Whirlpool hop additions - effect on aroma/bitterness

[hetyu]

Hey - help me out please, Im totally confused with how whirlpool effecting hop aroma and bitterness.
I can not understand an aspect and no matter how much I google for it...

According to what I read the whirlpool hop additives are tend to increase the hop flavour/aroma - compared to the flameout additions. Also, this is a major tool used by comemrcial craft breweries as well.

So, when I turn off the heating and the wort stops boiling it is around 210F/99C where isomaration (and bittering - especially with hops with high cohumulone content). I know if I cool it below ~158F/70C then I can extract precious hop oils but above this temp the majority of these are destroyed and bitterness is created for a certain level. As I also understand whirlpool (especially in breweris) are way above 158F/70C and last around an hour.

So what is the detail that I'm missing? How breweries ensure that their brew is not overbitter during whirlpool and how there whirlpool additions incrase hop aroma?

Thanks for enlighting me - Cheers

 

[FunkedOut]

I believe the method would be to add the whirlpool additions below your ~158*F number.
I have read 170*F referenced as well.

 

[Smellyglove]

I don't think you're missing anything. That's just the way the breweries you've read about do it. You're a homebrewer, you don't need to copy the procedures of commercial breweries. Do what you feel like, and experiment, suddenly you'll find "your way".

 

[Gnomebrewer]

Breweries add hops at whirlpool because they (most?) have to do a whirlpool so that the hop material doesn't block their plate chiller. Therefore, their whirlpool is at close to boiling temperatures. Their recipes are refined over many, many batches so the bitterness is exactly where they want it including the bitterness from whirlpool. I.e, it is from experiment and practice, not theoretical bitterness. Commercial whirlpools typically lasts for 20mins or so, so is a logical time to add late hops. To my tastes, a whirlpool isn't significantly different (at homebrew level) to a flameout to 5min hop addition (but I'm not a hophead). Many breweries are now adding hops by pumping through a hop-back rather than whirlpool hopping - I think this does give a bigger and cleaner hop flavour and aroma, and may be better represented at homebrew level with a cooler (say, 170F) whirlpool addition. Again, I'm not a huge fan of massive hopping though!

 

[jalc6927]

Also studies show whirlpool at 120 may work better

I’ve not done this as I’m one of the few who don’t like hoppy beers

Experimental brewing and brulosophy podcasts have done numerous experiments with this

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I'm not expert and I like to think of things in as simple a manner as possible. I tend to look at hop additions as a spectrum. The longer above 170, the more bitterness and less flavor aroma. As you decrease exposure to temps that allow isomerization and boil off flavors and aroma, you slide down the spectrum to less bitterness and more flavor and aroma. I also believe (just my intuition), that, while a 200 degree addition allows isomerization, it does not boil off flavor and aroma. In other words, it's kinda the best of both worlds.

Until I'm a commercial brewer, or at least brewing batches that drive me to a more commercial-like process, I don't care much how they do it.

Given my thoughts, for hoppy IPA's, depending on style I may not have any early boil additions. All IBU's come from the last 5 minutes through FO, followed by a 170 degree WP addition and, ultimately, dry hopping. For NEIPAs I've had amazing results getting really great beers of that style with excellent hop flavor, intoxicating aroma, and a bitterness that fits really well with the style.

For more traditional IPA's, I'll do a FWH, greatly reduce the 5 min - WP additions, and do a smaller dry hop as well.