When To Add Hops?

[Conehead]

I want to add a couple of ounces of Chinook hops at flameout. If it takes me 30 minutes to cool my wort with an immersion chiller, am I really adding this final addition of hops at flameout? Should I add them just when it is ready to drain into my carboy?

 

[Poobah58]

Soon as the flame is out.

 

[Oldsock]

I usually wait until I have the chiller in and running, just so the hops don't have to sit in 210 degree wort for a few minutes. I also stir for the first few minutes of chilling to get it down the first 60 degrees or so as quickly as possible.

 

[Revvy]

I usually wait until I have the chiller in and running, just so the hops don't have to sit in 210 degree wort for a few minutes. I also stir for the first few minutes of chilling to get it down the first 60 degrees or so as quickly as possible.

????????

You want hot wort when you do your flame out addition, that's the point of doing at flame out. First the hops with get steralized (just like you add your chiller in the last 15 minutes, to kill any critters) Secondly you get isomerization of the alpha acids, so you do get some actual bitterness from them, as well as the intended aroma.

 

[Oldsock]

????????

You want hot wort when you do your flame out addition, that's the point of doing at flame out. First the hops with get steralized (just like you add your chiller in the last 15 minutes, to kill any critters) Secondly you get isomerization of the alpha acids, so you do get some actual bitterness from them, as well as the intended aroma.

If I wasn’t clear, the hops are still going in when the wort is 200+ degrees (I turn the chiller water on, and then toss the hops in immediately), so sanitation isn't an issue. Not that I’m too worried about sanitizing hops anyway (do you boil your hops before dry hopping to sanitize them?). Although the last time I did a DIPA I added 1 oz at flameout, 2 oz at the start of chilling, and 2 oz one minute into chilling.

The less time your hops spend near a boil the less of their volatile aromatics will be driven off, the small amount of IBUs gained from sitting off boil isn’t worth that to me. I think it’s easier to hit my IBUs with additions earlier in the boil, and maximize the hop aroma contribution from the flameout addition. That said, I realize professional breweries often add hops, whirlpool, rest, then chill with a heat exchanger (meaning their flameout hops are sitting hot for much longer than mine), what I’m hoping to simulate is closer to the character they get from using a hopback (hops exposed to hot wort which is rapidly cooled).