Wet hop advice

[JBeuchs]

Hello all. I grew hops (cascade and centennial) for the first time this year. As a first season yield, I am pleasantly surprised to get a yield of somewhere in the 2lb range for 4 plants (2 of each). I am planning upon harvest time to brew a wet hopped IPA of which I already have a rough draft recipe. I am planning on using pellets for bittering and then use the wet hops for late boil additions. My question is, as I have read several opinions on the matter, what have all of you with experience found to be the most successful ratio of wet hops as compared to dry? I have read anywhere from 5 to 10:1. Given the fact that I can only brew this way once a year I am trying desperately not to screw it up. Thanks in advance for the info... CHEERS!

 

[PDX_T]

Here's a link I found:

http://www.uvm.edu/extension/cropsoil/wp-content/uploads/Hop_harvest_fact_sheet.pdf


Seems that fresh hops is about 77% moisture, dry is about 10% moisture. Invert those for 23% dry matter and 90% dry matter. If you wanted 1 oz dry, it would contain .9 oz dry matter. To get the same amount of dry matter in fresh hops, you would need 0.9/0.23 = 3.9 oz.

Work that backward, and you have 3.9 oz of fresh hops X .23 dry matter = 0.9 oz dry matter. Make sense?

So the ratio based on dry matter is about 4. There may be some reason to use more, but I would not use less.

I've also seen suggestions of anywhere between 4-8 times the dry weight.

Happy brewing!

 

[JBeuchs]

Here's a link I found:

http://www.uvm.edu/extension/cropsoil/wp-content/uploads/Hop_harvest_fact_sheet.pdf


Seems that fresh hops is about 77% moisture, dry is about 10% moisture. Invert those for 23% dry matter and 90% dry matter. If you wanted 1 oz dry, it would contain .9 oz dry matter. To get the same amount of dry matter in fresh hops, you would need 0.9/0.23 = 3.9 oz.

Work that backward, and you have 3.9 oz of fresh hops X .23 dry matter = 0.9 oz dry matter. Make sense?

So the ratio based on dry matter is about 4. There may be some reason to use more, but I would not use less.


I've also seen suggestions of anywhere between 4-8 times the dry weight.

Happy brewing!

I have to admit, I had to read your formulas a couple times, but it does make perfect sense. It seems that most of the information I had read recommends about a 5:1 ratio which would be consistent with your numbers. I appreciate it!!

 

[stpug]

I've gone about 5:1 or 6:1 wet to dry on previous fresh hopped beers (only two under my belt) and both were good. For an IPA, you're better off putting in too much flavor and aroma then not enough (I'd err on the side of 6:1).

 

[jonboygentry]

This may be dumb but when you say 5:1 and 6:1, is that 5 ounces of fresh wet hops to 1 ounces of pellet hops?

 

[Johnnyhitch1]

This may be dumb but when you say 5:1 and 6:1, is that 5 ounces of fresh wet hops to 1 ounces of pellet hops?

5 or 6 times the amount you would use dryhops in a particular recipe.

 

[stpug]

What Johnnyhitch1 said, but I'd actually be comparing whole wet hops to whole dry hops (as opposed to pellet) but the difference in late additions will be negligible for the most part.