Preserving hop aromas and flavours

[Chlorate]

Hi all, long time no post.

Got my latest beer in the fermenter at the moment. It's my first go at a partial mash beer, I used a kilo of Maris Otter, half a kilo of high colour crystal malt and a little bit of chocolate malt, bulked out with a few bags of light spraymalt (would have gone with something a little darker, it was all the shop had at the time).
In the boil I had Challengers in there for an hour, EKGs for 15 minutes and a little bag of Styrians left over from another brew for 4 minutes, which I left in the wort as it cooled down.

Saf 04 did it's usual trick of going crazy for the first couple of days then slowed right down. Currently sitting at 1015 - target of 1012, initial density 1042.

More to the point, at the start the beer was incredibly hoppy and the aromas coming off it were very nice, almost citrusy. Right now though the beer still tastes good (well, as good as unconditioned beer can taste) but the hoppy aromas have all but gone.

So my question is how do I end up with a beer like one memorable beer I had one Summer's afternoon - like a pint of liquid hops?

I'm contemplating sprinkling some of my leftover EKGs into the fermenter a day or so before I want to bottle, but I'm wondering if that'll have the desired effect or introduce too much bacteria?

Quite liking this partial mash business, hopefully it'll be a rather nice beer for Christmas

Thanks.
Alex

 

[RobWalker]

1) more hops!
2) hop essence oils
3) dry hopping
4) more late aroma hops! :)

 

[robsan77]

Use us-05 and don't be shy with the late and dry hops

 

[Muddy Funker]

Use us-05 and don't be shy with the late and dry hops

I'd go with that, handfuls of cascade in the last few mins or at flame out and use US-05.

It will smell and taste amazing! :thumb:

 

[Chlorate]

Thanks for that, will add more late hops next time and look into the other bits.

I sprinkled in what was left of my EKGs earlier (not many). Looking about, people suggest leaving them in there for a week or so. But since I haven't got any home brew to drink right now I shall just see if it makes a difference over a couple of days and get to bottling

Thinking of doing a simple kit and kilo job for the next one, but I shall have another bash at partial mashing in a few weeks. (Takes bleedin' ages with my little brew pot since I split it all in halves and do it twice)

Thanks again

Alex

:

 

[RobWalker]

If you're time conscious, you can boil them in water. 10 mins for aroma, 30 for flavour, 60 for bitter, then just chuck that in there when it's cool. It's quicker than dry hopping.

 

[robsan77]

If you're time conscious, you can boil them in water. 10 mins for aroma, 30 for flavour, 60 for bitter, then just chuck that in there when it's cool. It's quicker than dry hopping.

Or for aroma, steep in 70- 80c water. Def no higher for 30 mins.

 

[Chlorate]

I had a thought as I was bottling my beer earlier.
How about putting a couple of hops in the bottom of the bottle?
I was thinking it'd be a week or so before I'd think about drinking it, little bit of extra hoppy goodness perhaps?

I would have tried it if I didn't have the idea as I was putting the cap on the final bottle

 

[shocker]

You might find yourself on the wrong end of a bacterial problem putting unboiled whole hops into the bottle ! Also , you need to consider the total bittering content of the amount of hopflower put in , because you will extract more the longer its in there up to its total amount . Or thats how I understand it . It may be safer and more predictable to look at some of the stabilised hop extracts on the market if you wanted to go that route in future , that way you can measure and judge the amount used and get some equality of hoppy-ness between bottles .

But thats just what I think and I am not all that up on the details .