Calculating hop tea/flameout with IanH's spreadsheet

[DonPolo]

I'm pretty much getting the hang of Ian H's spreadsheet for a whole range of things, including the Brewday recipe generation which I only just found ~ derr!

Anyway I was wondering how to enter a calculation of a hop tea addition or an addition at flameout. Can I take it that there is no point because an addition at this time adds no bitterness or only a negligible amount?

Speaking of which, when you do a hop addition at flameout how long should you wait before cooling the wort down? I've seen recommendations here and other places suggesting you should immediately place the wort in an ice/water bath as soon as possible to stop the development of nasty tasting compounds. If that is the case, would the heat that is supposed to be extracting the flavour from the hops be quickly lost along with the said flavour?

[Norris!]

Ian's spreadsheet doesnt have a flameout addition but I used to use 5 to 8 minutes as a base until I went to beersmith.

An addition that is added when the wort temperature is above 80c will extract bitterness, so if you cool the wort down to below 80c then the steep/flameout will extract flavour and aromas but little to no bitterness. A flameout addition will extract bitterness but depending on the amount it CAN be negligible but if you are using a lot of hops at flameout or high alpha acid hops, without cooling to below 80c you will get a good whack of bitterness.

As for when to add the flameout additions it depends on what you are after, if you want some bitterness add the hops right when you turn the heat off or set the pot in water, let cool to 80c and then add hops for the steep.

Hope that answers your questions

Norris

[Otto Von Blotto]

There are a few variables that affect it, the biggest ones being the variety and amount of hops used and the volume of wort. From the point of view of how long it stays above 80 degrees if not being actively cooled, that depends on the volume of wort and ambient temperature. 

Generally speaking for a hop steep in extract brewing the volume is quite small so you could probably just calculate it as a 5 minute boil addition. If you cool it below 80 and then add the hops then I wouldn't worry about the bitterness. Any that is extracted would be negligible.

[Beerlust]

Sorry for the late reply on this one.

I still use IanH's spreadsheet for my recipe formulation. Hop tea's are generally recommended to be done around 65-70°C & held for 20-30mins. This temperature zone is the best temperature zone for accepted rapid extraction of hop flavour & to a lesser degree aroma without extracting bitterness.

A flameout addition will have varying degrees of how much bitterness it adds depending on how long the wort remains at or above 80°C that is the generally accepted temperature at which bitterness from hops is still being produced in the wort.

As the brewer you can control these areas & time-frames to suit your methods. Just be aware of what your processes are allowing & producing. Consistency of process will allow you to make the adjustments YOU feel are necessary to achieve the levels you want in your beer(s).

Cheers,

Lusty.