11 replies to this topic

[Big Nake]

I had the rare occasion to be able to brew on a Friday night so I put this beer together. It may be my last in a series of late-hopped pale ales where some of our new and more exotic (relatively speaking) hops were used. I had one with Amarillo, Simcoe, Citra, Motueka & NS and then one with all Nelsons and another with all Galaxy. These beers used the whirlpool addition we've been talking about.

Friday Night Pale Ale (new name coming for sure...)

8.5 lbs Briess Pale Malt
1 lbs Vienna
4 ounces Belgian CaraMunich II
.5 oz Magnum pellets 9.5% for 40 mins
1 oz Hop Blend for 10 minutes (blend is .33 oz Citra 14.5%, .33 oz Motueka 7.2% and .33 oz Nelson Sauvin 11.8%)
1 oz Hop Blend for 2 minutes
1 oz Hop Blend whirlpool addition (lower wort temp to 175°, stop chill, add hops & stir for 15 mins, resume chill)
Wyeast 1272 American Ale II

OG: 1.052, FG: 1.012, IBU: 39, SRM: 7, ABV: 4.9%

Mash temp was 150.6° for 60 mins, single infusion. I used Martin's Amber Balanced water profile and the mash pH was dead on, as usual. The color will be a very light amber and the 1272 flocs like a MOFO so I should get that good clarity. I'm going to stop with these late-hopped beers until I've had the chance to taste them and determine what I like and what I don't. The one with the 5-hops (my version of New Glarus' Moon Man) is on tap now and quite delicious. On some, I have used a FWH addition, on others a small 60-min addition and on this one I went with a 40-minute addition... just to see how they compare. Cheers Beerheads.

[Steve Urquell]

Ken have you tasted any of your whirlpool addition brews yet?

[Big Nake]

No. Three are in secondary and one I just made last night. I'm curious to know if whirlpool + dry hop is a good idea or if dry hopping isn't necessary because the whirlpool profile is so robust. I think one of those whirlpool beers will be heading to a keg next week so I will keep you posted once I sample it.

[positiveContact]

I did a whirlpool addition today @ 130F. kind of spaced out. hopefully not too cool to do any good

[Big Nake]

I did a whirlpool addition today @ 130F. kind of spaced out. hopefully not too cool to do any good

To go from 212 to 175 is very quick for me. It seems like I turn on my water, stir for 10 seconds and then I have to run back over and hit the water again. The only downside I see to the whirlpool addition is that is extends the part of the brewday I like the least... chilling. I like to chill as quickly as possible to get it over with. The additional 10-15 mins is torture for me.

[positiveContact]

oh - am I supposed to stop chilling after I put the hops in? I just let it keep going. it takes a while for me to get down to low 60s.

[Big Nake]

Chill from 212 to 175, stop chill, add hops and stir for 15 mins, resume chill. I think. That's what I've been doing.

[Brauer]

Ken have you tasted any of your whirlpool addition brews yet?

No. Three are in secondary and one I just made last night.

Don't wait too long, those beers are going to be best young.
It's a shame to go to this extra trouble to add flavor and aroma only to have all the best fresh character age out of the beer.

What did you think of them when they were going onto secondary?

[positiveContact]

Chill from 212 to 175, stop chill, add hops and stir for 15 mins, resume chill. I think. That's what I've been doing.

yeah - I couldn't really stir much b/c I had to bag the hops (whole hops). next time I do this it will be pellets so I'll be able to stir.

[Big Nake]

Don't wait too long, those beers are going to be best young.
It's a shame to go to this extra trouble to add flavor and aroma only to have all the best fresh character age out of the beer.

What did you think of them when they were going onto secondary?

The flavor and aroma seemed very good but I'm terrible at judging warm, flat beer. Here's my strategy: Get them to a keg, chill, carb and sample. If the hop character is good, I'll serve it as is but it I think it could use a punch in the tastebuds, I'll drop an ounce of pellets into the keg and freshen it up that way. I have an AAA that I make occasionally with a good amount of Mt. Hood and Liberty and it gets an ounce of Liberty in a muslin bag right in the keg and the hop presense is very nice. But I'm not sure it will need it. Yet. I now see that 2 of these beers could hit kegs by this coming week and I'll have a better feel. Also, I admit that I am not one to crave other-worldly hopitude. I like a good burst of fresh hops but understand that 3-4 ounces of pellets in 5 gallons is a lot for me.

Edited by KenLenard, 04 November 2012 - 08:22 AM.

[al_bob]

I did a whirlpool addition today @ 130F. kind of spaced out. hopefully not too cool to do any good

I did my last two beers that way. I can't walk away again. First one is in the keg and I'd say there is a nice difference. Actually the 2nd beer I stopped at 155+.

Edited by al_bob, 09 November 2012 - 01:24 PM.

[Big Nake]

I did my last two beers that way. I can't walk away again. First one is in the keg and I'd say there is a nice difference. Actually the 2nd beer I stopped at 155+.

Seems reasonable that you could lower the temp to "some point" and do the whirlpool addition and get good results. Until I hear some scientific evidence as to why this is beneficial (at which point I would just ignore it anyway because it's over my head), I'll assume that 175° isn't necessarily magic, just one of the stops along the whirlpool highway. I think my best example of this method will be the batch with all pale malt (Briess), some Magnum to bitter and then all late Nelson Sauvin. It's in a keg and carbing now... ready Sunday night just in time for Bears v. Texans.

Edited by KenLenard, 10 November 2012 - 08:29 AM.