I have started Dip Hopping instead of a hopstand and/or first dry hop. The results are very significant. Dip Hopping an Italian Pils or any Lager using aromatic Noble hops - Saaz, Spelter, any Hallertau - makes the hop flavour profile jump right out at you. Although I have only Dip Hopped 6 brews on recipes I have brewed many times, I have found New World hops, especially those well separated from their ancestors, do not get the same flavour and aroma boost. There is so little information on Dip Hopping it is hard to find a reason for this. I know the Japanese devised the method but most information is guarded like a trade secret creating lots of uncertainty as to the best/correct way to do it. If you dip hop, do you use water or wort for the “dip” and do you leave the hops and pitch on top or do you remove them?I have only used 1-1.5 L of wort and left the hops in.
I’ve also begun DIP Hopping this year. I’ve used it to replace flameout and hopstand hop additions in all my recipes. I steep hop pellets in a mesh bag inside a stainless steel french press with 3 cups water. I heat the water to 170F, pour it over the hops, and then put the french press in a 170F oven for 60 minutes. The hops steep while my wort boils. I add the hop water to the kettle after I’ve chilled the wort down to 130F or so. I’ve been happy with the results, and it shortens my brew day.
That sounds close to my understanding of Dip Hopping. From what I gather, the hop tea goes in the fermentor and the wort and yeast go on top. I did something along the line of what you are doing for one batch with the result not being as profound as leaving the hops in the fermentor. I know there is a fear of hop creep and plugged hoses and fittings but I have not experienced that. I have delved into this a lot since posting this and the procedure seems to be to keep the hops in the fermentor and throw everything else in on top. Glad you are saving time, which is a positive, and that you are happy with your results (as am I) but it would be nice to see something from AHA in an article or lecture properly describe the procedure so we don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
I agree it would be nice to get info from any others using similar procedures.
As for my experience with new world hops… I’ve brewed a hazy many times that has no boil hops. Just whirlpool (hopstand) and dry hops. I use a blend of Citra, Mosaic, Strata, and El Dorado with 3oz in a 20min hopstand starting at 175F, and then 3oz split between two dry hop additions. I brew 2.5 gallon batches.
Replacing the hop stand with the same amount of hops steeped in 3 cups of water at 170F for 60 minutes (as described above) produced a very slight improvement in hop flavor. But I also save 20+ minutes, and the process is both funner and more precise. So it’s what I do now.
For beers that aren’t dry hopped, but have late kettle additions, I get lots more hop character without bitterness with the DIP method. Actually bitterness is reduced because earlier kettle additions don’t stay at high temp as long. So I’ve had to modify some recipes with a few more hop pellets at 10min.
There is a dip hopping article in the Nov-Dec Brew Your Own Magazine. It arrived yesterday , so I’ve not read it yet.
I will take a look. I am not a subscriber but if the author has credibility and the science is there I am all for it. It beats reinventing the wheel.
I wouldn’t trust the guy writing those BYO columns.
I’ve read it now. It’s by a couple of guys named Denny and Drew.
Read the Hop Queries emsil that Stan Hieronymus sends out. Dip Hopping was how Kirin complied to the Japanese law that all ingredients have to be added before fermentation. They can’t dry hop.
Ha! I am guessing you are the author. I like your work and insight. When I get back to Canada I will look up the article.
I read about the work by Kirin which is what got me going on it. I am guessing the rest of the world may follow suit if the flavour is better, the time is less, the risk of infection is less and the cost is less.