Adapting a kit with hops for the first time

[SquireKnott]

For my next brew (no. 5) I want to add my own hops.

Reading the board Coopers APA seems to be a good kit to adapt - is this right?

I love a grapefruity flavour in a beer - which hop(s) would give me this?

With the Festival kits I've had hop pellets that I've just dropped in and they've dissolved by bottling time - are these available to buy on their own outside of kits or do the foil packets in brew shops carry the whole hops?

I think I understand dry hopping by placing them in the FV in a muslin bag?

Is this the simplest way to start off or does boiling them up produce better/different results?

[Manngold]

Hey squire. I was just about to post this! Wow. Fate.

I was planning to use citra again. This is only my thrilled brew, was going to dry hop.

What else do I need to add tho? It us a single kit? Does it need dme (still don't know what this is), brewing sugar, spray malt?

Was planning to do this on Saturday!

[Geezah]

Coopers APA is a good kit to adapt

Citra or Apollo will give nice citrusy flavours.


If its your first time I would suggest:

1 tin coopers apa
1 tin LME or 1kg of DME

empty the tin(s) in to the fv, fill tin(s) with boiling water and add 25g of citra / apollo and leave for 20 mins.
Use this time to add (DME) water and thrash the wort.

Add the 'hop tea' from the tin through a strainer in to the wort and pitch the yeast.

After day 5-7 of fermentation, add another 25-50g of hops direct to the fv for your dry hop.

After 14-21 days siphon your beer in to keg / bottle and prime / force carb.

[Manngold]

Thanks geezah. Sorry Squire, didn't mean to hijack your thread. I have citra hops at the moment, so would probably use those.

[SquireKnott]

No problem Manngold.

Thanks geez ah

[GavH]

With the Festival kits I've had hop pellets that I've just dropped in and they've dissolved by bottling time - are these available to buy on their own outside of kits or do the foil packets in brew shops carry the whole hops?

Either or - you can get hop leaves or hop pellets in the silver bags. The choice is up to you and you can use hop pellets to do with your APA what you've done previously with your Festival kits ie just chuck them in.

I think I understand dry hopping by placing them in the FV in a muslin bag?

Not necessarily, you can put the hops in without a bag, but it may make racking or bottling the beer more problematic in respect of syphoning up loose hops or blocking a tap etc, hence why people put them into a bag. Dry hopping could also mean what you've already alluded to above with the pellets.

Is this the simplest way to start off or does boiling them up produce better/different results?

Yes, dry hopping is (for me) the simplest way to start off. Boiling is (as you've already noted) quite a different practice as the aim there (in its simplest form) is to extract bitterness (longer boil ie 60mins) or some flavour (shorter boil ie 15 mins). Dry hopping is usually conducted after fermentation is complete and adds the hop aroma principally.

I have recently made a Coopers APA where I boiled some Cascade and Galaxy (15 mins and 5 mins respectively I think) and also made two hop teas with each as well. This is where you steep hops in hot water for up to maybe 30 mins. I did mine in 2 x cafetierres much as you would for coffee and then pressed the plunger and poured the hop infused water straight into the FV. You won't get any additional bitterness and you'll lose some of the aroma and flavour to the fermentation process, but it's another easy way to experiment with hops. FWIW, the brew has turned out pretty decent!

[simco999]

What else do I need to add tho? It us a single kit? Does it need dme (still don't know what this is), brewing sugar, spray malt?

Was planning to do this on Saturday!

DME is Dried Malt Extract or Spray Dried Malt Extract. It's the dry version of the malt extract you get in a tin when you get a kit.

As Geezah has said just add 1kg to a kit to up the sugar content.

You don't need to add any other sugars. (Some people do anyway)

[SquireKnott]

As an aside - what's their Australian Pale Ale like on its jack?

[barry44]

Its alright but it does benefit from tinkering

[Geezah]

As an aside - what's their Australian Pale Ale like on its jack?

It is very much like a lager / ale crossover drink. Very light, not bitter at all and lacks a little body.

[neilmcca]

Squire...
U may find the following 2 sites quite useful.

http://kotmf.com/beer/2012/list-of-common-hops/
http://www.homebrewstuff.com/hop-profiles

[SquireKnott]

Thanks Neil.

What effect does high or low alpha acid produce?

[neilmcca]

I'm not that well up on it so someone correct me if i'm wrong,
i think the higher alpha acids are used for bittering (taste) while the lower are used for aroma.
theres different ways to add the hops as well,
a hop "tea", basically add your hops to boiling water and "steep" for 30 mins or so, then remove hops and add water to fermenter with the wort,
or, dry hop, which is adding your hops to the fermenter after fermenting has finished, about 3-4 days prior to you bottling your beer (this method if more for aroma).

again, sorry if i have that "tits up".

[Geezah]

neilmcca is prety much on the button.

The AA % of the hops determins the amount of extractable oils in the hop, thus
High AA offering more flavour / bittering / arom per gram when used

Getting to know your hops is a must as you can select the right hops for the brew and then decide how they are to be used.
Boilling the hops in wort creates bittering - 60-90 minutes of boil typically in an all grain / extract style
Steeping the hops in boiled water offer flavour from the hops with little to no bittering
Hops dry in the fermenting beer offer aroma only.

[SquireKnott]

Coopers APA is a good kit to adapt

Citra or Apollo will give nice citrusy flavours.


If its your first time I would suggest:

1 tin coopers apa
1 tin LME or 1kg of DME

Medium or Light DME?

Citra or Apollo will give nice citrusy flavours.


empty the tin(s) in to the fv, fill tin(s) with boiling water and add 25g of citra / apollo and leave for 20 mins.

Would hop pellets work here or would they need to be whole hops?