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Cooler Steeping

Ingredients
#1

I almost always steep hops when I brew and I read somewhere how different oils in the hops that lend to aroma and flavor can still be depleted in higher temperature worts e.g. directly after flameout. The first time that I steeped hops the recipe contained 100% cascade and from the article I read (and can no longer find) I was informed that the dominant oil in that particular hop can be depleted in temps over or around 150-160F. I normally cool my wort down to 160F before I add my steeping addition and while I am not a long seasoned brewer I can tell a huge difference over only flameout additions.

I am curious if anyone else has practiced this (or other) steeping techniques or can lead me to an article/forum with an in depth approach to steeping hops. All I normally find do not contain methods of slightly cooling wort before adding hops.

I am also curious about re-figuring my IBU contribution with the cooler steeping technique as I would imagine I am not adding as much bitterness as calculated by my brewing software.

#2

[quote=“SkyHigh”]I almost always steep hops when I brew and I read somewhere how different oils in the hops that lend to aroma and flavor can still be depleted in higher temperature worts e.g. directly after flameout. The first time that I steeped hops the recipe contained 100% cascade and from the article I read (and can no longer find) I was informed that the dominant oil in that particular hop can be depleted in temps over or around 150-160F. I normally cool my wort down to 160F before I add my steeping addition and while I am not a long seasoned brewer I can tell a huge difference over only flameout additions.

I am curious if anyone else has practiced this (or other) steeping techniques or can lead me to an article/forum with an in depth approach to steeping hops. All I normally find do not contain methods of slightly cooling wort before adding hops.

I am also curious about re-figuring my IBU contribution with the cooler steeping technique as I would imagine I am not adding as much bitterness as calculated by my brewing software.[/quote]

If you’re adding the hops after the boil, they shouldn’t be adding any IBUs.

So what huge differences do you notice adding at 160?

#3

Well IMO the main difference is that a stronger hop aroma/flavor is obtained from steeping over a flameout addition. Also if I am correct I think the software I use assumes that I am going to be chilling the wort right after I add the flameout/0 boil hops so no measurable bitterness would be added where as with the steeping technique of adding the hops after boil and letting them set at higher temps a noticeable amount of bitterness will be added to the wort.

#4

Just came across this article from BYO. Not as in depth as the one I read previously but gives examples of steeping at cooler temps. This one helps me with figuring IBU contribution from hop stands.

http://byo.com/stories/issue/item/2808-hop-stands

Anyone else have any links/info please let me know.

#5

[quote=“SkyHigh”]Just came across this article from BYO. Not as in depth as the one I read previously but gives examples of steeping at cooler temps. This one helps me with figuring IBU contribution from hop stands.

http://byo.com/stories/issue/item/2808-hop-stands

Anyone else have any links/info please let me know.[/quote]

Nice article, especially the part saying more flavor was imparted by the hop stand whereas dry hopping had a larger affect not he aroma. Good to know.

#6

[quote=“Meerts”][quote=“SkyHigh”]Just came across this article from BYO. Not as in depth as the one I read previously but gives examples of steeping at cooler temps. This one helps me with figuring IBU contribution from hop stands.

http://byo.com/stories/issue/item/2808-hop-stands

Anyone else have any links/info please let me know.[/quote]

Nice article, especially the part saying more flavor was imparted by the hop stand whereas dry hopping had a larger affect not he aroma. Good to know.[/quote]

Very good article and timely for me since I was trying to decide whether to hop stand or DH an IPA I’m brewing later today…

Sounds like I’ll do both…

Anyone disagree with the statement “more flavor was imparted by the hop stand whereas dry hopping had a larger affect on the aroma.”

what’s been your experience?

#7

[quote=“dannyboy58”]

Very good article and timely for me since I was trying to decide whether to hop stand or DH an IPA I’m brewing later today…

Sounds like I’ll do both…

Anyone disagree with the statement “more flavor was imparted by the hop stand whereas dry hopping had a larger affect on the aroma.”

what’s been your experience?[/quote]

The cooler HS’s (most times 60+ minutes) will add more aroma IMO than just doing a flameout addition but no where near what DH is going to contribute. With an IPA I would think there isn’t any getting around a DH addition.

Some of my session pale ales I do not DH anymore as I want to cut back on hop usage for beers me and my buds are sucking down on a weekday. I did my standard APA last time that uses columbus, centennial and cascade for bitterness/flavor and, as an experiment, I did not cool the wort down before the HS and the bitterness was much higher than I anticipated. This was the 5th time I brewed this recipe with little change outside of the hop bill and my favorite one so far, in the flavor category, was where I had a 60 min hop addition and nothing else until a 60 min-160F HS.

#8

A hop stand is the only way I can get anywhere near the hop flavor I want out of an IPA. Everything else just falls short. Hop aroma is good from a hop stand, but it’s different (and less) than what you get from dry hops. But the flavor contribution is massive.

I find that dry hops add flavor as well, but again it is different (and less) than the flavor you get from boil hops. (Please note that I use 1-2oz of dry hops per gallon, YMMV at lesser amounts)

#9

According to Gordon Strong, you Do get bitterness from knockout/zero-minute hop additions. Sadly, I don’t think any brewing programs account for this.

#10

unless you know your utilization, those programs are pretty incorrect about your actual IBU anyway (and probably way too high of an estimate)

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