First Wort Hopping

First wort hopping (FWH) is a very old technique that has only fairly recently had a resurgence. Much of the information out there is conflicting….. I believe due to confusion with FWH and “Mash Hopping”, a German technique that was performed to lower the ph of the mash, but also is reputed to increase hop utilization by up to 10%.
FWH is performed by putting hops in the kettle while the first runnings are drained from the mash tun. The hops remain in the kettle throughout the sparging process and the boil.
Prior to the boil the hops are steeping in the hot, but less than boiling wort. This releases volatile oils and resins into the wort. The aromatic oils in the hops are normally insoluble, and evaporate during the boil. Steeping the hops allows these oils to oxidize into soluble compounds that remain in the finished beer. This gives the finished beer a complex hop flavor that is not otherwise obtainable by any other method.
Although the hops remain in the boil, and all of the alpha acids are utilized for the full boil, the perceived bitterness is less than that of a normal bittering addition. The bitterness from a FWH is much smoother, more refined and less harsh. When performing IBU calculations for a FWH, run them as a 20-minute addition to account for this.
This method can be combined with any other hop addition schedule. Many sources claim that FWH should be limited to 30% of the total hop additions, but don’t listen…. I have had beers that were 100% FWH, and they were extraordinary….
This method should only be used for styles that require hop flavor and aroma. It is very well suited to styles such as a hoppy Robust Porter, that have a tendency to become harsh due to the astringency of roasted grains, and for smoothing out the effects of hard water on Bitters and IPAs. This is an excellent way to add hop complexity to a single hop recipe.
Hops that have superior flavor and aroma characteristics are best suited to this technique….. hops primarily used for bittering additions should probably best be avoided.