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Date: 16 Oct 2006 17:40:52
From: Sheheryar
Subject: Blending beer advice/boiling hops first mistake
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Hi
I made an extract ale using Coopers Real Ale hopped extract 3.75lbs and
3.3 lbs of Muntons Extra light syrup. The mistake I made was to add
1.5 oz of Tetnanger 3.9%AA to boiling water (full volume) for half and
hour, added the extract and boiled for another half and hour. No
adjuncts were added. It has resulted in a beer that is too bitter for
the sweetness -- completely out of balance. Thus I have done the
following: I made an unhopped 2.5 gal batch of Muntons Extra Light
syrup (added an oz of cascade for aroma) and it is currently fermenting
in WLP 001 (the same used for the earlier batch). Currently the first
batch is in a corny and I would like to add this mini batch to it (I
will probably dispose of half of the first batch before doing so
ofcourse). What would be the best way to do the transfer? Should I
simply wait until it is done fermenting and siphon it to the bottom of
the keg with minimal disturbance?
Also, I would not have expected such intense bitterness from this level
of hopping but the ph from the plain water must have resulted in too
much being extracted. For unhopped extracts, would hopping similar to
this work better? Generally I do all grain but an incredibly busy
schedule has forced me to go the extract group. Did the bitterness get
this character also because no additional caramel malt was added (i.e
would half a pound have resulted in a more balanced beer?
Any advice here would be appreciated. Thanks.
Sheheryar
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Date: 17 Oct 2006 14:47:22
From: John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
Subject: Re: Blending beer advice/boiling hops first mistake
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On 16 2006 17:40:52 -0700, <sheheryarhasnain@hotmail.com > wrote:
> Currently the first
> batch is in a corny and I would like to add this mini batch to it (I
> will probably dispose of half of the first batch before doing so
> ofcourse). What would be the best way to do the transfer? Should I
> simply wait until it is done fermenting and siphon it to the bottom of
> the keg with minimal disturbance?
I'd wait until the 2.5 gallon batch is completely fermented, and then just
siphon it to the keg. Once you get the keg sealed up with a little bit
of pressure in it, you can shake it up a bit to make sure it's all
distributed evenly.
> Also, I would not have expected such intense bitterness from this level
> of hopping but the ph from the plain water must have resulted in too
> much being extracted. For unhopped extracts, would hopping similar to
> this work better? Generally I do all grain but an incredibly busy
> schedule has forced me to go the extract group. Did the bitterness get
> this character also because no additional caramel malt was added (i.e
> would half a pound have resulted in a more balanced beer?
Boiling hops in plain water is usually not a good idea. Hops contain tannins
just like grains do. The pH of water is wrong, and you'll leach a lot of the
tannins from the hops and end up with a relatively harsh flavor. IMO, it's
a good idea to boil your hops in wort, not water. IOW add the extract to
the water first, and then boil the hops in it.
John.
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Date: 18 Oct 2006 06:16:03
From: Great Duo Brewing
Subject: Re: Blending beer advice/boiling hops first mistake
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John 'Shaggy' Kolesar wrote:
> On 16 2006 17:40:52 -0700, <sheheryarhasnain@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > Currently the first
> > batch is in a corny and I would like to add this mini batch to it (I
> > will probably dispose of half of the first batch before doing so
> > ofcourse). What would be the best way to do the transfer? Should I
> > simply wait until it is done fermenting and siphon it to the bottom of
> > the keg with minimal disturbance?
>
> I'd wait until the 2.5 gallon batch is completely fermented, and then just
> siphon it to the keg. Once you get the keg sealed up with a little bit
> of pressure in it, you can shake it up a bit to make sure it's all
> distributed evenly.
>
> > Also, I would not have expected such intense bitterness from this level
> > of hopping but the ph from the plain water must have resulted in too
> > much being extracted. For unhopped extracts, would hopping similar to
> > this work better? Generally I do all grain but an incredibly busy
> > schedule has forced me to go the extract group. Did the bitterness get
> > this character also because no additional caramel malt was added (i.e
> > would half a pound have resulted in a more balanced beer?
>
> Boiling hops in plain water is usually not a good idea. Hops contain tannins
> just like grains do. The pH of water is wrong, and you'll leach a lot of the
> tannins from the hops and end up with a relatively harsh flavor. IMO, it's
> a good idea to boil your hops in wort, not water. IOW add the extract to
> the water first, and then boil the hops in it.
>
>
> John.
I was wondering if it was alright to have a half wort mixture when
boiling hops? I ask this because I'm brewing a kolsch from extract and
grain, while trying to keep the color down. Would the ph of the wort
be sufficient to not get the harsh extraction from the hops?
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Date: 18 Oct 2006 15:21:43
From: John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
Subject: Re: Blending beer advice/boiling hops first mistake
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On 18 2006 06:16:03 -0700, <djduo478@bellsouth.net > wrote:
> I was wondering if it was alright to have a half wort mixture when
> boiling hops? I ask this because I'm brewing a kolsch from extract and
> grain, while trying to keep the color down. Would the ph of the wort
> be sufficient to not get the harsh extraction from the hops?
I'd just be guessing. It probably depends on how much grain you're using
and how much water it'll be in. IMO, I'd guess that as long as the SG of
your boil wort is somewhere in the range of a "beer like" OG, you should
be alright. If you've got a pH strip/meter you could try measuring it.
I assume you're talking about doing a partial mash with the grains,
sparging them, and then boiling that with the hops. After the boil you
plan on adding the extract. It'd probably work alright.
IMO, if you do a full boil you shouldn't have much darkening even if you
add the extract in before the boil. Darkening is usually more of a problem
with concentrated boils.
John.
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