lukewarm (80°- 90°f), sanitize packet and scissors, open and pour into a sanitized measuring cup with a few ounces of sterilized, cooled water and mix well with a sanitized spoon. Open the fermenter and pour it in. Close the fermenter

Here's the hop schedule I'm thinking, but looking for tips and/or opinions on how it looks based on the Spectrum hop oil.

20 min. Bru-1 T90 11.7 ibu's
20 min. Citra T90 10.4 ibu's

WP 170° 20 mins. 4oz. Citra Hop Hash 19.9 ibu's (using Citra LupoMax AA as an estimation).
WP 170° 20 mins. 1oz. Bru-1 T90 4.1 ibu's

Dry hop during active fermentation - 20g Bru-1 Spectrum hop oil. (too much?)

Cold crash to 50°f for 48 hrs.

Pressure transfer to dry hop keg with hop bong.
Free rise to 58°f
Dry hop Citra T90 3.5 oz. 2-3 days
Dry hop Bru-1 T90 1.5 oz. 2-3 days

Cold crash, then pressure transfer to serving keg.

Thoughts??

 

[BongoYodeler]

Bump

 

[BongoYodeler]

Ok then.
Just mashed in. We'll see where this goes.

 

[Hoochin'Fool]

(nothing to contribute, just hoping for updates on how it worked out for your beer)

 

[Jocky]

Sorry I missed this originally. My own experience with spectrum was that it worked really well being added in the late stages of fermentation as instructed.

If you’ve stored it cold the definitely warm the packet a bit (no more than 30c/86f though), and you can squirt it straight on top of the krausen. No need to mix it in water.

Guys at my homebrew club have tried putting it directly in the keg, and have found that it gives a pretty overwhelming grassy/unnatural flavour at first, but that gradually ages out to a strong and stable aroma.

I’d still recommend using a bit of pellet in the dry hop too, as when I’ve had spectrum on its own in a beer it was just missing something.

 

[BongoYodeler]

I forgot all about this thread that I started. My bad, as I do like coming back and updating my posts for my future reference, as well as for anyone who stumbles on this wondering the same things as I did.

So I pretty much did what @Jocky suggested. After about the mid-point of fermentation I warmed the packet of hop oil. At the same time I boiled a few ounces of freshly opened bottled spring water in a pyrex measuring cup. When it cooled to approximately 82°f I opened and added the hop oil and mixed with a clean sanitized wisk. I opened the fermenter and poured it in on top of the krausen. The end result is that it worked really well and the beer has a very nice pineapple aroma and and taste. But this was all not without some bumps along the way.

If you choose you can read all about my initial freak out here.

 

[505-Brewer]

Any thoughts on how long this can be left in the beer? Have some travel coming up and i like the idea of adding early for more fruit rather than late for dankness. Carboy fermentation so can’t dump trub. Thinking it coukd be in there two weeks u til the diacetyl rest is complete. Lager fermentation 48F up to 53-55F for DA rest.

One (20 g ? Honebrew) pack per 5-6 gallons is what is was planning. Galaxy in a NZ Pils.

Cheers!

 

[BongoYodeler]

Any thoughts on how long this can be left in the beer? Have some travel coming up and i like the idea of adding early for more fruit rather than late for dankness. Carboy fermentation so can’t dump trub. Thinking it coukd be in there two weeks u til the diacetyl rest is complete. Lager fermentation 48F up to 53-55F for DA rest.

One (20 g ? Honebrew) pack per 5-6 gallons is what is was planning. Galaxy in a NZ Pils.

Cheers!

As far as I know that shouldn't be a problem. With my setup I can't dump trub, but I can pressure-transfer off the yeast to a dry hop keg. I added the 20g packet of Bru-1 Spectrum mid-fermentation, and didn't transfer off the trub for 14 days after that. Resulting beer tasted good with a nice pineapple flavor initially, with more of the Citra flavors coming through a couple weeks later.

 

[Jocky]

Spectrum just dissolves in to the beer, so you don’t need to transfer the beer after dosing.

 

[505-Brewer]

So no concerns w grassiness with extended aging? Sounds like maybe keg hopping could be a possible application?

 

[BongoYodeler]

"So no concerns w grassiness with extended aging? Sounds like maybe keg hopping could be a possible application?"




Per this graphic from YVH, the earlier you dry hop with Spectrum the less chance of grassiness.

 

[505-Brewer]

Thanks. Was remembering it as dankness rather than grassiness. Will add it today (day 2).

 

[Jocky]

So no concerns w grassiness with extended aging? Sounds like maybe keg hopping could be a possible application?

Friends at my club that have keg hopped with spectrum say that it needs time, as at first it’s very grassy/unnatural.

 

[bwible]

I was looking at these products too - Spectrum and Incognito. Incognito is for use in the whirlpool, Spectrum is a dry hop replacement. It looks like they are primarily being marketed to breweries and the big advantage cited is more product out/less loss to hop material while bringing the same flavor and aroma. Their dosing and information is largely given in pounds per barrel replacement and measures that production breweries use.

They make little packs for homebrewers and the only measure I could find said 1 gram per liter. So I’d start with the 20 gram pack in a 5 gallon batch and see how that goes.

I’m a smaller batch brewer, mostly 3 gallons. So a 20 gram pack would be overkill. I thought I read its the equivalent of 3 oz of T-90 pellets.

 

[BongoYodeler]

Per YVH a 20g packet is roughly equivalent to between 3.5oz and 5.5oz of pellet hops, (if my math is correct).

Now, on a recent ipa I used a 20g packet of Bru-1, added to the fermenter during mid-fermentation. Additionally, as a 2nd dry hop, I also added a total of 5oz of pellet hops, (Bru-1 and Citra), post fermentation. After a week or two in the keg the beer tasted pleasant but definitely not over-hopped. If I were to brew the same recipe again I would probably double the dry hop pellet addition. I kegged this beer about 7 weeks ago, and the keg is just about kicked, but the hop flavor now is just about non-existent. Maybe I just have to drink faster. I have one more packet of Spectrum (Mosaic), so I'll adjust the hops upward on my next attempt. I wasn't blown away by the Bru-1 Spectrum hop oil, but I'm going to try the Mosaic Spectrum since I already have it, and hope for a better outcome.

 

[bwible]

I’m glad to see somebody posting experience with these.

 

[505-Brewer]

Added 20 g Galaxy spectrum to a NZ Pils. Only about 25% through fermentation but have some work conflicts so in it goes! Split batch and only 1/2 got it. I’ll follow up. Probably order more and do some variations.