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Oxidizing hops for flavour

Post #1 made 14 years ago
by soupdragon
Hi all

Read a post on another forum by Graham Wheeler about oxidizing flavour hops before adding them towards the end of the boil. Has anybody here tried it?
I've given it a go in my 4th BIAB, it's fermenting away as I type and the smell escaping through the air lock is amazing. My only worry is that most of the flavour/aroma is being lost through the ferment :sad:
With my next brew, I'll try dry hopping to see how that compares.
Any views? :)

Cheers Tom
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Post #2 made 14 years ago
by BobBrews
soupdragon,
oxidizing flavour hops before adding them towards the end of the boil
I am not acquainted with the terminology of this. I am beginning to take the finishing hops and adding them to the primary after the fermentation is done. The active fermentation strips the aromas with the scrubbing action of the bubbles. At least that is the theory? Is this what you are doing or are you adding "Old" hops that are past there prime for some flavoring? Explain it to me.
Last edited by BobBrews on 24 Jun 2011, 20:06, edited 5 times in total.
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Post #3 made 14 years ago
by BobBrews
sigurdur,

Your right. This is what I was referring to. The longer you brew the better the chance that you will end up with oxidized hops. A while back ago I opened a 8 oz. package of frozen hops needing only two oz.. I left them on my work bench (Open) for a week before I realized it! I had my first 6 oz. of oxidized hops! I don't think they were out long enough to qualify for (aged) hops but I used those 6 oz. for a very tasty hop bomb! Citra was the hop variety.
tap 1 Raspberry wine
tap 2 Bourbon Barrel Porter
tap 3 Czech Pilsner
tap 4 Triple IPA 11% ABV
Pipeline: Mulled Cider 10% ABV

http://cheesestradamus.com/ Brewers challenge!
    • SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From United States of America

Post #4 made 14 years ago
by soupdragon
Hi

The basic idea is to prematurely age GOOD hops in an effort to oxidize them by soaking them in hot water from the start of the mash, then add them ( inc the water ) towards the end of the boil. This is supposed to change the flavouring oils to a form that are much more soluble in the wort and don't get driven off as quickly when they're added in the last 20 mins of the boil.
Link to the post....... http://www.practicalbrewing.co.uk/forum ... ?f=14&t=69
The smell coming from the air lock on my previous brews was nowhere near as aromatic as those on this trial brew.
I hope I've explained that well enough but if you real the whole thread in the link ( it's not too long ), Graham explains it much more clearly :)

Cheers Tom
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Post #5 made 14 years ago
by soupdragon
I've never dry hopped so that's next on my list. As far as my limited knowledge goes, dry hopping is better for hop aroma rather than flavour?

Cheers Tom
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Post #6 made 14 years ago
by soupdragon
BobBrews wrote:Citra was the hop variety.
MMMMMMMMMMM Citra :yum:
Got 200g to play with once I've sorted my " best hop flavour " method out :P

Cheers Tom
Last edited by soupdragon on 24 Jun 2011, 23:22, edited 5 times in total.
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Post #7 made 14 years ago
by Beachbum
I've been following a hint on some other forum somewhere, to take my hops out of the freezer a few hours before the brewing and let them warm up and just sit. Apparently many of the modern dual purpose hops such as Challenger, Chinook etc contain skunky elements (which aren't in the old trad hops like Goldings) that tend to evaporate off when warm, so give a cleaner result.

Edit: I remember now, the thread said that nowadays the hops are picked, dried and pelleted so quickly that they are in the shrink wraps within a few hours of being picked, and many unwanted flavours can be packed right into them as opposed to the old days when the flowers were just stored in the traditional sacks.

Post #8 made 14 years ago
by soupdragon
Interesting.......
Something to try out in a future brew :)
So far the 1st part of my trial has been in the barrel for just 2 days. I must admit it didn't smell particularly fruity ( used Chinook for the flavouring addn trial ) when I racked it. Although when it was fermenting it smelt really REALLY nice :)

Cheers Tom
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Post #9 made 14 years ago
by soupdragon
Bugg*r :sad:

I can't have rinsed my barrel properly. Got a slight medicinal taste in this 1st trial. I know there are other possible causes but I've been suspecting my bleach sterilizing solution has been too strong for a while...........
Am I right in thinking that a campden tablet or some sodium metabisulphate in hot water will help to remove the smell after I've rinsed the barrel? It's no help for this brew but if I can be sure of killing the smell dead for my next then I'll be a lot happier :)

Cheers Tom
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Post #10 made 14 years ago
by soupdragon
Ah....

I thought that once the yeast had reacted with the chlorine to produce the flavour you were stuck with it? I'll be more than happy to be wrong about that though :P
I've got another barrel coming empty soon but I've not got time to do another brew ( work and a break away with the missus ) for at least 2 weeks :sad: So if this doesn't clean up I'll be without :argh: :headhit:

Cheers Tom
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Post #11 made 14 years ago
by soupdragon
Well it's had almost a week for the medicinal flavour to dissipate but unfortunately is still there and as strong as ever :sad: I'll give it another week or so but I can see this one ending up down the grid...............
It's a mistake I won't make again :idiot:

Cheers Tom
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