How do you hop

[jt]

How do you hop ?
Instinctively I lead straight in with the left foot, but it's really a question about the beer !

Is it based purely on style
Or on pure personal taste - damn the numbers
Do you go for a straight ratio to the OG
Or maybe you take the FG into account too
Does the grain bill rate consideration - say if heavy on either crystals and/or roasteds

[Stu McKinlay]

I base it on OG:IBU ratios to start with, and then tweak based on tasting notes (or memery) of past recipes when I brew the recipe a subsequent time. While the recipe may not actually have a corresponding style, I will have something in mind (e.g. a strong amber ale with a bitterness and hop flavours/aromas similar to an IPA).

Usually I'll drop ratios a shade or two when any "toasty" malts are involved, and a shade or two more when any "roasty" malts are ni the grist.

[jt]

I've just brewed my adaptation of the NZ Hops Irish Red for the third time - same yeast, grain and hopping each time.
The first batch finished around 1.008 and quite dry. I kegged the second at around 1.012 (intentionally) and quite sweet.
The difference in the hop characteristics was very distinct and I wondered what variables people used when formulating hop schedules

[Tony]

I have been basing my hop schedules around the style of beer I want. Obviously, if you want bitterness, throw in a a bit at the beginning and use the bitterness hops i.e. super alpha. I then think about the style of beer and the type of taste I want and base my flavouring and aroma hops on that. For example, I recently brewed an APA, which I wanted as close to a North western style hoppy brew, so I used all cascade. Use saaz for pilsener, etc. At the end of the day it depends on what taste you want to acheive, and experiment. Thats the art as far as I see it? I thought the OG came largely from the malts/sugar content. I have a wheat beer that is very 'thick' but low SG.

[vdog]

Slightly off topic, but do you guys find much of a difference between whole hops and hop pellets? Are there any advantages to using the whole ones, and are they easy to get hold of? If you're using pellets do you just chuck them into the boil or tie them up in a bag first? That's what I've done to date but it doesn't seem to allow enough of the hops to circulate through the brew, so we're not getting the level of bitterness I'd expect from the amounts we're using. I presume if we just throw them in though, that we'll need to filter them out again at the end?

[jt]

Never tried whole hops. I read you should allow 15% extra weight when using whole compared to pellets and allow for them absorbing some wort.

As for pellets, yep I just chuck'em in and they will settle in the kettle with your trub

[Tony]

Yep same, throw them in and keep stirring throughout the boil. I filter my wort through a sieve when I pour it into the fermenter. That acheives two aims:
1. It helps airate the wort.
2. it filters out the trub and sediment.

I have heard that whole flowers impart a more subtle flavour and characteristic, although I haven't personally haven't used them before.

[MrC]

I started off using pellets and have used whole hops for my last two brews. I just threw them straight into the boil loose. No probs at all. I like the whole hops coz they are easier to manage when I strain the cooled wort into the fermenter (no hop sludge). They also seem to create a bit of a natural filter for the trub when transferring into the fermenter.

I'm trying to brew to style with my own pereferences within each style (e.g. my recent pilsener is on the low end of the IBU range for the style and has moderate hop aroma coz I prefer them that way, I moved some of the bittering hops to later in the boil to increase the hop flavour & aroma while reducing the IBUs but still staying within style). At least that was the plan, it's still lagering.

As far as determining hops go, I use an online bitterness calulator to determine the bitterness hops for my target IBUs which takes into account the OG and the boil volume.

I then plan my flavour and aroma hops based on my preference within the style. Usually flavour hops at 10-15 min aroma at flame out. These volumes are usually a guesstimate based on recipe (if using one) and experience. I don't take too much notice of bitterness for these hops.

[MrC]

While we're on the hop topic.
Do you think dry hopping for a NZ Pilsener style would be approriate?

New Zealand and New World Pilsener (Category 2-D)
New Zealand and New World Pilseners are very light straw or golden in colour and well
hopped. Hop bitterness is medium to high. New Zealand and New World (i.e. not
English, European or American) hop aroma and flavour are moderate and quite obvious.
It is a well-attenuated, medium-bodied beer, but a malty residual sweetness can be
perceived in aroma and flavour. Low levels of sweet corn-like dimethylsulfide (DMS)
character, if perceived, are characteristic of this style. Fruity esters and diacetyl should
not be perceived. There should be no chill haze. Its head should be dense and rich.
Original Gravity (ºPlato): 1.044-1.050 (11-12.5 ºPlato)
Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (ºPlato): 1.006-1.012 (1.5-3 ºPlato)
Alcohol by Weight (Volume): 3.6-4.2% (4-5%)
Bitterness (IBU): 20-40
Colour SRM (EBC): 3-4 (6-8 EBC)