Question about sparge hop addition

[VanHolton]

There's a delicious looking CDA recipe in the new issue of Zymurgy and it calls for 4.25oz of Columbus during the sparge. If I'm batch sparging, I'm guessing I won't get decent utilization vs fly sparging, but I don't have the equipment to fly sparge. Is there a work around, or should I just let my batch sparge sit for a half hour or so? It doesn't specify in the recipe to fly sparge, I'm just assuming because of the hop addition. Anyone done this before?

 

[dcp27]

I'd just toss them in the first runnings while you're batch sparging. How big is this batch cuz that's a huge FWH.

 

[wyzazz]

Sounds like First Wort Hopping to me as well, and that is a lot of hops for FWH.

 

[VanHolton]

Actually, there's FWH in this recipe as well.... 1.4oz Simcoe. Can't wait to brew this! Oh, and it's a 5.5 gallon batch.

 

[wildwest450]

Kinda sounds like a waste of 4oz of hops. It doesn't take all that long to sparge, I've mashed hopped before and the benefits were negligible.


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[COLObrewer]

Actually, there's FWH in this recipe as well.... 1.4oz Simcoe. Can't wait to brew this! Oh, and it's a 5.5 gallon batch.

I would save all these FWH/sparge hops and throw them in the kettle at 10 min's - flameout. That's a lot of hops for little effect, but then it may be the barrier between "awesome" beer and "orgasmic" beer? Or, "shatty" beer and "drinkable" beer?

Keep on brewing my friends

 

[wyzazz]

Any chance you could post the recipe, or link to the recipe/article online? I'm curious to see what anticipated affects of the "Sparge Hops" are.

 

[wyzazz]

For those who are curious here's the recipe, it came to me from an unknown source .

5.5 gal

10.5 lbs 2-Row
1.1 lb Munich
.7 lb Wheat malt
1 lb Crystal 40L
1.1 lb Weyermann Carafa special II
4.25 oz Columbus pellets (sparge)
1.4 oz Simcoe pellets 12.2% (FWH)
1.6 oz Magnum pellets 12.8% (60 min)
.9 oz Simcoe pellets 12.8% (60 min)
1.15 oz Amarillo pellets 8.4% (30 min)
.9 oz Cascade pellets 5% (15 min)
.9 oz Cascade pellets 5% (2 min)
1.75 oz Cascade pellets 5% (flame out)
4.25 oz Amarillo whole hops 8.4% (dry hop)

Wyeast 1056 American Ale

Efficiency 80%
OG 1.076
FG 1.011
IBUs (analyzed, not calculated) 94

Single infusion mash at 152 degrees until converted. Boil 75 minutes. Ferment at 70-72 degrees, transfer and age at 64 degrees for 8 days before kegging. Dry hop with 4.25 oz Amarillo whole hops.

 

[dcp27]

Is it possible the the sparge hops are supposed to act as a filter bed or kinda like a pre-boil hop-back or something?

 

[COLObrewer]

This is reduced from a professional/commercial brewery recipe. Just my 2 cents, it would have more impact in a larger batch size, no?

Keep on brewing my friends

 

[wyzazz]

I have to think that it would be just like "hop bursting" giving an @$$load of flavor/aroma.

 

[VanHolton]

Well, I agree with wyzazz. As expensive an addition as it may be, I'm going to try it before I start changing the recipe around. I can't imagine they'd just flush that much columbus down the toilet.... metaphorically speaking.

 

[SumnerH]

I would save all these FWH/sparge hops and throw them in the kettle at 10 min's - flameout.

If you do that you'll lose a lot of IBUs; FWH in a 60 minute boil adds about 10% more IBUs than a 60-minute addition. See, e.g., http://www.beertown.org/events/hbc/presentations/2008/DennyConn.pdf page 32.

 

[VanHolton]

I brewed this today. It went really well! What I did for the sparge hop addition was throw all the columbus into the sparge water as it was heating up. I batch sparge, so when the temp was right, I dumped the whole bit of it into the grain and stirred. I let it sit for about ten minute, vourlauf, drain... you know the drill.

My LHBS apparently also sells pellets in half oz quantities. I didn't notice that one of my bags of Columbus was only half oz until I was ready to open them up. Damn! Oh well... I guess when you're buying 18oz of hops all at once (for this one batch!!), these things can happen.

Oh, the post boil hydrometer sample was friggin' awesome! None of my IPAs have ever tasted this full and bitter! I'm so psyched! I'm totally sold on FWHing now, too, BTW...

 

[COLObrewer]

If you do that you'll lose a lot of IBUs; FWH in a 60 minute boil adds about 10% more IBUs than a 60-minute addition. See, e.g., http://www.beertown.org/events/hbc/presentations/2008/DennyConn.pdf page 32.

Correct you are, I was assuming with it being an IPA, that there are plenty more bittering additions, but maybe not.

Keep on brewing my friends

 

[dstar26t]

I would have put them in the mash for the entire mash. I've done this many times, usually .5-2oz for a 12 gallon batch depending on the style. If you don't believe it does something, try it and taste the wort coming out of the mash tun.

 

[VanHolton]

Just to update, this beer is the best beer I have ever drank in my whole life. Unbelievable. 'Nuff said.

 

[wyzazz]

Just to update, this beer is the best beer I have ever drank in my whole life. Unbelievable. 'Nuff said.

Glad it turned out well, I may have to try this out soon!