Hop pellet problem

[Dangerous]

I have brewed Evil Dog I.P.A.
I am bottling it tomorrow morning. I have just remembered though that I havent added the hop pellets provided with the kit. I am now at work until late so cant add them now.
Does it matter is my question? Are the pellets absolutely neccessary?
thanks

 

[MyQul]

Yes and no. It's not a problem you didnt add the hop pellets but they add extra flavour/aroma to your beer

Edit: Seeing as your bottling tommorow, what I would do is make a hop tea with them and add it at bottling time. Just boil some water. Cool it to about 70C then add the hop pellets. Leave the pellets to steep for no more than 30 mins (20 mins is good). Pass the tea through a seive (a cafetiere is also good for doing this) and add the tea to your beer carefully so it doesnt splash and add oxygen. Then bottle.

 

[Dangerous]

Im not too bothered about aroma. Obviously I am bothered about taste. Is the taste good anyway with Evil Dog? This is the first time ive brewed it.

 

[MyQul]

I've never brewed this kit myself. Dry hopping gives mostly aroma and a litttle flavour and hop teas are the reverse, flavour and a little aroma so you may want to add the hop tea

 

[Poochops]

I just racked mine into the bottling bucket for hopping, filled a trial jar to check the gravity and have a slurp and it wasn't too bad as it is to be fair, decent astringency and a mildly hoppy aftertaste, but it's supposed to be a craft style iPa and so will definitely benefit from the additions. I did as myqul suggested and brewed up a hop tea then put the lot in, bags and all, I'll bottle it in a few days

 

[Poochops]

Could you not bottle it in the week mate? Or leave it till next weekend?

 

[BeerCat]

I love Hop Teas. This just reminded me to add some to my BIPA as well as the dry hops. Had some great beers like this.

 

[terrym]

I have brewed Evil Dog I.P.A.
I am bottling it tomorrow morning. I have just remembered though that I havent added the hop pellets provided with the kit. I am now at work until late so cant add them now.
Does it matter is my question? Are the pellets absolutely neccessary?
thanks

I would have thought that the hops provided with the kit are an integral part of your brew, especially for this style of beer. If you add the hops now it will do no harm to postpone your bottling for a few days whilst the dry hop takes place, and your brew will be none the worse for the extended time in the FV. In other words.."Don't spoil the ship for a ha'porth of tar".

 

[IainM]

Add the pellets and delay the bottling. Your beer will be much better for it.

 

[Dangerous]

I had to bottle yesterday as Im going on holiday today...also the wife wanted it out of the way.I had a taste and it didnt seem bad at all so I left it as it is. I will however brew this again with the pellets.
Im still relatavily new to this brewing lark so there is a lot of trial and error.
thanks for your help

 

[Alexislife]

Sounds like you already bottled but from recollection the pellets included in this kit are in a giant tea bag anyway so would have been perfect for making a Hop tea with minimal fuss/mess.

This is the only kit brew I've done, I followed the instruction book on how much sugar to use for priming each bottle and in my opinion it was way too much (1tsp per 500ml if I remember correctly). Given that it's a pretty boozy tipple it gave it a sort of champagne quality.. I've still got a bunch of bottles in the cupboard.

 

[Robin54]

I had to bottle yesterday as Im going on holiday today...also the wife wanted it out of the way.I had a taste and it didnt seem bad at all so I left it as it is. I will however brew this again with the pellets.
Im still relatavily new to this brewing lark so there is a lot of trial and error.
thanks for your help

I don't want to be rude or patronising but all kits have very detailed and explicit instructions so that there is no trial and error. Their goal is to give you a finished product which is easily attainable with little effort so you come back and buy another one.

 

[Spoon]

I don't want to be rude or patronising but all kits come with a postage stamp sized scrap of paper which passes for instructions so that there is a whole heap of scope for cocking up. Their goal is to give you a finished product as quickly as possible which is easily attainable with little equipment or knowledge so you come back and buy another one.

Fixed that :thumb:

The trial and error comes in the form of knowing things like "I'm going on holiday next week, rather than bottle today I'll just leave it for another week and it'll probably be even better" rather than strict adherence to whatever the instructions said.

 

[BeerisGOD]

Youl have to make her learn sooner than later beer makin will be part of your life. take it or leave it

 

[sdt7618]

Well least now you have a bag full of hops for your next kit that comes without!:lol:

 

[Alan_H]

Seeing as your bottling tommorow, what I would do is make a hop tea with them and add it at bottling time. Just boil some water. Cool it to about 70C then add the hop pellets. Leave the pellets to steep for no more than 30 mins (20 mins is good). Pass the tea through a seive (a cafetiere is also good for doing this) and add the tea to your beer carefully so it doesnt splash and add oxygen. Then bottle.

So how do you dose your hops, depending on their alpha%? Or you just don't bother since it's a relatively small qty..?

 

[terrym]

So how do you dose your hops, depending on their alpha%? Or you just don't bother since it's a relatively small qty..?

Alpha acids are important in bittering but have very little to do with the flavour and aroma addition you are seeking through a hop tea or a dry hop.
That's why some hops are better at bittering, whereas some hops are best added late in the boil, or as dry hop or as a home brewer hop tea when bittering effect is minimal but the flavour and aroma addition is important. That said there are dual purpose hops.
This is a useful reference source http://beerlegends.com/hops-varieties.

 

[MyQul]

So how do you dose your hops, depending on their alpha%? Or you just don't bother since it's a relatively small qty..?

AA% as terry says is to do with bittering and not much to do with flavouring. Also iirc hops dont isomerise in water so wont add any bitterness anyway. I just go by amont and use the sameamount you would do for a dry hop. So if you thought, 'well I reckon I would dry hop X beer with 25g, thats how much I would use in the hop tea'. I think a good starting point is25g-28g then up the amount from there

 

[Fil]

if brewing is getting in the way of day to day life, sounds like you need a dedicated brewshed.. :)

 

[BeerisGOD]

if brewing is getting in the way of day to day life, sounds like you need a dedicated brewshed.. :)

I did have a similar prob with ww FV in the kitchen. its in a smaller room now-cooler too which is a bonus. some people don't have this luxury in they're gaff though. but like fil mentions a shed in your case would be ideal (providing you have a garden)
wherever I'm moving next (soon) the place is gonna have a shed or a small room too small for anything practical but big enough for a a fridge and beer equipment, to which I've already had the nod from the other half as itl be out way.
its a shame four days (or even two) longer after your holiday was a problem. id feel short changed and dare I say it 'bitter' towards the misses