60 minute hop additions

“…extract too much bitterness and/or harshness…”

Well, as regards “too much bitterness” that is easy enough to address: just use a lesser amount of hops for the bittering addition. For example if you typically use 1 ounce of hops for the 60 minute addition you can easily use a lesser amount (e.g., 0.5 ounces).

I have read a number of homebrewers opine on the topic of “harshness” of the bittering addition and often times they ascribe this due to certain hops varieties and then state that it is better to use ‘clean’ bittering hop varieties instead (e.g., Warrior, Magnum,…). I personally have never perceived any harshness from the hops I used to bitter my beers. A function of my personal palate? Or since I typically use hops like Warrior or Magnum for bittering there is something to this supposed ‘clean’ bittering hops thing?

I will continue to always obtain the majority of my IBUSs from a 60 minute bittering addition because this ‘works’ for my homebrewed beers.

The beauty of homebrewing is that we are all head brewers of our breweries and we can do whatever we choose to do. Try something different and see if for your palate the net result is improvement.

Cheers!

 

I use First Wort Hopping in all of my beers instead of 60min addition, mainly because it requires me to pay a little be less attention at the beginning of the boil, and I feel I also get a better hot break. All of my beers also have at a 30 and 10 minute addition as well (mainly so that I have to pay attention to the boil and don't get caught up in something else), often very small if it's not a hoppy beer. So to hit my IBU numbers, it's often a very small addition for FWH (I can't remember the last time I used a full ounce at this addition).

The Pliny the Elder clone has a really big 60min addition, and I wouldn't say that the bitterness is harsh at all. Forceful, yes, but not harsh.

 

Pretty sure I’ve read recently that all alpha acids are usually isomerized in 20 minutes. Can’t remember where I read that.

I too have recently moved the first kettle addition to 30 minutes. I feel like I can add more hops that will have a bigger impact on flavor and aroma and still get the necessary bitterness. I also lower the boil pH to closer to 5.0 before that addition to extract less bitterness.

All the info coming out lately about Thiols and there potential impact on the aroma of hoppy beers also points to doing a large addition at 30 to maximize 3MH potency as it actually increases during the boil. It increases all the way up to 60 minutes but the difference between 30 Minutes and 60 minutes is rather minimal. I’ve been using large charges of Simcoe and/or Cascade at 30 to maximize 3MH contribution which has the potential To be transformed into 3MHA depending on the yeast you’re using.

 

The beauty of homebrewing. Try what you want.

And we all have our own unique palates which in all probability is the most impactful variable of them all.

Cheers!

 

Several years back the wisdom on here was that 30 minute additions were a waste of hops.

Look up the Two Hearted recipe on the AHA site. It has 45 and 30 minute boil additions.

 

This would be nice, but I don't think it's true, at least not at normal (boiling) temperatures. The kinetics have been studied at least a few times since (and maybe before) Glenn Tinseth's famous experiments. Here's Mark Malowicki's thesis, for example. It's especially nice because it also looks at the kinetics at various temperatures. The money shot is Figure 2.1(B) on page 21.

https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/downloads/bz60d000z

 

I add more... 1-1.5oz in 6 gallon batch for 5% 2oz for 6.5%. Don’t generally make bigger beers than that.

I also only boil at 201 so there’s that.

Prolly gonna stop lowering my WP temps below 180 too.

 

Lately, I’ve been boiling my IPA brews for 45 minutes with a small charge of Warrior at the start of the boil and variation late boil/FO/DH. I’ve been very happy with this and may experiment with 30 minute additions.

 

adjust BU:GU according to taste

 

I've tryed many ways of adding hops and for me, they all work.
Some are. Just more bitter than others.

Made a brew with 3 oz at 10-5-fo each. All fairly high acid hops and its bitter fer sur. O other hops.

First wort hopping is easy and I. Do it, and then I don't.

So change up the process some, you might find a better way for now
RUN AN GUN BREWING

 

That is why you add hops at certain times. Aroma disapates pretty quickly, sometimes with 3 months, but flavor remains much longer in the beer, so it really depends what you're shooting for. A NEIPA is, for example, low in bitterness and high in aroma, so almost all hops go into the beer post boil.

 

What software are you using to compute bitterness? I find differences in added bitterness (especially flame out additions) depending on which software is being used. Even Vikeman has to do some hand-waving to explain this in Brewcipher. In my experience my beers end up with more bitterness than computed . . . not calling them harsh, just overly bitter. Many commercial brews will post their IBU level and when I copy them my beer is noticeably more bitter. So I tend to "under-bitter" my beers according to software to match what I really want.

Nothing wrong with sifting 60 min to 45 or 30, I have a few beers with no hops till 15 mins (and they are bittered in the 35 - 45 range). Also, I use hop extract almost exclusively for the early addition . . . no flavor, just pure alpha-acid bitterness.

My suggestion: drink more commercial beers alongside your homebrews. SN (and others) publish their IBU levels . . . compare this to yours and adjust software/quantities to hit the right level according to your taste.

 

I'll just add that BC does have a Brewhouse parameter called "Hop Utilization Multiplier" that can be used by folks who tend to make beers that seem more (or less) bitter than commercial calibration beers.

 

That chart is a blast from the past.

Hop research has found much more. If you're interested, Scott Janish has a great blog.