just wonder if this would work
my next brew is with a 90min boil
I was wondering if I bring the wort up to boiling point
then but all the hops in and steep for the full 90min boil time
but don't do a rolling boil just steep the hops
would this work
Re: would this work
I think the answer is probably 'no', but it depends what you mean by 'work'.
You'll get beer at the end of it, but it won't taste as the recipe intended and I would guess it won't keep well, as the hop acids might not isomerise (fix) properly.
You'll get beer at the end of it, but it won't taste as the recipe intended and I would guess it won't keep well, as the hop acids might not isomerise (fix) properly.
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Kev888
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Re: would this work
A good strong (rolling) boil works to drive off things like DMS and its precursors, achieve good hop utilisation and also hot break. If you only steep then some or all of those may be compromised.
If the recipe included late hops, bringing them forward to 90mins will also drive off almost all hop aroma, much of the flavour, and extract much more bitterness. Keeping the steep below 80c would help avoid some of the flavour losses and bitterness gains, but after 90mins aroma will still be poor and you'd get very, very little utilization of the bittering/90min hops. The wort would also be decidedly compromised by not being boiled.
So there are lots of potential reasons not to do this. You haven't said why you want to, but unless you really have no option at all I'd suggest its a bad idea.
If the recipe included late hops, bringing them forward to 90mins will also drive off almost all hop aroma, much of the flavour, and extract much more bitterness. Keeping the steep below 80c would help avoid some of the flavour losses and bitterness gains, but after 90mins aroma will still be poor and you'd get very, very little utilization of the bittering/90min hops. The wort would also be decidedly compromised by not being boiled.
So there are lots of potential reasons not to do this. You haven't said why you want to, but unless you really have no option at all I'd suggest its a bad idea.
Kev