First wort hops in BIAB

[Hamish Jones]

just trying to work out the best way to do a first wort hopping in a BIAB setup, anyone done this and had any success that might point me in the right direction?

[Scarrfie]

You could use them as mash hops, not something I have done though. That could be either in the bag or out. But at 70°C I don't think time is a factor in regards to bitterness so they could stay in the whole mash. Other option is to throw them in when you lift the bag and let the bag drain before you put more heat in for the boil.

[Hamish Jones]

good ideas, I might have to do a couple of brews side by side with both ideas and see how they go

[Des Ross]

I have read that its recommended to use low alfa acid hops, no more than 30% of your hop bill ( to minimize the bitterness extracted from the boil) and simply add hops to the bottom of your boiler and run the wort from the mash tun over them prior to the boil. Apparently the reduced heat somehow has the effect of locking in flavour and aroma, reducing vaporization of the delicate oils normally associated with early hop additions and getting a really pleasant hop bitterness in the finished beer. I  am going to try FWH in conjunction with very late hopping then addition(s) of infused hop tea during fermentation. I have had great results  with adding hop tea to my fermenter just prior to kegging (as an alternative to dry hopping).

[Crusader-Rob]

Am I correct in saying that the First wort hops act like a 20 mins addition? I think I read that somewhere??

No Idea on how much truth there is to this, but Could be another option?

[Druid]

It sounds like you guys are talking about 2 different things. FWH is a bittering technique which is supposed give you a smoother bitterness as well as a slight increase in bitterness compared with a normal 60 or 90 minute addition (Beersmith defaults to an IBU increase of 10% for first wort additions). Mash hopping on the other hand will reputedly give you the same effect as a late addition ie. for flavour.

As to whether either are possible with BIAB, I would say that Scarrfie is right - adding them when you mash in would be pretty close to mash hopping and adding it to the wort just before you start heating for your boil would give you a similar effect to FWH.

I've done both in a 3 vessel equipment setup and FWH does seem to give you a smoother bitterness. I can't say the mash hopping was conclusive re taste as I also did substantial flavour additions in the brew I tried it in - but it was certainly a very hop forward result.

[Hamish Jones]

done a few hours reading today and the general consensus is to add it when you remove the  bag then wait a while to allow for sparge time then get the burner cranking, so cheers Scarrfie and Druid that's how I will proceed, will give it a go what's the worst that'll happen I'll just have to brew it again

[Julian Melville]

I've just done a BIAB brew with half the bittering hops as FWH, I added them when I pulled the bag. It took about half an hour to get up to a boil and I figured that was probably fine. Tastes good too.

[Richard Deeble]

I do pretty much the same thing when I bother to first wort hop. It seems to be a good technique for certain styles where you want a really clean noble hop character like German Lagers, especially if its going to be your sole addition. I haven't found it to be as useful for hoppier styles, although I did first wort hop a hoppy New Zealand  wheat today with a little cascade.

In terms of the IBU contribution, I'm personally don't think you get much from first wort hopping than you would for a 60 or 90 minute addition. I think this is partly because by leaving the hops in solution so long you are probably beginning to breakdown and degrade various hop compounds and allowing them to bind with other compounds in your wort. If you look at the difference in IBU's between a 90 and 60 minute addition it is fairly small.

I've mashed hopped once. Didn't really add anything I could notice as being particularly specific to mash hopping, other than used up some of the crapload of Green Bullet flowers I had! I'm generally a fan of simple 60 minute addition (if at all) followed by big late/whirlpool additions if I am brewing something hop forward.