Hop pellets

[tony_true_grit]

I have now been using hop pellets in tea bags with malt extract kits for a few months. Having brewed by full mash for several years I am disappointed that I don't seem to get the aroma I used to get.

I have followed the instructions to immerse the tea bags in boiling water for 10 minutes before adding to the fermenter with the promise that the later this is left before barreling, the better the aroma will be.

In the absence of anything like a good aroma in the final product up to now (and I have used 2x20g sachets still with no real improvement) I have decided to add the hop bags and " tea" to the barrel after the boiled water treatment and have modified the brew tap inside the barrel to guard against it being blocked by the bags. I am now nervous that the brew may be too hoppy as the level goes down in the barrel.

Has anyone tried this and with what success or otherwise?

 

[cheshirehomebrew]

I have made a hop tea and added the liquid into my secondary instead of dry hopping, i Bottled the beers and it was just a little bit too hoppy for about 3 months, after that it was bloody lovely..

it just takes time to mature if you use this method

 

[clibit]

Putting the bags in the keg might work, but most advice on dry hopping is to restrict it to 7 days or so, to prevent the extraction of less desirable flavour/aroma as time goes by.

I think the answer lies elsewhere - in your hopping technique and maybe choice of hops. Hop aroma and flavour are maximised by short boils, steeping hops after the boil, and dry hopping, and by using good quality hops that have been stored well, and this may not apply to hop tea bags.

Try buying 100g packs of vacuum sealed hops from a seller with a rapid turnover, and boiling some of them with some extract for 5 to 15 minutes, and/or add some to steep after the boil, and/or dry hop in the FV with more hops for about 5 days before you keg the beer.

 

[tony_true_grit]

I have made a hop tea and added the liquid into my secondary instead of dry hopping, i Bottled the beers and it was just a little bit too hoppy for about 3 months, after that it was bloody lovely..

it just takes time to mature if you use this method

Thanks, CHB, I am encouraged by your reply. I was intending to use 40g of hop pellets in tea bags, but in view of your comments re improvements with maturity, I think I shall use 20g in this first experiment, and adjust accordingly in future brews, depending on the degree of hoppiness. This way there will be no risk of blocking the keg outlet tap because I have divided its intake tube into two elements using a T-piece and two elbows. The brew will be ready to transfer to the barrel in about a week and I shall probably start to drink it in four weeks from now. If I have to endure excess hop flavours, so be it. What a way to go!!

Thanks again

Tony

 

[tony_true_grit]

Putting the bags in the keg might work, but most advice on dry hopping is to restrict it to 7 days or so, to prevent the extraction of less desirable flavour/aroma as time goes by.

I think the answer lies elsewhere - in your hopping technique and maybe choice of hops. Hop aroma and flavour are maximised by short boils, steeping hops after the boil, and dry hopping, and by using good quality hops that have been stored well, and this may not apply to hop tea bags.

Try buying 100g packs of vacuum sealed hops from a seller with a rapid turnover, and boiling some of them with some extract for 5 to 15 minutes, and/or add some to steep after the boil, and/or dry hop in the FV with more hops for about 5 days before you keg the beer.

Thanks clibit, for your valued reply. My brew is well on its way already so I am committed to using the hop tea bags. I have used these for several brews now and find them convenient and easy to use. At my age I have decided to put the use of full mash and leaf hops behind me and am finding the extra two hour's sleep on brew day very comforting!! I am also restricting myself to lifting small amounts for short distances, which from a practical viewpoint rules out using my old "Brewery", which was a surface area in the carport some 15 yards from the house. I am quite satisfied with the flavour of my brews using liquid malt extract, but I do, however, take your point about posible undesirable flavours and aroma and shall be acutely aware of this possibility.

As far as dry hopping is concerned I have had mixed success with this in the past, the main problem being blockages at the siphon tube end when transferring from FV to barrel. I have also tried suspending leaf hops in a gauze bag from the underside of the barrel cap so they float in the brew, but have never achieved enough aroma in this way. Flavour is easy but aroma very elusive to me!

Thanks for your advice.

Tony