Somehow, inexplicably, you’ve ended up with a
four-pack of Fosters in your fridge. It’s taking up valuable beer or food space
but you don’t want to throw it away. Here’s your solution: home hop it.
It’s easy. Take one Home Hopper (some people
also use them to make coffee), throw in a handful of whole flower hops,
preferably something super citrusy or floral from America, and pour your beer
over it (though watch out for the foam explosion. See: nucleation points). Give
it a few minutes, swirl it around, press the plunger gently down and pour your
delicious American-hopped lager into your favourite glass.
This home hopping device can be the saviour
from those bad or boring beers you end up collecting in the fridge (and it needn't just be lager - use it for those bland brown bitters). Rather than
hitting the drain, pour them over flower hops and see how they become delicious
new drinks.
This does genuinely work, for those wondering. I used Citra hops
and the lager had this beautiful peachy, grassy, tropical aroma to it, even
after just a minute or two, and it completely changed the beer. The only
issue was that the hops and the plunger kicked the carbonation out of the beer,
but I think that sacrificing bubbles for hop aroma is a fair swap.
Another way to do it is this...Came out of discussions on my LAB dryhopping talk.
ReplyDeleteDry hop some water or (5% vodka water solution) in the same way you mention above except leave it for a couple of days in the fridge. Decant this into a resealable brown bottle and store in a dark place (you don't want skunking).
Anytime you have a beer that needs pepping up just pour in a splash of the hop water and you are sorted and no lack of carbonation.
Very good! and also a solution to the problem homebrewers have when they want an easy way to boost their dry hopping. I've seen guys try hopping in the bottle (when racking) but all you get is a beer puddle when you open it. I'm going to try this later!
ReplyDeleteFascinating and yet so simple. Wonderful idea and this will definitely clear some fridge space. Also a fine use for those left over hops that often go to waste.
ReplyDeleteI've always just bunged some lemonade in bad lager and had it as shandy. Bad bitter goes in a beef casserole. Or either can be used as a hair rinse. But I might try this instead.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the tale of Bert Grant, of Yakima brewing fame, who in the dark pre craft beer days used to take a sample of hop oil around with him to add to his glasses of Bud.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to try this but have never bought any hops before as I'm not a home brewer, is there anywhere you'd recommend when it comes to buying american hops in small quantities? Thanks in advance!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun idea, I'll be trying it as soon as I have the chance!
ReplyDeleteMay try this, but may use a teabag instead (I have some 'empty' unbleached teabags that you can use with loose tea) - perhaps less mess, and less loss of carbonation? But I'll probably start with a better base beer - Fosters is never to be found in my fridge!
ReplyDeleteHa. We tried this last week, funnily enough (trying to use up leftover John Smith's) but it didn't work at all for us. Just ended up really bitter. We probably used too many hops and left them to stew too long.
ReplyDeleteSounds good in principle but will end up tasting like grass. Enjoy Fosters cold when/if its ever hot outside. Its not always about the flavour.
ReplyDelete@tania_nexust - beer is the common denominator between all classes. It's foolish and stupidly elitest to not drink Fosters in summer, just as it's foolish to not drink Mythos in Greece.
Tim
I'm surprised you don't have a Randall Jr Mark.
ReplyDelete@MattCurtis If yu are in the UK The malt miller has a good selection of whole and pellet hops.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/index.php?_a=viewCat&catId=22
Thanks!
Delete@Tim ah well that's my foolish and elitist self told then! ;-)
ReplyDeleteBut what if I like Foster's as it is?*
ReplyDeleteNate
Booze, Beats & Bites
@NateDawg27
*I don't like Foster's. I only like Carling.
No way - I'm trying this! I guess it helps to have access to Camden's Hop Store, though...!
ReplyDeleteI've read a very similar article in this page, but the author goes even further than you....
ReplyDeleteDredpenguin - Sounds good! Personal vial of hop juice.
ReplyDeleteMelanie - Interesting uses of bad beer!
Matt - Just go to your local brewery with a small sealable sandiwch bag (or something similar) and ask for a small handful of hops. Only the scrougiest won't. Or just get some from a homebrew shop.
Bailey - I had about 6 flower hops in there for 3-4 minutes. I tasted a couple of times and then got the beer out of there once I got the flavour I wanted (and before I got flavours I didn't want). Wonder if the texture or flavour of the John Smith's clashed with the hops in some way?
Tim - It didn't taste of grass. It tasted of hops.
Ed - This is my home Randal set up. I forgot to mention that in the post!
Leigh - Yeah, it does help...
Pivni - Nice!
Are you a secret Fosters drinker?
ReplyDeleteHummmmmm
ReplyDeleteI tried this tonight with Citra hops and Greene King Abbott Ale. I wanted something with a lot of body to see how far it needed pushing...
ReplyDeleteI ended up using about the same volume of hops to beer! I let the hops steep in a small quantity of beer first for about 20 minutes to open up the flowers, then added the rest of the can and let it steep for a further 5 minutes. I left the plunger at the top of the vessel so the beer would filter out through the hops. The result was something resembling a full bodied American IPA and actually quite drinkable :)