Adding hops to Malt extract Brew.

[Jason WIlliam Taylor]

I want to add hops to a brew made with unhopped malt extract. I have a 1.8kg tin of this stuff and some Goldings hop pellets. I'm intending to boil the hops in water for a period (my book says 20 mins but I think an hour would be better) or should I boil the malt extract diluted in water with the hops for an hour?

Also what rate should I use? The hops are about 8 bu. I will be late hopping as well, with Fuggles.

 

Thanks for any advice in advance.

[MrC]

You'll be better of boiling the malt extract diluted in water and then adding hops over the course of one hour.  Boiling the hops with the diluted extract means that the gravity and ph are in the right ball park for getting what you want from the hops.

 

Here's a few questions to help you get some recipe advice:

What style of beer do you want to brew?  A hoppy Pale Ale?  

What yeast do you intend using?  

What size batch do you want to brew?  You may need more extract.

 

With unhopped extract you will be controlling all of the bitterness so you need to calculate your IBUs.  You will need a calculator to help you.  Check out the library for some good links.

 

Other than that, here's a good place to start:

http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter1-1.html

[Jason WIlliam Taylor]

Thanks for that Mr. Cherry. My brew is boiling right now. I have added 70g of Goldings hop pellets and will add some Fuggles after the boil. I found a hop calculator at  www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/hop_calculations there were several ways to do it. I aimed for a BU of about 30-35, can't remember whether thats bitter or not (I used to be a brewer in large breweries up until 12 years ago, but I've forgotten a few fundamentals. I havn't got a measuring tube so can't test a sample for SG but will dilute to taste when in the fermentor, I'm aiming for about 1045, will see what happens.

[MrC]

Good stuff Jason.  I have some thing similar boiling right now too.  Mine has Super Alpha at 60min with NZ Goldings at 30min, 0min & dry.  I'm aiming for an OG of 1.032 with 30IBU.

[Jason WIlliam Taylor]

I added a good handful of Fuggles at the end of the boil, while I was cooling down, tasted the wort which seems very bitter!! I have added some brew enhancer because I was concerned about the gravity. Well first go and all, will see what happens! What temperature do you recommend starting the fermentation at? Yours sounds like it's gonna have some punch!! Cheers!!

 

[MrC]

What temperature do you recommend starting the fermentation at?

Depends.  What yeast are you using?

[Jason WIlliam Taylor]

How much alcohol will we get from our brews?? Are you whole grain? If so what do you use for a mash tun?? What sort of brew are you making?

 

[MrC]

I brew All Grain sometimes and extract + specialty grains + hops the rest of the time.  It depends on what I'm trying to acheive.  Today I brewed using extract.  I will post the recipe on the "What Are You Brewing" thread when I get around to it.  I brewed an English Bitter that will be around 3.2% ABV, carbed low and drunk warm.  I'm using Wyeast 1968 and will be starting fermentation around 18-19C.

 

Here's a blog I created while back that show's my setup.  It seems most people on here swear by the braided SS hose rather tan using a manifold but my manifold works fine for me.