Tea at secondary or boil

[keat64]

This week, I added a hop tea to a brew at kegging time, which was lacking in hoppiness.

Which now has me thinking, is there any advantage or detriment to doing this with all brews at kegging time rather than post boil ?

Do the hops lose any flavour when subjected to the two week long initial ferment.

 

[DoctorMick]

Hop aromas can be driven off by fermentation so I'd have thought a hop tea would be best suited to immediately prior to bottling/kegging.

Another option would be to add the hops directly to the keg, I know there are some concerns about grassiness but I believe it's a fairly common technique used across the pond.



Disclaimer: I've never used either a hop tea or keg hops so this advice may be best ignored.

 

[Godsdog]

I frequently add hops to the beer in the keg if I think it needs an extra hop burst and find no downside to the process

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
Definitely when kegging/bottling for me.
When making hop tea, I keep the temperature below 64C - above that point one of the principle hop oils evaporates.
http://beersmith.com/blog/2013/01/21/late-hop-additions-and-hop-oils-in-beer-brewing/

 

[keat64]

I'm doing a pale as we speak.
I think on this occasion I'll boil with my bittering hops and add hop tea for flavour in two weeks when I keg it.

 

[Brewmarc]

I was wondering weather a hop tea contributes flavour rather than aroma?
From what Iv read dry hopping mainly contributes aroma.

 

[MyQul]

I was wondering weather a hop tea contributes flavour rather than aroma?
From what Iv read dry hopping mainly contributes aroma.

Hop tea contributes flavour and some aroma. Dry Hopping is the opposite and adds aroma and some flavour. Doing both is a great combo :thumb:

 

[terrym]

Disclaimer: I've never used either a hop tea or keg hops so this advice may be best ignored.

Say that louder....:whistle:

 

[terrym]

I'm doing a pale as we speak.
I think on this occasion I'll boil with my battering hops and add hop tea for flavour in two weeks when I keg it.

Do the hops comes with chips? :wink:

 

[Hoppyland]

I was wondering weather a hop tea contributes flavour rather than aroma?
From what Iv read dry hopping mainly contributes aroma.

I'm almost with MyQul on this. Having tried hop teas (quite recently, to bolster the flavour of kits - I'm normally an AG brewer, but a house move has thwarted me!), then my opinion is that they contribute a lot of hop flavour, and probably some aroma. Dry hops, for me, are all aroma and no flavour at all (even though my dry hops are typically 60-100g in 25l).

I'll also say that I'm hugely sceptical about the amount of hop "flavours" (rather than "aromas") that are driven off by fermentation - I really think it is over-exaggerated. Having said that, I have no back-to-back tests to report, only my own opinion on a lot of brews.

 

[keat64]

I've done maybe a dozen AG brews now, all of which I've flavour hopped around 80 degrees for 30 minutes.
My pales have all been awesome.
I've since learned that 60-70 degrees is probably better.
I've also learned that fermentation drives off some flavours, my chocolate orange porter being one such example.

So my thoughts on flavour hops later in the process is to give a hoppier brew, with the added benefit of potentially using less hops.

 

[Personal91]

I frequently add hops to the beer in the keg if I think it needs an extra hop burst and find no downside to the process

Is this with hop pellets or the whole thing loosely put in ?

 

[Gerryjo]

Hi!
Definitely when kegging/bottling for me.
When making hop tea, I keep the temperature below 64C - above that point one of the principle hop oils evaporates.
http://beersmith.com/blog/2013/01/21/late-hop-additions-and-hop-oils-in-beer-brewing/

I'm thinking of added hop tea to one of my brews but I'm finding this thread quite interesting with either Tea or Aroma.
My question is has anyone tried both with the same hops i.e. when you have made the hop tea do you pitch the tea or does anyone pitch both tea and hops as I would assume that there is still quite a bit of Aroma still present after extraction?

 

[MyQul]

I'm thinking of added hop tea to one of my brews but I'm finding this thread quite interesting with either Tea or Aroma.
My question is has anyone tried both with the same hops i.e. when you have made the hop tea do you pitch the tea or does anyone pitch both tea and hops as I would assume that there is still quite a bit of Aroma still present after extraction?

Yes I've done both, with the same hop (simcoe) because I wanted to changed the flavour of a columbus pale ale, which I didnt like. It worked really well. What I did was dry hop 5 day's before bottling and added the hop tea on bottling day

 

[Godsdog]

Is this with hop pellets or the whole thing loosely put in ?

I use pellets either in a muslin sock weighted down on a piece of dental floss with marbles or a 50mm SS tea ball attatched again to some dental floss.i like the hops to be submerged close to the bottom of the keg but not sitting on the bottom:thumb:

 

[Godsdog]

I'm thinking of added hop tea to one of my brews but I'm finding this thread quite interesting with either Tea or Aroma.
My question is has anyone tried both with the same hops i.e. when you have made the hop tea do you pitch the tea or does anyone pitch both tea and hops as I would assume that there is still quite a bit of Aroma still present after extraction?

I always pitch them both,why waste any last drop of hoppiness and they are anti bacterial so no probs there

 

[Gerryjo]

Yes I've done both, with the same hop (simcoe) because I wanted to changed the flavour of a columbus pale ale, which I didnt like. It worked really well. What I did was dry hop 5 day's before bottling and added the hop tea on bottling day

After you have made the tea I assume that the hops you have used would also go into the fermenter?:-?

 

[MyQul]

After you have made the tea I assume that the hops you have used would also go into the fermenter?:-?

No, as theirs no point as I normally add the hop tea at bottling time. I add the hop tea along with the priming solution. Give it a thorough but gentle stir, wait 30 mins for an disturbed trub to settle down then bottle

 

[Gerryjo]

No, as theirs no point as I normally add the hop tea at bottling time. I add the hop tea along with the priming solution. Give it a thorough but gentle stir, wait 30 mins for an disturbed trub to settle down then bottle

I was under the impression that I would be able add the along with the hops I used to make the tea and let it sit for a few days in the fermenter.
Is that feesable?
:grin:

 

[MyQul]

I was under the impression that I would be able add the along with the hops I used to make the tea and let it sit for a few days in the fermenter.
Is that feesable?
:grin:

Sure. I'd do it after the initial fermentation has died down about 5 days before bottling so you could add a hop tea (with the hops you used for the hop tea) and some dry hopping hops both about 5 days before you want to bottle. Might give that a try myself actually