Whole-cone hops & adjustments for 2.5 gallon batches

[slym2none]

I have been getting a lot (for me, anyway) of whole-cone hops recently and am curious as to how using them will affect the end-volume of my 2.5 gallon batches. I hear the whole-cone hops absorb a good bit of wort, I just don't know how much!

Can I squeeze the hops? (I plan on putting the WCH in a bag).

Should I try and brew a 3-gallon final volume batch, knowing I will lose some wort to the hops?

I know I had another question but can't think of it now... maybe it will come to me later. Regardless, any advice/info/help you all here at HBT.com can give me will be appreciated!

 

[pdog44450]

I have been getting a lot (for me, anyway) of whole-cone hops recently and am curious as to how using them will affect the end-volume of my 2.5 gallon batches. I hear the whole-cone hops absorb a good bit of wort, I just don't know how much!

Can I squeeze the hops? (I plan on putting the WCH in a bag).

Should I try and brew a 3-gallon final volume batch, knowing I will lose some wort to the hops?

I know I had another question but can't think of it now... maybe it will come to me later. Regardless, any advice/info/help you all here at HBT.com can give me will be appreciated!

I usually do 2.5 gallon batches but rarely use whole cone hops. In my experience they do absorb a good amount of wort, maybe a quarter+ of a gallon if you use an ounce or 2, but I'm just ballparking cause its really hard to know definitively. When I use pellet hops I get ridiculous amounts of trub anyway so I don't think there's too much of a difference if you are a person who leaves all the hop trub behind.

I don't know the exact link to it but I remember reading a Mr. Wizard question where he said that you should not squeeze whole cone hops because they are holding trub and other things that are better to leave behind.

If you really want you could try the 3 gallon batch just to experiment and find out how much wort the WCH will soak up so you can base future brews off of that. Worst comes to worst, you have a little more wort to ferment (or dump if you don't have the space)!

 

[slym2none]

Thanks!

 

[slym2none]

No one else has any advice they can give?

 

[joshesmusica]

Do you have beersmith?

I'm at work so I can't check until later, but I wonder if it accounts for this. I would put in a recipe with the same amounts of pellet vs whole cone and see if volumes change any.

 

[slym2none]

I don't have Beersmith, sorry. I use the free Brewer's Friend. I am cheap.

 

[joshesmusica]

No prob. I can check when I'm home, unless someone beats me to it.

 

[slym2none]

Thanks, man! I appreciate it.

 

[joshesmusica]

Well it turns out that the volume lost to trub is unaffected by the amount and type of hops because it is a set function of the equipment setup. Kinda stupid.

I did a little researching, and it doesn't seem to be much more than pellets, which will also soak up some wort. The only kind of specific number I found was from another forum, and someone said they experience about 12 oz per oz of hops used.

 

[slym2none]

Thanks again! Looks like I might need to brew up 3 gallons for my upcoming pseudo-SMaSHes, as they will use 4 ounces of whole-cone hops. But if I am just using an ounce or so, I can stick with 2.5 gallons & just expect to get one bottle less.

I am thinking with pellets, they settle to the bottom when I cold-crash, and whole cones will behave differently.

I really appreciate you taking your time for my question!

 

[radwizard]

I do half batches too, and use both pellets and cones. I really don't think there is much difference at the end between pellets or cones. I don't bag the cones, but do strain them out and squeeze them at the end. You do lose a bit of volume from absorption with the cones, but it really isn't that much more.
I also do three gallon batches, and end up closer to 2.7 when it is all said and done. I know how it is, when you are doing half batches you want to get as much outta it as you can!