need help with optimizing fermentation and hop flavors

[latProd]

Hi,

I'm not really a beginner, but I guess I am starting to take this hobby more seriously now. I am currently using a grainfather and 30L plastic buckets with lid with a small hole for the yeast thingy (cant remember the english for it, we call it a "yeast lock" over here) and a tap on the bottom.
I have a room which holds 64 degrees at the moment. So basically I use RO water, add gypsum; calcium chloride and 2% acidulated malt etc like several people here have taught me to do.
I then add some bittering hops 30 min before flameout, cool the mash down to about 178 and add my flavor and aroma hops, wait, then transfer to fermenter using the GF's counterflow chiller.
Pitch yeast, aerate, and stick it in a room which holds 64 degrees.
I wait about 7 days, open the lid on the fermenter and throw in my first dry hops, wait 7 more days, more dryhops again, then bottle a week later.
Is this about right? Or am I ruining my chances of getting really fruity hoppy beers by removing the lid on my fermenter several times during fermentation? I just want some feedback or maybe some advice on things I could do better, or equipment that would make a difference in a positive way. I can't afford the whole kegging thing at the moment unfortunately.

 

[oceanic_brew]

First of all 30 mins is a waste of hops. You'll get little flavor due to the hop oils "boiling off" and you'll get way more bitterness from a 60 minute hop boil. So just use less hops and boil them for 60 minutes and you'll save some money and hops.

I like the way you are handling your late additions, that's what I do and have noticed increased flavor. Although you are cooling your "wort" down not "mash" btw.

You'll find most people usually aerate the wort before pitching the yeast but I seriously doubt this has an impact either way.

I'm curious to your numbers on the mineral addition. You can certainly follow someone's directions when using RO water but it helps to know why since is easy to make a mistake. Just a thought.

You are oxidizing your beer by opening the led anytime after the first few days of fermentation. Even then it's possible. The same situation applies when thinking of aerating your wort post fermentation. Even on high gravity ales most people who aerate after 10-12 hrs will tell you it's pointless to do so past that since the yeast stop the uptake of oxygen as the cell growth slows. Any introduction of oxygen passed that point is oxygenating your beer.

If you are looking for really juicy hoppy beers at the homebrew level you need to reconsider your approach to dryhop. I would suggest not opening the lid and dry hop through the air-lock hole in the fermenter lid.

Dry hopping when there's still a few gravity points left (regardless of what I said above) has some merit. Although there's not enough o2 uptake at that point to ward off massive amounts of oxygenation the small amount introduced at this point might be scavenged.

There's the option to flush the vessel with co2 after dry hop but it's hard to completely remove a gas that's been mixed in a container like that. Although it helps.

I would suggest limiting your dry hop to 4-5 days before bottling, and do it through the air lock hole. Drink your ipa's quick as they are meant to be, limit splashing when bottling and you'll notice a difference

 

[oceanic_brew]

Also a fermenting beer could actually be at 70 in your 64 room, some yeast tolerate that but if you are looking for clean i would suggest getting that fermenting beer down to 64 at least during the primary fermentation stage and then up to room temp (68) for a couple days when it nears the last few gravity points I help the yeast clean up any unwanted fermentation byproducts

Good luck

 

[CudaJoe]

Hi,

I'm not really a beginner, but I guess I am starting to take this hobby more seriously now. I am currently using a grainfather and 30L plastic buckets with lid with a small hole for the yeast thingy (cant remember the english for it, we call it a "yeast lock" over here) and a tap on the bottom.
I have a room which holds 64 degrees at the moment. So basically I use RO water, add gypsum; calcium chloride and 2% acidulated malt etc like several people here have taught me to do.
I then add some bittering hops 30 min before flameout, cool the mash down to about 178 and add my flavor and aroma hops, wait, then transfer to fermenter using the GF's counterflow chiller.
Pitch yeast, aerate, and stick it in a room which holds 64 degrees.
I wait about 7 days, open the lid on the fermenter and throw in my first dry hops, wait 7 more days, more dryhops again, then bottle a week later.
Is this about right? Or am I ruining my chances of getting really fruity hoppy beers by removing the lid on my fermenter several times during fermentation? I just want some feedback or maybe some advice on things I could do better, or equipment that would make a difference in a positive way. I can't afford the whole kegging thing at the moment unfortunately.

I am curious about your mineral additions. You are aware that Gypsum is a source of calcium correct? Also I've never seen someone cool to 178, is this Kelvin scale (K)?

I think the bittering hop addition at 30 minutes is more of a flavoring hop addition. As the commenter above state, use less hops and boil for 60 minutes. Dry hopping would be best done if your moving to a secondary fermenter. You place the hops in the secondary and siphon your beer onto it.

 

[Biscuits]

Your process sounds more or less sound. But I think maybe you're looking at the wrong thing to fix your issue.

The way I read it, you want a hop juice bomb...correct?

This, in my humble opinion, is more a function of recipe than process. I'd say 90:10 Reciperocess.

If you are looking to get a NEIPA style juice bomb, things I have noticed to work for me are:

A good whirlpool - Add your flameout hops at around 180 degrees F and whirlpool for 20-30 or even 40 minutes.

Adding your first dry hop as fermentation begins to slow down (usually day 2 or 3).

These are just a few things that work for me, but like I said above..your recipe needs to be solid too. I also want to add my two cents about the fermentation temp thing. and again, this is my experience, I set my ferm. chamber to 66 deg. F and after I add my first dry hop charge I ramp it up slightly to 68'ish. This method combined with a healthy starter has given me the cleanest beer I've ever made...dare I say commercial quality.

 

[latProd]

Thanks for your input guys, these are exactly the things I want to figure out.
As I am brewing as we speak, I'll add the bittering hops at 60 mins and whirlpool with tons of them after that.
I have always operated with the "open the lid and throw in your hops" routine, I had no idea it was a problem. People can't seem to agree on whether its detrimental or not.. :/

When it comes to the water additions, I used this as a reference since I dont have access to a water report (it's well water)

http://www.bertusbrewery.com/2012/02/water-chemistry-how-to-build-your-water.html

So i use distilled and go from there.
the 178 degrees thing i got from some other dude on here who knows a thing or two about the grainfather. Since it's using a counterflow chiller it doesnt cool the actual wort, so the hops remain in there at near boiling temps if i add them at flameout. Therefore he suggested letting the cold wort blend with the hot until its about 178, then add my hops in to get the most out of them so to speak

 

[CudaJoe]

If you wanted some info on your well water, I know you can pick up a free water test kit at home depot. There is possibly other locations to grab them near you if home depot isnt an option.

 

[latProd]

If you wanted some info on your well water, I know you can pick up a free water test kit at home depot. There is possibly other locations to grab them near you if home depot isnt an option.

Thanks man, but home depot does not exist here in Poland, where I currently live. :/ All i know is the water is hard AF and there is a fair amount of Iron in it as well. It leaves mineral residue in everything, which is why I resort to distilled water and additions. maybe I can order from ebay?