Post-boil hops

[Dave S]

While reading another thread I got to thinking about how to manage post-boil hops.

Question: is it OK to chill while steeping? or should the steep take place in hot wort prior to chilling? or does it matter?

My gut instinct is that they should steep hot and chill later.

Advice/opinions gratefully received.

[far9410]

I think most folk chill to about 80c, then steep for 30 mins or so, then chill to pitching temp, but this is not an exact science so you can do what you like, just record everything so you can repeat/not, as necessary

[critch]

chill to 80 odd, steep for 30 mins, is the preferred craft brew senario

nowt wrong with throwing em in, cover, steep for the required time then chill though, but i think youll get better results if you chill to 80.c first

[Dave S]

OK, thanks chaps. I'll go with consensus I think.

[Kev888]

Generally the reasons given for cooling to 80c is that it won't drive off the more delicate hop aroma/flavour as fast and isn't hot enough to extract much bitterness, yet is still warm enough to steep stuff out fairly quickly.

So I guess if thats the aim then adding steeping hops when too hot would at least partly defeat the object. Though there is also the 'flame-out' or 0min steep which is probably part way between late hops and 80c steeping.

Personally though I'm slowly moving away from 80c steeps as it seems a bit of a compromise; I get 'much' better aroma from dry hopping in the FV for ten days after fermentation has ended, and don't notice a decrease in flavour assuming there are plenty of later hops. Though my boiler doesn't chill very instantly at 0mins, perhaps there would be more of a case for purposely steeping (or adding later additions a bit earlier) if it did rapidly cool.

Cheers
Kev

[critch]

dry hopping is great kev, i use it a lot, but it gives a totally different flavour profile to steeping. and it fades a lot quicker. if you sup your ale quick this aint a problem, if you want to age your beers youll find they become muted over a course of a few months

my beers are known for being hoppy, i throw hops in late ( 20 mins from the end onwards) and steep at just post boil, (admittedly my vessel is an enclosed boiler with a manway so a lot of hop volatiles stay in the wort long chimney ) ive noticed only a very small difference between 80.c steep on me likkle kit and a post boil steep on the big bugger

hopping lots late gives you a smoother bitterness and as stated many times on this forum post boil steeping does give bitterness too,(dry hopping doesnt) so always be careful on the first additions i normally only put a few ibus in to stop boil overs

[Padalac]

Firestone walker do a half hour whirlpool.. Extracts quite a lot of ibus as well as flavour

[critch]

thats equivalent to a half hour steep, theyre using pellet hops and the wirlpool settles the buggers in the middle of the tank

dont forget the beer would then sit in that vessel for an hour+ while it was pumped out..........

i add a hearty amount at 0 steep for 30 mins whilst circing(to sink the hops and secondry sterilise the line) before turning on the waterflow to the chiller and transfering to the fv. which in my case can take up to two hours............