I ended up finding myself with enough time for a quick extract brew tonight, so I brewed something I’ve been wanting to experiment with for a while. I brewed my usual extract IPA recipe, but with the only hop addition being a huge whirlpool addition (8oz in 2.25 gallons) at 120F for one hour.
Theoretically, there should be virtually no isomerization of alpha-acids at that temp. It will be interesting to see how much perceived bitterness there will be. I do plan on sending a sample out for analysis to see what the measured IBU level is as well. Stay tuned.
Same here, flavor wise. I am curious to see what it gives from a bitterness perspective. I wouldn’t be surprised if it is a significant amount despite the relatively cool temp. The recent findings about humulinones put some ideas in my head and this is one of the tests I wanted to run.
On a friend’s advice, I whirlpool-hopped my last brew at 150. My standard has always been 170, so I’ll be interested to taste it. Your 120 has my interest.
I’m interested too. These are strange times we’re in. Lot’s of common brewing tech being challenged. Last IPA I did I split the dry hops. Half was Cent/Cascade and other was Chinook/Nelson. Same amounts, I think it was 50/50 2oz per. Cent/Casdade rocked of course. Chinook/Nelson had this incredible fresh melon smell but was nearly undrinkable bitter. I was shocked. Dry hop added bitterness?!
Largest improvement in my hopstands/whirlpool was frequent stirring. Largest improvement my IPA’s in general was cold crashing for a weekish/totally bright and racking off to secondary :o prior to the dry hop. The yeast is definitely is sucking the life out of the hops at least in my process.
I started playing around with the 120F whirlpool around the same time as Jim had proposed this experiment, and I’ve come to a similar conclusion as the IGORs - that the lower steep temp is definitely different, but I’m undecided if it is necessarily better. That said, I’ve been doing all my whirlpools at 120F in recent months, so maybe I’ve already subconsciously decided which I like better…
How long before your IPA’s fade? Mine are about 2 maybe 3 weeks tops. I plan to try some ascorbic acid and/or maybe some of the LODO type stuff and see if that helps.
I’ve been using ascorbic acid at kegging on hoppy beers (though I may start doing it on all beers), and it seems to definitely extend the aroma life. As long as (as we mentioned) you dry hop clear beer and don’t let the yeast drag half of the hop oils down, of course. Just anecdotal, but I feel like I get an extra couple weeks of hop aroma using ascorbic. Then when the aroma dwindles (being a keg hopper anyway) I add more hops to the keg.
Edit - Looking forward to a Brewtan B IPA/APA kegged with ascorbic.
Cut the outpost? I envision keg to keg dry hopped beer to be quite the PITA/mess/something getting clogged if you’re using a screen. Maybe it’s not too big a deal. Also, the waste of 5G of sanitizer and use of CO2 just doesn’t jive to me. Fairly certain the pros are not kegging this way either…
That’s encouraging about ascorbric acid. A few weeks more would be perfect. I will say polyclar in the boil does a fabulous job extending the life of beers that aren’t dry hopped. Absolutely no hop fade on PA after months. The clarity is a whole other level too.
To get us back on topic ;D (sorry!) I do find that low temp whirlpools do seem to lock in aroma longer and the age slower than a dry hop but the overall effect is reduced compared to the dryhop on bright beer. Probably the yeast interaction and aroma getting carried out the airlock…