Questions tagged [hops]

Female flower cones from the Humulus lupulus plant. Used for their flavor, aroma, and bittering qualities. Hops may also contribute a preservative/anti-microbial properties to beer.

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What are some alternatives to hops?

I have a friend that is allergic to hops and can not drink our beer (or just about any others for that matter). What alternatives do I have if I want to make a beer for him? What could I substitute ...
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What are the most citrusy hops?

Which hops do you guys find are the most citrusy? I'm looking to create a super-citrusy IPA, and have limited experience with most hops.
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8 answers
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How would one go about growing their own hops?

Ignoring the downsides (Hops: buy vs. grow), how would one grow hops in their backyard? I know that it grows 30 feet tall and that you cut it to the ground in the winter, but how do you get started ...
rox0r's user avatar
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1 answer
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What is a hopback?

How do you use it? What does it do? Do you pass finished wort through it hot or cold?
brewchez's user avatar
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17 votes
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Performing a hop boil seperate from the wort boil.

I'm curious to try some single-hop style beers and would like to do several varieties in one brew day. My ideal situation would be to make a five gallon batch of an unhopped pale ale as the base and ...
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16 votes
12 answers
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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?
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16 votes
4 answers
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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 ...
Nick's user avatar
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16 votes
2 answers
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Sanitation & Dry Hopping

Is there any risk of wort infection by not sanitizing hops before dry hopping?
Tetragrammaton's user avatar
15 votes
5 answers
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Is a long boil with extract necessary?

I'm making a late hopped extract beer later tonight. (Jamil's Evil Twin as posted http://www.mrmalty.com/late_hopping.htm) He suggests at 90 minute boil with the first hop addition coming 20 minutes ...
Bill Goetz's user avatar
14 votes
5 answers
6k views

How can I learn the distinctive taste of various hops?

There are some very helpful descriptions I've found of people describing the taste of various hops, but I've found that my personal taste can be quite different. I'd like to be able to isolate the ...
Mlusby's user avatar
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Storage of hops pellets

I was wondering if anyone had suggestions on how to store one's hops pellets after having opened the sealed package (... in case one is not using the whole lot at once of course). Also, if you have ...
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4 answers
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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 ...
Dustin Rasener's user avatar
13 votes
9 answers
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Why is my IPA not hoppy enough?

I am about to start my second attempt at making an IPA. My first did not turn out anything like an IPA. It was much darker than I expected (I may have burnt it a little) and did not really have the ...
D J's user avatar
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4 answers
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What is the best way to store hops?

I recently got a really good deal on some bulk pellet hops (several pounds). What is the best way to store them? I've heard that they should be vacuum sealed and put in the freezer. Will they be OK ...
RobM's user avatar
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12 votes
4 answers
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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?
topfermented's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
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Does PH affect hop bitterness?

I've always disagreed with the idea that dry hopping or late hopping added 0 IBUs to your end product. If I ever brewed a kit or recipe and followed the hop schedule exactly, it would pretty much ...
user3484's user avatar
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11 votes
7 answers
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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 ...
Paolo's user avatar
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11 votes
8 answers
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What hops provide the guava-like taste of some IPAs?

IPAs like Bear Republic's Racer 5 and Coronado Brewing Company's Islander IPA have a distinct guava-like scent and flavor character. Is there a particular variety of hops that produces this, or is it ...
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Does keeping a beer cold significantly preserve fresh hop aroma?

I'm double dry hopping my Rye India Pale Ale, doing half with simply double the dry hops, and half one addition, remove, adding the other half to see if anyone within drinking distance can distinguish ...
Mlusby's user avatar
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10 votes
5 answers
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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 ...
BoilerBrad's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
4k 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 etc....
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5 answers
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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). ...
Max's user avatar
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Hop burst technique & bitterness calculation

A friend asked me the other day what the "hop burst" technique was and how to calculate the amount of hops required in a recipe. I made some vague statements about late addition of hops and left it at ...
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9 votes
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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, ...
9 votes
4 answers
2k views

should hoppy beers be aged?

Do hoppy beers not need to be aged? About how long does it take a hoppy beer to get to its maturation point? Thanks, Chris
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9 votes
3 answers
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Hops: Buy vs. Grow

Is it worth it to grow my own hops or should I just buy them somewhere?
divided's user avatar
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8 votes
4 answers
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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 ...
Erik Kastman's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
182 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 ...
Paolo's user avatar
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8 votes
5 answers
715 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 day)...
Mark McDonald's user avatar
8 votes
3 answers
1k views

Pellet Hops spilled out of bag in secondary. Advice?

My hop bag came undone in my secondary while dry-hopping and now I have pellet hops directly in my beer. What is the best way to filter out the hops for bottling?
briansimmons's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
2k 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 ...
Rich Armstrong's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
819 views

Why are hops added at different times during boiling?

I crafted an Oatmeal Stout (using a Brooklyn Brew Shop kit) last weekend and the recipe instructions were to add 2/3 of the Golding Hops pack at the beginning of the boiling and the remaining 1/3 15 ...
Ferran Brosa Planella's user avatar
8 votes
3 answers
2k views

How do you get the bag of hops into the carboy and then remove it?

I always have a difficult time getting the hops in the carboy and then removing it when dry-hopping. What's the trick?
Joe Lencioni's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
601 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 dry-...
Chris's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
3k views

When to harvest wild hops?

Hi there fellow brewmasters! I have recently moved to all-grain brewing after two years of brewing with hopped extracts. The results are pretty good, and the whole process is a lot of fun, but I am ...
tunnuz's user avatar
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7 votes
2 answers
4k 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 ...
mR_fr0g's user avatar
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7 votes
5 answers
190 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 ...
daveb's user avatar
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7 votes
5 answers
760 views

Old grain and hops stored in fridge for 1 year - ok to use?

I have a small amount of hops (1 oz) in a ziplock bag in the fridge, it's been there about a year. I also have about 1/2 lb of unmilled grain in the fridge in a ziplock. Will these ingredients be ok ...
JMerritt's user avatar
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7 votes
3 answers
2k views

Not using bittering hops

Has anyone brewed without using any bittering hops? Are there any consequences to doing this? Edit: I ask because I want to brew a style that's not normally very bitter (weizen), but give it a ...
Room3's user avatar
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7 votes
2 answers
1k views

Ever made a "hop tea" to balance an overly malty beer?

I brewed a golden ale that was severely under hopped. I called my LBHS and the told me to make a hop tea to add to the keg: 1 gallon of water 1 tbsp malt extract 2 oz fresh hops boil for 60 minutes ...
nuttzman's user avatar
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7 votes
5 answers
3k views

Effect of boil size on IBUs

I have the following recipe on beercalculus: http://hopville.com/recipe/551364/belgian-pale-ale-recipes/wedding-belgian-ipa-2011-03-06-version beercalculus (along with most IBU calculators), ask for ...
JasonStoltz's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
1k views

What are alpha acids?

Can someone explain what exactly an alpha acid is and why should I care about the alpha acid "rating" on the hops I use.
Richard Stelling's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
2k views

How do I propagate my hops?

I have a couple plants going, but I am ready to get more of the same varieties going in the future. How do I go about getting more plants from the same plants I already have? Can I take a cutting? Can ...
brewchez's user avatar
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7 votes
2 answers
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"FV" abbreviation in BrewDog recipe

I am attempting to follow a recipe in BrewDog's excellent DIY DOG (see Albino Squid Assassin recipe, page 217) As hop additions, as the last 2 additions it lists: * Chinook 100g FV Aroma * Citra ...
RYFN's user avatar
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7 votes
1 answer
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When using whole hops, do you need a larger amount than you would hop pellets to achieve the same bitterness?

I have read that whole hops impart less bitterness than pellet hops by weight. I have used pellet hops for all of my brews thus far. I have a recipe that I am happy with, and I want to switch to ...
Dustin Rasener's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
1k 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. ...
JackSmith's user avatar
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7 votes
2 answers
2k views

Hops Wort Absorption

According to BYO malt absorbs roughly 1.04L of water per kg malt. Knowing this makes calculating things like mash and sparge water quite a bit easier. Is there a rough absorption rate for hops? I've ...
joe92's user avatar
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7 votes
1 answer
250 views

Are there any Indian Hop variety out there?

I've heard that in the Himalayas a lot of hop varieties are grown. Is there a company(s) which produce and market hops in India?
Murphy's's user avatar
6 votes
8 answers
1k views

Has anyone brewed hop-free beer?

I just tried a beer called Reverend James and it tasted really weird. Full-bodied and slightly spicy but I could detect absolutely no hop characteristics in it at all. Now, it could be that my ...
Poshpaws's user avatar
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6 votes
6 answers
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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 ...
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