Help with hops?

[kakistos_uk]

Hi Folks

As the title suggests, I’d like help with hops.

I’m going to attempt a pilsner with the following ingredients: Coopers 86 Day Pilsner , 1kg Light Spraymalt 1kg, 2 x 500g crushed pilsner malt extract . Maybe a can of golden syrup.

I’ve read that I should pitch a lot of yeast at around 20-24 degrees for a couple of days and then transfer it to colder environment – 12 – 15 degrees for a couple of weeks. Maybe then bring it back into the warm for another couple of days before transferring to secondary around 5 degrees for a couple of months. Does this sound right?

I’ve also bought 100g Hallertau Mittlefruh Vacuum Packed Leaf Hops based on advise from this forum.

I was going to add them to secondary for around 3 days before bottling. Is this right? Should I make a tea or just chuck them in the bucket?

I’m trying to learn about hops but I’m confused by dry hopping, hop tea etc. I think I understand each individual term but wish to understand more about which one is better, when to use them and what each process is designed to achieve.

I don’t really like the bitterness from hops. It’s the taste and flavour I want – this is best by dry hopping?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Kakistos.

 

[Honk]

Your yeast temperatures will depend on the type of yeast your using (what does the guidance say?) But your schedule does not sound right. It will either be an ale yeast fermenting around 20 degrees but for longer than 2 days (at least a week if not two at which point you could move to a cooler temperature to clear or a a lager yeast that will ferment at a cooler temperature and would not want the initial 2 days at a higher temperature.

(Note if using yeast from a kit then a lager yeast will not necessarily be supplied with a lager kit more likely it's an ale yeast)

I've never done a hop tea but dry hopping as you suggest for 3 to 5 Days after fermentation complete and before bottling should work fine.

 

[MyQul]

For a 'traditional' lager ferment, you want to pitch a degree or two cooler than fermentation temp. Ferment for a couple of weeks, then bring the temp up to about 18C for a couple of days (for diacytl rest) then rack it off the yeast cake and lager for several weeks (a tip I've read says to lager 1 day for every OG point e.g 1.050 and you lager for 50 days)

 

[terrym]

Your Coopers 86 day Pilsner comes with a 'proper' lager yeast, like their Euro lager. Your instructions will probably advise you to ferment at ale type temperatures but you could try fermenting at lower lager ferment temperatures and might be successful like some who have achieved it with the Euro lager, but if you want to be sure you need to supplement the kit lager yeast with more lager yeast, especially since you are going to have a high OG.
Coopers have a recipe site here
http://store.coopers.com.au/brewing-info/recipes.html
and suggest a Saflager W-34/70 Yeast as an addition.
This might be useful to you on dry hopping
A Newbies Guide to Dry Hopping Your Beer - The HomeBrew Forum

 

[kakistos_uk]

This is all really great, thanks guys!