A hop stand (or whirlpool hop) involves adding hops after the boil, letting them steep in hot wort for 15-60 minutes. This extracts flavour and aroma compounds while contributing fewer IBUs than boil additions. It is a key technique for hop-forward styles.

What temperature should I target?

Common temperatures: 95-100°C for maximum extraction, 75-80°C for more aroma with less bitterness, or 65-70°C for pure aroma with minimal IBU contribution. Cool the wort to your target before adding hops.

How long should a hop stand last?

Typical hop stands are 15-45 minutes. Longer stands extract more compounds but also more bitterness. For aroma-focused additions, 20-30 minutes is a good balance.

Does a hop stand increase DMS risk?

If using pilsner malt, extended time above 80°C can produce DMS. To minimise risk, cool below 80°C before the hop stand or keep the lid off to allow DMS to escape. With fully modified pale malt, DMS risk is minimal.

How does a hop stand differ from dry hopping?

A hop stand occurs in hot wort (60-100°C), extracting both flavour and some bitterness through partial isomerisation. Dry hopping occurs in cool beer, extracting primarily aroma compounds with virtually no bitterness. Many hop-forward recipes use both techniques.

BrewCalcs

Hop Stand Calculator — Whirlpool IBUs

Estimate IBU contribution from whirlpool and hop stand additions.

Hop Weight

Weight of hops to add

Alpha Acid

Alpha acid percentage of your hops

Stand Time

Time duration

Stand Temperature

Temperature for this process

Batch Size

Volume of your batch

Wort Gravity

Specific gravity reading

How We Calculate This

Hop Stand IBU Estimation

Hop stand IBUs are estimated using a modified Tinseth formula with a temperature correction factor. Below boiling temperature, isomerisation drops significantly. The temperature factor scales from 0 at 60°C to ~50% at boiling, reflecting the reduced but still present isomerisation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Calculators

IBU Calculator

Calculate International Bitterness Units using Tinseth or Rager formulas.

Hop Utilisation Calculator

Calculate IBU contribution, utilisation percentage and bittering versus flavour ratio from alpha acid, hop weight, boil time and wort gravity.

Hop Substitution Calculator

Find equivalent hop amounts when substituting varieties.

Dry Hop Calculator

Calculate dry hop amounts based on desired intensity and batch size.

First Wort Hop Calculator

Calculate IBU contribution from first wort hopping additions.

Last updated: 2025-02-20

All calculations are estimates. Always verify values and adjust based on your equipment and ingredients.