Advice needed for hop pellets

[Brewed_Force]

I will shortly be starting a Marzen/Oktoberfest type lager, made to the Coopers kit recipe:
http://www.coopers.com.au/#/diy-beer/beer-recipes/lager/detail/oktoberfest/
The only concern I have is should I add some Hallertau hop pellets to add a bit more authenticity? I know it's only an approximation of a Marzen but I'd like to get as close as possible from a kit.
I've never added additional hops to a can kit before, only DME, so any advice on quantities, methods, etc would be very welcome.

 

[Spapro]

Hi,

no idea on the style of beer you are brewing but if you are looking to add some hop flavour/aroma then 'dry hopping' 4 days before bottling should work well.

I say dry hopping but I tend to create a hop tea - just adding boiling water to the hop pellets then chuck the whole lot into your vermenting vessel works well, adding both a bit of flavour and also lovely aroma.

For your first time its worth going for a hope 'teabag' like this one:
http://www.home-brew-online.com/ingredients-c45/hallertau-finishing-hops-20g-p1099

20g for your first time is good, put the hop 'teabag' in a sterilised mug, add enough boiling water to cover and leave for 10 mins, then dump the whole lot into your wort.
I've read adding a spoon of sugar dissolved into the boiling water for the teabag helps to get more flavour out of the pellets than just hot water without any sugar.

4 days before bottling (after its fermented out) is about right. Much more than 4 days and I think you can get a grassy taste from the hops being in too long.

This 20g teabag approach should let you try hopping this time round and if you feel it needs more you can buy more hop pellets from somewhere like the malt miller in 100g batches - adding 100g in one go is likely too much but you could step up to say 40-50g dry hopping if you want it very hoppy.

The teabag left in the bottom of the FV after you have bottled will smell totally gorgeous - just like the beer you love if you have got the correct hop strain !

 

[BeestonHop_John]

I totally agree with this advice. Hop bags tend to mean you lose about 10% effectiveness, but they don't add any sediment. A 20g hopbag would add a nice added aroma to your beer

 

[Brewed_Force]

Thanks guys, I think I'll go with the tea bag idea.
Just got to figure out how to keep a constant low fermentation temperature now. Might try the garage which gets quite chilly in winter. A mate uses a water bath for his ales, should work for lagers too, right?:pray: