Good morning. Positive Yuri here again...
After dry hopping my pale ale this weekend with a combination of pellets and whole hops, I remembered how much more effective pellets can be when dry hopping. It got me thinking...and I think someone else may have said something similar...
I use almost exclusively whole hops, but now I can't get all the varieties I want without using some pellets. Using some pellets got me thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of hops. Whole hops don't make that nasty green ring around the boil kettle. Pellet hops get better utilization. Whole hops are easier to strain. Pellet hops give a more pungent aroma when dry hopping. And so on... Those of us who are bent on using only one form of hops won't have that luxury anymore. We may (re)discover the merits of using a different type.
Then I started thinking about hop varieties. The less popular varieties will suddenly become the most popular just based on availability. New recipes will result. New tastes will be discovered, palates will change...
...and...techniques may change! We'll start finding ways to maximize the use of our hops. First wort hopping may become more popular. The use of bittering hop oils may begin to gain momentum with homebrewers. The list surely goes on...
Folks, it's not a hop shortage, it's an opportunity!
(group hug?)
After dry hopping my pale ale this weekend with a combination of pellets and whole hops, I remembered how much more effective pellets can be when dry hopping. It got me thinking...and I think someone else may have said something similar...
I use almost exclusively whole hops, but now I can't get all the varieties I want without using some pellets. Using some pellets got me thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of hops. Whole hops don't make that nasty green ring around the boil kettle. Pellet hops get better utilization. Whole hops are easier to strain. Pellet hops give a more pungent aroma when dry hopping. And so on... Those of us who are bent on using only one form of hops won't have that luxury anymore. We may (re)discover the merits of using a different type.
Then I started thinking about hop varieties. The less popular varieties will suddenly become the most popular just based on availability. New recipes will result. New tastes will be discovered, palates will change...
...and...techniques may change! We'll start finding ways to maximize the use of our hops. First wort hopping may become more popular. The use of bittering hop oils may begin to gain momentum with homebrewers. The list surely goes on...
Folks, it's not a hop shortage, it's an opportunity!
(group hug?)