What's the easiest baby steps way to introduce yourself to hopping (apart from standing on one leg)? And how best to go about it? Without cocking any brews up.
John
Hopping!
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NobbyIPA
Re: Hopping!
dry hopping or boil additions?
to get excellent results from dry hopping [you can if you wish to use a hop sack]
1st let your brew in primary to complete fermentation
when you have a hydrometer 2 readings the same over 2 days is suffice
tip if you have a camera take a shot you then can magnify the image to get a good reading
if you do not have a tap , open your fermenter carefully not to disturb the co2 layer too much and drop spin the hydrometer in your brew what i did prior to getting a refractometer
star san your lid area open up slightly pop in your sanitised hydrometer
you do not really want to be hovering over a open fermenter dropping crud dirt of your jumper hair etc getting into your fermenter
if you do have a tap take a sample and fill your trial jar
when you have that same reading
re rack to your secondary onto your intended dry hop variety
hops in beer syphoned onto it
remember to keep as covered as possible lid ajar whilst syphoning
Now when you have your secondary fermenter full of beer dry hops
lid it up put in your blow off tube bubbler or whatever you use leave the lid a jar what ever is you method
cool your fermentation fridge dry hop at 15C for 5 to 9 days
step over now bottling day
using leaf hops is fine
now using pellet hops can be a problem getting the beer out
so i have wrapped stainless steel mesh round my hop trap this way i can dry hop with massive amounts of hops
this is boiled and sanitised every use
i wait until at least 70 80% of the dry hops have fallen through the beer dropped
you do not need to syphon and really should not by mouth if you have a large enough syringe my one is 100ml ample big enough to get the syphon going
then once your bottling bucket is full bottle away
or if your pressure barrelling kegging do that
to get excellent results from dry hopping [you can if you wish to use a hop sack]
1st let your brew in primary to complete fermentation
when you have a hydrometer 2 readings the same over 2 days is suffice
tip if you have a camera take a shot you then can magnify the image to get a good reading
if you do not have a tap , open your fermenter carefully not to disturb the co2 layer too much and drop spin the hydrometer in your brew what i did prior to getting a refractometer
star san your lid area open up slightly pop in your sanitised hydrometer
you do not really want to be hovering over a open fermenter dropping crud dirt of your jumper hair etc getting into your fermenter
if you do have a tap take a sample and fill your trial jar
when you have that same reading
re rack to your secondary onto your intended dry hop variety
hops in beer syphoned onto it
remember to keep as covered as possible lid ajar whilst syphoning
Now when you have your secondary fermenter full of beer dry hops
lid it up put in your blow off tube bubbler or whatever you use leave the lid a jar what ever is you method
cool your fermentation fridge dry hop at 15C for 5 to 9 days
step over now bottling day
using leaf hops is fine
now using pellet hops can be a problem getting the beer out
so i have wrapped stainless steel mesh round my hop trap this way i can dry hop with massive amounts of hops
this is boiled and sanitised every use
i wait until at least 70 80% of the dry hops have fallen through the beer dropped
you do not need to syphon and really should not by mouth if you have a large enough syringe my one is 100ml ample big enough to get the syphon going
then once your bottling bucket is full bottle away
or if your pressure barrelling kegging do that
Re: Hopping!
Whats the best way to start for s total newbie? Just to dip my toe in the water so to speak? Is there a beginners or idiots guide or similar as I am a bit of both of these.
Thanks
John
Thanks
John
Always walk softly, but carry a big stick!
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Exiled Bradfordian
Re: Hopping!
John, try my thread 'EB v WA Yorkshire Bitter brew off'. I hopped with nothing more than a pair of my wife's tights and some shot glasses (and some hops of course).
For the first lot: sanitise a bowl and some shot glasses. boil up one leg of the tights to sanitise them. Add hops and sanitised shot glasses to tights. Tie into a knot. Place in bowl. Pour over boiling water, leave for twenty minutes. Chuck it in your brew after topping up with water to the appropriate literage.
For the dry hop: sanitise shot glasses. Boil up tights to sanitise. Whack the hops and the shot glasses into the tights , tie into a knot and plop into your brew for the last 7 days.
I was worried about hopping too . Needn't have been.
Of course you can use a muslin bag, if you've got one
For the first lot: sanitise a bowl and some shot glasses. boil up one leg of the tights to sanitise them. Add hops and sanitised shot glasses to tights. Tie into a knot. Place in bowl. Pour over boiling water, leave for twenty minutes. Chuck it in your brew after topping up with water to the appropriate literage.
For the dry hop: sanitise shot glasses. Boil up tights to sanitise. Whack the hops and the shot glasses into the tights , tie into a knot and plop into your brew for the last 7 days.
I was worried about hopping too . Needn't have been.
Of course you can use a muslin bag, if you've got one
Re: Hopping!
You can also just out the hops straight in the fv and then when you siphon off, put a muslin square cloth around the siphon! That is what I do.