Haven’t brewed a lager in about 10 years, so I’m going to resurrect ghosts from the lager chamber and brew a Czech Amber Lager.
Since performing big post-boil whirlpool hop additions in my IPA’s, I never did when I brewed lagers, it was not a hot thing 10 years ago.
I’m doing a 5 gallon batch and bittering with Perle and Saaz, and would like to add 2 oz of Saaz Pellets for a 20 min whirlpool at around 170-180F.
Anyone try this in lagers? I’m fermenting with Omega Pilsner I, and yes, double decoction mashing all the way.
I’ve whirlpool hopped a Pilsner. It worked really well. You do have to account for additional bittering from that amount of hops for that amount of time at those temps. I would suggest utilizing a brewing program so you don’t make an overly bitter beer.
I did a whirlpool in a lager I have on tap now it’s not the clearest lager I’ve ever made. Not sure if the whirlpool made the difference but next time I’ll go back to rapid chill
Thanks for the replies. I’ve had hazy and plain cloudy beers in my whirlpool hopped IPA’s. I’ve done batch after batch with the standard Czech hopping regimen: first wort, bittering, then 20 min addition, and never got any hop character. Heck, maybe that 20 min addition is the whirlpool hops they haven’t told us about!
I have to say, that the amount of time lager seems to make a difference to me. I think after lagering, then dry hopping your lager will achieve what you are trying to find. Sneezles61
I’m also contemplating a Saaz hop tea with a small measure of DME at bottling. Unfortunately I don’t have a kegging system anymore, so I may carefully mix in a hop tea and use corn sugar tabs to carbonate.
My whirlpooled IPAs clear up just as well as any others. it’s usually the dry hop that takes a little longer but even those clear eventually with cold storage.
Are you just trying to get more aroma?
Flavor and aroma. Since brewing so many ipa’s over the last 8-10 years, I’m going to try the whirlpool hop addition and not dry hop to avoid grassy vegetable flavor. Ever dry hopped with Saaz, but I don’t think it fares as well as other variaties when used as a dry hop.
Never dryhopped with Saaz, sorry
I’ve never gotten much flavor contribution from whirlpool hops. Personally, I don’t think the aroma from whirlpooled hops is as stable and long lasting as the aroma gained from late boil hopbursting and dry hopping. I’ve also never experienced any grassy vegetal flavor from dry hopping. I dry hop all my IPAs and typically leave the hops in the keg until it kicks.
If you’re dead set against dry hopping it, I’d try something like 1/2 ounce at 10,8,5,2 and flameout. Just MHO. I think you’re right though, it’s a very mildly aromatic hop so it will take a lot to get big aroma. That’s why I’d go the hopburst route.
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And try dry hopping with another German hop. I’ve had good success with Shapir.
