IPA Brewing - 3 part plan for dry hopping

It's Thursday, so might as well "throw back" and see what I was blogging about last year.  Oh, dry hopping.  I'm pretty sure I haven't dry hopped since that post was published.

Check it out here first, then come back.  Dry Hopping.

Afraid of the mess and residual hop particulate (using pellet hops) I've always put them in a little mesh bag.  It tends to float, so I've put little pebbles in it to get it to sink to the bottom, and then the problem is removing it afterwards.  It's been too much of a hassle to do.  But dang if I'm able to get the same hop aroma without it...not going to happen.

I'm brewing an IPA this weekend.  I've gotta dry hop it during the fermenting process.  And this is my three step plan.

1. Rack to secondary and dry hop in secondary.  I'm going to leave in primary for 3-5 days (keeping an eye on activity and when active fermentation completes), then rack over, and leave for about 2 weeks.

2. Dump hops straight in the carboy.  I've always used pellet hops (for better of for worse).  Risk the mess, dumping straight in.  Swirl lightly to break the surface tension so even the smaller pieces get wet.  Let dry hop for 1 day before going to part three.

3. Cold crash.  adjust the temperature or put the carboy in a refrigerator and get it cold, for 2 days.  This will help clarify the beer and bring the hop residue to the bottom.

After 2 days cold, rack to keg of bottling bucket and bottle.  Be sure to leave the hops at the bottom of the carboy.  Don't suck them up.

That is the plan.  Cheers!

Bobec Hops?

The Iron Maiden beer says it has Bobec hops in it.  What is a Bobec hop?  Well, it turns out there is a hop called Bobek.  Another name is Styrian Golding B.  It's my understanding is that this hop is a hybrid of Norther Brewer and some other unknown variety.  It is grown in the Republic of Slovenia.  More information can be found on the website for the company.  I bet this is the hop to which the bottle refers.

Perhaps I just don't know any different, and there really is a hop called Bobec (with a C).  Or perhaps they have a typo on the label.  Ooohhh.

Bobec - far right side, third line down in the black section.

I like the beer.  Dry hop bitterness, and the touch of late addition Cascade give is a little extra.  Did I write about this before?  I think so...  Sounds familiar.

Oh yeah, here.  Check it  out.

By the BJCP Style Guidelines (2008), this beer would classify as either a Special Bitter or an Extra Special/Strong Bitter.  The label calls it a "Premium British Beer" which could sum it up as well.  Interestieng to note that for both these styles it mentions the growing use of American hops in these styles.  Of course, I'm referring again to the use of Cascade hops.  It's fascinating at least to this beer nerd, if for nobody else.  Adding a touch of citrus/fruity aroma and flavor (I'm sure the Cascade was't used for bittering) to the normal more earthy or green flavors of the British hops, like the Goldings and Fuggles.  After a little browsing and reading posts related to Bobek, I get the sense that lemon, lime, and/or pine seem to be included in the flavor profile.  It's interesting that the site from the company that grows Bobek doesn't describe the flavor more...unless I just missed it somewhere.

Anyway...

While Iran Maiden can rock!  They can also make a decent traditional English Style ale.  And back to the original dilemma.  Can they spell?

Barley, Water, Hops, and Yeast - Part 3

We are talking about the 4 basic ingredients to beer, of course.  We first focused on Barley, followed by Water, and today we'll talk a bit about Hops.  Humulus Lupulus.

What makes beer bitter?  Yep, it's the hops.  Why is bitterness important in beer?  Balance.  Are there other reasons for the hops in the beer?  Two immediately come to mind.  Hops act as a preservative to the beer, giving it a longer shelf life.  They also can impart flavor and aroma, adding yet another layer to the vast diversity in beer.

Photographer: Dr. Hagen Graebne

We used a musical analogy with barley, stating that various types and combination of malted barley can act like chords in music.  It can be the same way with hops.  There are many variations in hops.  And many of these variations will act differently in beer depending on the length of time they are in the boil upon initial brewing.  In short, the longer the hops are in the boil, the more of the bittering acids in the hops will be imparted to the beer.  Hops added at the end of the boil will add mostly aroma, and during the middle of the boil (20-30 minutes) will add considerably to the flavor of the beer.  Some beers will have hops added during fermentation, imparting aroma to the beer.  This practice is referred to as dry hopping.

In brewing you will hear terms like Bittering Hops, Aroma Hops and Flavoring Hops.  While some varieties are better at one or another, many hops can be used for two or even all three of the categories.

The flavors in hops range from piney, to citrus, to earthy, and every combination between.  The diagram below I found online, but it is a chart that is found in the book "Brewing Classic Styles" by Jamil Zainasheff and John Palmer.  It shows the variations in flavor in numerous type of hops.

There is much to learn and if you are interested in a biology lesson, you are in the wrong blog.

Most craft beers will have two of more hop varieties, and will have them added at different times throughout the boil.  The possibilities are almost endless.  For best results, consult recipe guides or books, of simply do some research.  Most hop varieties have the traditional styles that they in which they are commonly used.  If trying to brew to style, don't get overwhelmed, simply find the several traditional hops used in that style.

Now that we spoke about barley, water and hops, we can create a wonderful substance called wort.  Now to convert the wort into beer, two things remain.  Yeast and time.  We'll talk about yeast in Part 4.

Relevant Links:
Part 1, Barley
Part 2, Water

Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA - A rambling review by Dunerbew

I recently wrote about the importance of storing IPAs and drinking them fresh.  Changes in temperature and age can have unintended consequences to these highly hopped beers.  Check it out here for more information.

I can't remember if this Double Simcoe went to the tasting with me or came simply from the closet to the refrigerator. I can say it was still very drinkable... but not perfect.

This Double Simcoe IPA by Weyerbacher was probably better fresh.  A little oxidation combined with the Simcoe hops aroma is probably the reason why this hop has earned the "cat piss" moniker.

Let's back up!  The name of this beer... Quite profound, isn't it.?

We'll start in the middle... Simcoe. Simcoe is a hop variety, of American birth, Washington State, to be more precise.  It is important to establish that it is only Simcoe in this beer. Single hop. Most beers will utilize two,or more hops, to get the bitterness and flavor profiles from then as desired.  Each hop is unique and will have its own set of strengths and weaknesses. A single hop is nothing to be scared of.  Two Hearted Ale by Bell's Brewing has only Centennial hops. And I'm sure there are more. In fact Mikkeller puts our a whole series of single hop beers. It's a great way to learn the hops.

IPA... India Pale Ale. This is a classic style, derived from Great Britian.  It has more hops than a traditional Pale Ale or Bitter, and a higher IBU factor.  Typically IPAs have higher alcohol content as well, to help give balance. In all, they are balances toward the bitter... Some may say unbalanced.

Double... A term meaning bigger or "Imperial". More hops, more alcohol, bigger hoppier beer!  Yeah!

Crisp and bold in flavor. There is the strong hops presence through and through in this beer.  Nice aroma and is say pretty balanced from bitter to flavor and aroma. I tend to like the IPAs balanced, East Coast style.

The Simcoe hop has both high alpha acid content and high myrcene acids, lending to bittering and flavor/aroma respectively.  The aroma is described as "bothy fruity and an herbal piney earthy fragrance," as found on the Beer Legends site.  It's somewhat of a controversial hop.  Some beer geeks simply don't like it, calling it cat piss.  It is most likely a result of the high myrcene levels in this hop.  The aroma qualities are great, for better or for worse.

This one poured a burnt orange color and quite cloudy.  The off white head is reminiscent of the overly oxidized IPA I once brewed. Is the browning a sign if oxidation, like an apple turns brown after a few minutes?

I love the Imperial IPAs... I keep coming back to storage care.  With the IPAs, The answer is to cool them promptly, keep them cold and drink fresh.  I typically prefer to keep beer around for awhile to build and maintain a healthy variety of options. With the IPAs it important to simply enjoy the moment!  After all, who says you have a guarantee on life tomorrow?

The big takeaway:  I like the idea of an Imperial with a single hop.  It's a great way to discover the flavor and aromas of that particular hop. Commercially there is a fear alienating some customers, especially with Simcoe, of which many drinkers either have a love or hate relationship.

Dry hopping

I clearly don't dry hop enough.  The two times I have, I've used a hop bag, which is a pain to remove from the carboy at the end of it all.  Upon viewing several videos on the subject, I've noticed not many of them actually use a bag...just dump the hops in.



It seems easy enough.  So, what was I scared of again?  No better way to get that hoppy aroma that some good ole dry hops.

Hops in Florida? We'll find out just how well they grow

Hop rhizomes, Chinook and Centennial

The hops rhizomes arrived last week, and over the weekend I had chance to plant them in the back yard.  I ordered one each of Centennial and Chinook.  The best hop growing region in North America is Washington state, and here in Florida, it is almost precisely opposite geographically speaking.

I'm told it can work.  Of course many things grow in Florida, with the summer heat and frequent afternoon showers.  The hops like the long summer days found in the more northern latitudes, so we have that working against us here in the south.

It will be interesting too, as others have purchased hops and we'll be able to compare results in several months.

I built a trellis in the back yard, at one end of an old swing set up built years ago.  They should grow up and up, and maybe across the top.  We'll keep an eye on the progress and report accordingly.

The top layer of dirt was built up to be above the ground level, as the hops will tend to appreciate the water filtering through the planting bed and not simply sitting in a pool of standing water.

Day 1: March 30, 2013

Hop trellis prepped

It was a beautiful day, perfect for some yard work. We pulled out the mower and trimmers. While at it, we prepared for the forthcoming hop rhizomes by building a trellis attached to our swing set in the yard. How well can hops grow in Florida? I guess we'll find out.

Included is a small barricade to keep the dogs out.

New Recipe posted, and a bit about hops

The Recipe Page has been updated to show the Maris Otter - Centennial SMaSH recipe.  Here it is in all it's complicated glory.

SMASH: Maris Otter - Centennial, Pale Ale/IPA
Final Volume: 3.25 Gallons     OG: 1.065     FG: 1.015     ABV: 6.7%    IBU:61

8lbs Maris Otter Malt
0.68oz Centennial, 12.5% (60 min) (Measuring mistake.  I didn't mean for that much.)
0.32oz Centennial, 12.5% (5 min) (The remainder of the ounce.)
0.25oz Centennial, 12.5% (flame out)
Wyeast 1187 Ringwood Ale (cultivated from the last batch)
And check it out here, along with the other recipes posted.

For some of the non-brewers (or novice brewers), this is a perfect example to talk about the timing of hop additions to the recipe.  While this is a very simple recipe, with one malt type and one type of hop, you will see the three different times at which the hops were added.

Among other chemicals in the hops, the Alpha Acids (notated by the percentage, 12.5% in these Centennial hops) are important for the bittering quality of the hops.  Those acids will contribute the bitterness after time in a boil.  Randy Mosher explains in Radical Brewing that when added to the boil, "the heat causes a chemical change called isomerization, which allows the formerly non-bitter, insoluble resins to become highly bitter and dissolve into the wort." (Mosher, page 48).  Thus the hops added at the beginning of a 60 or 90 minute boil are called "bittering" hops and contribute most of the hop bitterness to the beer.  In the same fashion, the hops added at the end of the boil won't have a chance to isomerize, leaving in the hop aroma.  Hops added during the middle or later portions of the boil will have a chance to begin the chemical conversion, but not completely, lending the hop flavor to the beer.

All that to say, it is important at what point the hops are added and ofter there are multiple additions of hops, in order to get obtain the bitterness, flavor and aroma of the hops.