Yet Another Hop Thread, Please Bear With Me.

[Bernie Brewer]

You guys have me convinced to stock up on hops, so I was about to pull the trigger on a couple pounds of hops from FreshHops. I notice, though, that theirs are whole hops. I've never used whole hops, so I have questions before I order.

Is there anything special I need to do with them? Do I need to rip them apart to get the leaves off of the cones or anything weird like that?

Is the utilization about the same as pelletized hops? Would I be adding the same measures in my recipes???

Sorry if these are dumb n00b questions but I've never even seen whole hops other than pictures, let alone used them.

[Evan!]

Originally Posted by Bernie Brewer

You guys have me convinced to stock up on hops, so I was about to pull the trigger on a couple pounds of hops from FreshHops. I notice, though, that theirs are whole hops. I've never used whole hops, so I have questions before I order.

Is there anything special I need to do with them? Do I need to rip them apart to get the leaves off of the cones or anything weird like that?

Is the utilization about the same as pelletized hops? Would I be adding the same measures in my recipes???

Sorry if these are dumb n00b questions but I've never even seen whole hops other than pictures, let alone used them.

You don't need to do anything special except store them airtight (preferably vacuum-packed) in the freezer. The boil will tear any clumps apart; you won't find too many "whole cones"...but the ones you do find will come apart in the boil too.

There's a little less utilization per pound, but I forget the conversion. If you have brewing software like ProMash, it should take care of it for you.

[bradsul]

Originally Posted by Evan!

...There's a little less utilization per pound, but I forget the conversion. If you have brewing software like ProMash, it should take care of it for you.

I think Promash has a default of 10% better utilization for pelletized hops.

[BierMuncher]

I use whole hops exclusivley unless there's a variety that is not available.

Seems to be a lot easier to clean up and strain that last bit of wort.

Plus, there's something very satisfying about stinking your snout down into a bag of whole hops and taking a huge whiff...

[Bernie Brewer]

Ok, about how many whole hops to an ounce?????

BTW, I have Beersmith, I'll have to check for their utilization


Edit: Beersmith has three choices for hop forms: Pellet, Plug, and Leaf. Should I assume that leaf hops are essentially whole hops???

[Evan!]

Originally Posted by Bernie Brewer

Ok, about how many whole hops to an ounce?????

BTW, I have Beersmith, I'll have to check for their utilization

What do you mean "how many"? It comes, essentially, as a bunch of leaves. It's not like you get a nice arrangement of cones. It's like asking "how many rice grains per pound of rice?" You can't really answer that...well, not without substantial effort.

[Evan!]

Originally Posted by Bernie Brewer

Ok, about how many whole hops to an ounce?????

BTW, I have Beersmith, I'll have to check for their utilization


Edit: Beersmith has three choices for hop forms: Pellet, Plug, and Leaf. Should I assume that leaf hops are essentially whole hops???

yes, leaf="whole". Think of it as leaves, though. "Whole" is a misnomer. you rarely see whole cones, as I said.

[Bernie Brewer]

Originally Posted by Evan!

It comes, essentially, as a bunch of leaves.

Thank you! That sentence answered more questions than you could possibly imagine.

[Spyk'd]

I got my recent shipment and used Freshops too. I was pleasantly surprised to see MANY whole cones and they were so fresh they were actually vibrant green and sticky.

Fresh hops indeed!


I too like to stick my nose in a nice bag of leaf hops to savor their aroma. The Amarillos were very nice, but the Hallertauer were INSANE!!!




Welcome to the leafy side...

[Bernie Brewer]

Just placed my order. Fuggle, Mt Hood, Cascade, and Northern Brewer. Two and a half pounds all told. Hopefully that ought to hold me awhile.