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I've just tasted my first brew, a pilsener that has been maturing for 2 months, of which the last month has been in the fridge. It's nice, and reasonably bitter.

I would like to experiment with my next batch and make the same, but aiming for a slightly hoppier aroma and taste.

Last time I boiled 25g of Saaz hops for an hour or so in the wort, so this time I was thinking of adding another 25g for aroma/taste.

When should I add it? After turning the heat off the wort and leaving it to cool? Or towards the end of fermentation (dryhoppng)? Bear in mind that I will be fermenting at 10 degrees centigrade, although I do give it a diacetyl rest at room temperature before bottling (I also add gelatine as finings during this period). Also, I don't have a second barrel or fermenter, so I won't be racking it...

You are scaring me if you are simply allowing it to cool. What is your brewing method, Full 5 gallon boil, partial boil and then add water?

Dogger

Oh right, I see what you mean.

Well, last time I boiled the wort (not sure how much there was, but it filled a very large pot/saucepan type thing. I added it to cold water in the fermenter, and then topped it up to 23 litres with more cold water water, and the final temperature was about 20-22 degrees centigrade before pitching the yeast.

I think with regard to the hops I'll just follow one of Oliver's Pilsener recipes and put it in the boil, that way I can blame him when it goes wrong!

I pitch the hops into the fermentor add the boiling wart and then add the cold water as quickly as possible

Dogger

Magictorch,

Why don't you boil the 25 grams as you did previously, then add some hops about 10 minutes from the end of the boil and another lot when you turn off the heat, and let them steep for 10 or 20 minutes then strain the whole lot into the fermenter.

25g is a lot of hops at the end may result in too much aroma and taste. Maybe try splitting the 25g pack into two lots. Wrap one lot in plastic and foil and keep it in a jar in the fridge for next time.

Take the other half and halve that. Use one half 10 minutes from the end and the other half right at the end.

Does that make completely no sense, or what?

Cheers,

Oliver

Yep, that makes sense - I'll try 25g at the beginning for bitterness and about 12g at the end for aroma.

Cheers!