Female flower cones from the Humulus Lupulus plant. Used for their flavor, aroma, and bittering qualities. Hops also contribute a preservative/anti-microbial properties to beer.
8
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5answers
450 views
How can I compare hop flavours quickly?
I want to try and acquaint myself with different hop flavours and brewing a few batches of beer can be quite time consuming (and wasteful if the results are no good).
How can I quickly (in say, a ...
0
votes
1answer
54 views
A aroma/flavor hops taxonomy
I would like to gain some knowledge about hops and have an idea in what all those varieties differ. Is it possible to define a few categories for hops (for example based on region of origin), so to ...
1
vote
2answers
56 views
hops for belgian trappist/abbey beers
I love Rochefort 10, Chimay (to a lower degree), and some other belgian beers. So I would like to try to do something similar, or just take some inspiration from them. What are the most commonly used ...
2
votes
3answers
79 views
Online hops reference
Is there any online place to get as much information as possible about hops. For example alpha and beta acids, cohumulone content, aroma progile and any other possibly useful information?
I did my ...
7
votes
2answers
94 views
How to train my nose for hop aromas?
I oftes see videos where people describe (what I believe is hop-related aroma) with words like spicy, floral, citrusy, etc., but for me it is very hard to get (and to tell apart) any of this. So what ...
5
votes
6answers
701 views
What is the purpose of dry hopping in intervals (multiple additions)?
What would be the purpose in adding dry hops, then removing them prior to adding a second, even third addition, rather than simply putting all the dry hops in at the same time?
If the answer has to ...
5
votes
2answers
340 views
Are German Merkur or Herkules hops noble enough to sub in a Pilsener?
On an impulse last week I picked up some German Merkur and Herkules hops from the LHBS to use as flavoring and aroma hops in a pilsner, because I thought they might be an interesting twist. But now ...
1
vote
3answers
133 views
Fuggles hops for bittering
I am using Fuggles for bitter and for flavour/aroma. While I am content with flavour/aroma I find that bitterness is a bit harsh. Is it just my opinion, or Fuggle is not very suitable for bitterness?
...
3
votes
3answers
126 views
Growing hops from seeds
Where I live (France) I can't easily find hops rizhomes, but I can find seeds, so my two questions are:
Any shop in France/Europ from which I can buy hops rizhomes?
If I grow hops from seeds how do ...
11
votes
8answers
2k views
Is it important to weigh down a hop bag for dry-hopping?
If so, what kind of weight should I use? Should it be enough to sink the bag to the bottom of the carboy?
3
votes
3answers
744 views
Whirlpool hop additions
What is the real difference between a whirlpool hop addition and a flameout hop addition?
The practice of whirlpooling is more of a pro-equipment setup type of technique, but I have seen and heard ...
5
votes
1answer
117 views
Is there a distinction between flavoring (e.g. 30m) and aroma (late) hop additions
Boiling hops reduces the beta acids that are associated with aroma/flavor. Is there any other advantage to a 30 minute hop addition or could you just increase your 60 minute hop addition to achieve ...
4
votes
3answers
128 views
What are the practical differences between leaf hops and hop pellets?
I'm looking to start purchasing hops in bulk, and there are more options than I thought for getting leaf hops. I've heard (read in this forum) that leaf hops can be better for dry hopping, and also ...
5
votes
6answers
308 views
How do you strain pellet hops out of wort or beer?
After boiling pellets how can I deal with them? Is there a simple way to get them out of the wort, or can I leave them during fermentation? In that case will I be sure they will drop on the bottom and ...
7
votes
3answers
725 views
Hops in the compost?
Are there any gardeners out there who use their spent hops in their compost? I know hops are antibacterial, which goes against the goal of getting a good population of composting bacteria, but I don't ...
9
votes
4answers
2k views
Alpha acids vs. beta acids in aging?
Can someone explain the difference in hop bitterness between alpha acids in my wort vs. beta acids bittering during aging? And is it predictable enough to plan for in recipe formulation?
4
votes
2answers
585 views
Increasing IBUs post fermentation
I have recently brewed at APA and the IBUs have come out a little on the low side. I would like to increase the IBUS slightly. I was thinking of making a hop tea and adding it straight to the keg. Has ...
2
votes
2answers
91 views
Good Way to Stuff Dry Hops into Dry Hop Bag
I'm new to brewing and I recently transferred some brew from secondary that had dry hopping into a corney keg.
I think everything went fine, but I really had a hard time stuffing the dry hops into ...
2
votes
3answers
108 views
Layering different varieties of hops at single intervals
Brewed a IPA yesterday:
75% 2 row
5% crystal 20
5% crystal 40
10% melanoidin
5% table sugar
I was using Jamil's (Vinnie Cilurzo's? Tasty McD's?) IPA as a baseline recipe, which calls for ...
1
vote
2answers
99 views
Amount of hops necessary
How to know the exact amount of hops needed by most of beer styles?
Is there any table or something that guides the amounts or something?
3
votes
2answers
105 views
Grow my own hops, what kind
I'm thinking about growing my own hops. From what I gather I can just plant the vines in the back yard somewhere and they grow much like grapes. I heard it takes 2-3 years for them to grow in and ...
1
vote
1answer
65 views
Columbus Alpha Acid?
I just received a package with some supplies that I ordered, including Columbus hops. I was expecting to have Columbus with something around 12% AA, but the hops bags is labeled with only 6%, this is ...
1
vote
1answer
81 views
Is hop harvesting before first frost necessary?
Still relatively new to hop growing and this year is my first viable yield worth harvesting. My cones are seemingly ready and some cool weather is on the way. Do I need to get the cones off the vine ...
4
votes
2answers
656 views
Will Dry Hopping Add Bitterness?
The prevailing wisdom seems to be that dry hopping is for aroma only, and effects on flavor are assumed to be a matter of perception. (i.e. smell affects taste)
However, while attempting to "fix" a ...
3
votes
2answers
82 views
Ways to better utilize hops with a coffeepress?
I am thinking about trying to utilize the hops I use better by combining late addition and early addition via a coffeepress.
The basic idea is to make a hops-tea in the coffeepress, let it sit for ...
7
votes
5answers
147 views
Hop variety resources
Are there any good resources for finding out which hop varieties have similar aroma, flavour and bittering potential. E.g. a place to lookup a hop could be substituted for another hop for bittering ...
6
votes
2answers
143 views
Bittering hop contribution to flavor
How much do bittering hops contribute to flavor? Does a hop addition at the beginning of a 60m boil result in the destruction of most that hop's flavor compounds?
5
votes
3answers
601 views
What is a good alternative to Magnum hops in a barleywine?
I'm thinking about brewing a barleywine. A recipe that looks interesting to me uses Magnum and Horizon hops, but I don't have access to either at my (small) local brewing store. What are some good ...
12
votes
1answer
3k views
What is a hopback?
How do you use it?
What does it do?
Do you pass finished wort through it hot or cold?
8
votes
2answers
381 views
How to dry harvested fresh hops?
This question is a direct consequence of the When to harvest wild hops? one. I have heard about various techniques to do it: sun-drying, warm rooms plus paper bags to capture their humidity, ovens ...
7
votes
3answers
457 views
What are the effects of storing hops in the freezer?
Two months ago I brewed an ale with three hops - cascade, northern brewer and saaz. I immediately put them in the freezer, but want to know how to best use them (if there has been any degredation).
...
3
votes
2answers
239 views
What to expect from “Mash” Hopping?
A friend and I recently threw an IPA together with the hops and grains we had on hand. We had 8oz of Cascade whole leaf hops lying around, so to spread the love, we decided to throw a couple ounces ...
4
votes
2answers
155 views
When to remove hops and other bittering/aroma agents?
On brew day, when is the appropriate time to remove the hops and other bittering/aroma agents from the wort? Is it at flameout, or is it once the wort has been fully cooled and is ready for the ...
3
votes
2answers
516 views
Where to get fresh hops?
Fresh hopped beers are excellent tasting and have a very excellent hop flavor. Is it possible to get your hands on fresh hops short of growing them (note I don't have any growing space). I live in ...
3
votes
2answers
155 views
Using unknown loose hops
My parents spent some time in Germany recently and brought me back a bag of loose leaf hops as a gift / memento.
Here's the package. All I know is what's on it:
According to Google Translate, the ...
3
votes
2answers
94 views
What amount of taste customization can I do with pre-prepared wort (from a kit)?
I really enjoy bitter beers, and would really like to add hops to my next brew. However, I've only done one homebrew so far and it was using a pre-made kit (I used the Edme Bitter wort and malt ...
2
votes
2answers
153 views
Strange black pods in wort - hop seeds?
We just brewed an all grain batch yesterday. There was an ounce each of two types of whole leaf hops (from Freshhops) in the boil. After cooling the wort, we strained it through a fine mesh strainer ...
1
vote
2answers
309 views
Stainless Steel Scrubber in Boil Screen to strain hops?
So I have a 6" boil screen in my kettle attached to my ball valve.
Now this doesn't strain that much hops out because of the larger holes in the screen so when I transfer it to my carboy I run it ...
7
votes
1answer
786 views
When should you buy and plant hop rhizomes?
I want to grow a couple of hop bines this year. Most of the online brew supply places say they ship in late March / early April. I have a feeling I'll still have snow on the ground around that time. ...
1
vote
3answers
178 views
Increased Magnum hops in a Fat Tire Clone
So I brewed the book "Beer Captured"'s Fat Tire Clone the other day.
I made a few slight variations. One being I used Wyeast 1056 instead of a Belgian Yeast because I figured since it's not a Belgian ...
8
votes
2answers
587 views
What's a balanced bittering hop for both English and American ales?
There's tons of hops out there, but I don't have the time or space to try them all, and I like to bounce between English and American ales. What's a good, balanced bittering hop that will let me keep ...
9
votes
5answers
2k views
Is beer bad for dogs?
My dog, Lilly Von Shtupp, loves to drink beer. I only give her an ounce or so once in a blue moon, but I stopped recently because I heard that dogs are sensitive/allergic to hops. Can anyone either ...
2
votes
1answer
170 views
Leaf Hops in Primary
I used leaf hops in my boil and did not filter them out when I transferred to primary. I thought it'd be like pellet hops, which settle down into the yeast cake. This is not the case, though. They ...
4
votes
3answers
223 views
All-late addition hop APA
Has anyone tried this or anything like it from HBC?
http://www.homebrewchef.com/AmarilloPale.html
The claim is that since the AA's are so high, adding late will balance the beer and impart an ...
0
votes
1answer
146 views
“Self-Processing” Hops
I believe that hop pellets and plugs are essentially just hops that are grinded and pressure molded. Given the amount of nuisance that whole hops have given me (clogged siphon hoses, yeast ...
13
votes
4answers
913 views
How can I maximize dry hops aroma?
I recently made an IPA. I put an ounce of Cascade pellets in the secondary (for a 23-litre [6-U.S.-gallon] batch), but there is hardly any hops aroma in the finished product. By the end of the two ...
7
votes
5answers
344 views
How do you make your own recipe?
I guess most people brew from kits, or from the many available recipes on the net. But for those few recipe formulators, how do you go about building a recipe?
And, given the inexactness of brewing, ...
1
vote
1answer
94 views
What variety of hops grows well in the south eastern US?
I have plenty of land that is suitable for growing hops; protected from wind, well drained, and receives lots of full sun. I'm not sure what variety would do well in western North Carolina and is ...
7
votes
1answer
186 views
How much hops to use when reducing a batch size?
I want to brew a 2.5 gallon batch of beer based on a West Coast IPA recipe for a standard 5 gallon batch. Is there a calculation for scaling back the amount of hops used for bittering, aroma and ...
3
votes
3answers
1k views
Where can I find some Nelson Sauvin hops?
I've been hearing about Nelson Sauvin hops for awhile now, and have read in other forums about people procuring some and using them... but I haven't been able to find them anywhere. All my usual ...
