Hi all. Has anyone on here done an absolute beginners or dummies guide on how to get started with adding/boiling hops and grains to kits? As I'm very interested in this but a bit scared!
Thanks
John
Hopping and grains for dummies?
Hopping and grains for dummies?
Always walk softly, but carry a big stick!
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seymour
- It's definitely Lock In Time
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Re: Hopping and grains for dummies?
Plus we got this little ol' thang called Jim's Beer Kit Forum. 
Seriously, though: so many good threads scattered round here, and feel free to ask any questions as you go.
Seriously, though: so many good threads scattered round here, and feel free to ask any questions as you go.
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neilmcca
Re: Hopping and grains for dummies?
http://craftbeeracademy.com/a-beginners-guide-to-hops/
these 2 sites are useful for giving u descriptions on each particular hop variety and and how to use them (hop tea or dry hop)
http://www.homebrewstuff.com/hop-profiles
http://kotmf.com/beer/2012/list-of-common-hops/
hop tea is where u boil the hops (in a hop bag or infuser) and then add the liquid to the wort, this will alter the taste of your beer.
dry hopping is where u add hops (in a hop bag or infuser) into the FV after fermentation has pretty much completed, this method is more for aroma.
i have purchased one of these, its not arrived yet, but it looks ideal for hopping with.
these 2 sites are useful for giving u descriptions on each particular hop variety and and how to use them (hop tea or dry hop)
http://www.homebrewstuff.com/hop-profiles
http://kotmf.com/beer/2012/list-of-common-hops/
hop tea is where u boil the hops (in a hop bag or infuser) and then add the liquid to the wort, this will alter the taste of your beer.
dry hopping is where u add hops (in a hop bag or infuser) into the FV after fermentation has pretty much completed, this method is more for aroma.
i have purchased one of these, its not arrived yet, but it looks ideal for hopping with.
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WalesAles
- Falling off the Barstool
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Re: Hopping and grains for dummies?
Great Link Cap`n!
Couple of questions for you all,
I`m only making Kits and having lots of fun experimenting,
When my FV has 15Lts of brew in it, I boil my Hops in 2Lts water for 5 mins then add to the FV, would I get the same effect from the Hops
if I took 2Lts of Beer from the FV and boiled the Hops in that? Then top up to 20Lts.
This boiled addition obviously raises the beer temp, I haven`t got an immersion chiller so I chill the beer down by bunging in ice blocks (plastic takeaway containers
filled with water, {obviously}) which bring the temp down quite rapidly until I reach 22deg. Will the ice affect the beer? It`s been OK so far, but just thought I`d ask!
I know that the Ice is only water, but it is Very, Very,Very Cold water!
Ooops, sorry for the thread Hijack!
WA
Couple of questions for you all,
I`m only making Kits and having lots of fun experimenting,
When my FV has 15Lts of brew in it, I boil my Hops in 2Lts water for 5 mins then add to the FV, would I get the same effect from the Hops
if I took 2Lts of Beer from the FV and boiled the Hops in that? Then top up to 20Lts.
This boiled addition obviously raises the beer temp, I haven`t got an immersion chiller so I chill the beer down by bunging in ice blocks (plastic takeaway containers
filled with water, {obviously}) which bring the temp down quite rapidly until I reach 22deg. Will the ice affect the beer? It`s been OK so far, but just thought I`d ask!
I know that the Ice is only water, but it is Very, Very,Very Cold water!
Ooops, sorry for the thread Hijack!
WA
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Geezah
Re: Hopping and grains for dummies?
If you boil the hops in just water then you will not extract the acids that give the bitterness of a hop addition, just the flavour.
If you boil them in some wort (beer) then the sugars from the wort help carry the acids out of the hops and so add the bitterness.
The simplest way of experimenting is by adding boiling water to the tin your kit / lme comes in to rinse out all the left over malt and add hops directly to the tin and allow to stew for 20 minutes, then pour the tin contents through a sieve in to your FV.
As for cooling the wort / hop tea, just sit your pan / tin in a sink of cold water. Ice blocks wont cause you a problem unless your sanitation lets you down.
If you boil them in some wort (beer) then the sugars from the wort help carry the acids out of the hops and so add the bitterness.
The simplest way of experimenting is by adding boiling water to the tin your kit / lme comes in to rinse out all the left over malt and add hops directly to the tin and allow to stew for 20 minutes, then pour the tin contents through a sieve in to your FV.
As for cooling the wort / hop tea, just sit your pan / tin in a sink of cold water. Ice blocks wont cause you a problem unless your sanitation lets you down.