Because it doesn’t have a supply of 3 gal the following will happen. As the CO2 is consumed by the beer its replaced by air. That air dilutes the CO2 and the CO2 partial pressure falls. Less CO2 partial pressure less ability for the beer to hold CO2. At some point there will be an eqilibrium where the beer has all the CO2 it can hold while the head space has just enough CO2 to create a CO2 pressure that matches what the beer needs to hold its CO2. One can write this equation and solve it but I don’t think that this is necessary.
74 was FWHed while 78 has a more classical Pilsner hopping. But both were brewed a few weeks apart. When I checked my notes I didn’t mention anything about harsh bitterness for any of them.
I guess your mileage does very and there are likely other factors that may play a role. I like FWH b/c I don’t have to worry about additional hop additions later and can leave the boil alone for most of the time.
Kai, what hops did you use for FWH in that pilsner that turned out so well?
Me thinks this is like dry hopping, it works better with some hop varieties than others. And as you said, there are likely a number of factors in play. I’d suggest looking at water chemistry, hummulene/myrcene/etc. content of the hops, and of course malts used (for balance). The three times I used FWH and it turned out nice, was with 2% spalt. Four times I did FWH and the results were not good at all; the hops were hersbrucker and tettnang in those cases, at 4.5+%. It would be nice to know more about this as when it works, it’s great. At this point however, I’ll probably only try it with low aa% because I don’t like that lingering bitterness and it’s not worth risking a beer.
very good point seajellie - your examples are similar to the experience I’ve had with FWH - with Spalt, its been nice, but in the pilsner I made recently (mentioned a few posts back in this thread) it was actually Hallertau and Tettnang as the FWH, which isn’t terrible, but I don’t really like it and prefer the traditional kettle additions.
The beers that I sent to Jeff were all hopped with Hallertau Tradition. I first noticed that FWHing gives an authentic Pilsner hop flavor and profile when I brewed a Helles and used FWH. My think was that if it doesn’t work I’ll get a Helles and when it works I’ll have a Pilsner. Here is a blog entry on this : Helles That Became A Pilsner.
I figure that, with most brewing techniques, you can neither discredit it or claim that it is the best and only way to brew. We have little understanding what actually happens during FWH although there are some compelling theories out there. The only thing we know is that it can work.
[quote]The hops are grown in the nearby Zatec region of Bohemia. Hops are initially added into the sweet wort before it reaches a boil (first wort hopping); more hops are added about 80 minutes before the end of the boil, and the final addition is added about 25 minutes before the end of the boil. (Pilsner Urquell is not dry-hopped.) Alpha-acid levels in the Saaz hops during the past five years have averaged about 3.8%
[/quote]
I also think that 80 min boil gives it vegetile notes.
I have to say I got very close hop aroma.
I wonder if they do not “age” the hops to use these techniques.
on another HB forum>
I was told that " (Palmer, or Chris Colby of BYO) said that in order to truly provide enough O2 to oxydize our beers it would take pumping and entire one of our red oxygen bottle/airstones into our beer AFTER fermentation is complete." :
and that I’m obsessing because of wanting to purge my carboys & `burp the kegs with CO2.
The wide range of info one comes across on the internet.
That must have been taken out of context or the originator of this statement has a different idea of what oxidation is. I have purposefully oxidized beer and didn’t need a full O2 tank.
I don’t get it either… regardless, the CO2 is heavier (creating a blanket) than the small amount of air that could possibly have entered the carboy so the beer should never have been oxidized in the first place. ???
That’s a myth. Co2 and o2 mix. There is not a co2 blanket once the beer stops producing co2 if there is a way for 02 to get in. Otherwise you wouldn’t be able to breath on the earth since co2 would blanket the entire surface right about head level.
Oh I’m sure it mixes but at such a small quantity its hardly traceable without very sophisticated equipment. Just fess up major, you splashed it didn’t ya?
