Setting up a hops tasting experiment

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davekippen

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Our homebrew club had a malt tasting event in the spring, and we want to run a hops event soon. I was surprised how little info I found on the interwebs about doing some kind of tasting.

Here are a couple of thoughts and questions, please chime in with what you think would work best, how you would do it, and if you know of material out there on this subject, point me to it!

Simple experiment: Fill mason jars 3/4 full with water, place in stock pot with water (below the level of the mason jars so they dont float) bring water to boil, add hops for 15 minutes. Let cool and strain. Ready for tasting.

Complex experiment: Same jar set up, but do 30, 15 and 5 minute additions in separate jars, so there would be 3 versions of each hops to taste (can see how profile changes with longer boil time)

Couple of questions - would a simple wort be better than water? Other thoughts?
 
My understanding of wort and hops is that while you will get isomerization and hops flavor in water alone, it's a far harsher bitterness than you get with wort. I'd probably buy a bag of extra light DME for the experiment, and make the wort gravity 1.035ish (I guess like a yeast starter!) and hop that. It wouldn't be much more work than plain water.

I like the additions at 15/5 also, but even just the one addition might be illuminating.
 
Good point about better isomerization / flavor in wort. If it is too bitter and nasty in water that may overshadow the point of the experiment!

The other thing I just though of as part of the experiment - maybe do the first tasting blind. I would give everyone descriptions of all the hops and after we taste one, have the group describe what they taste. I think this might help refine our tastes?

I mean, If I KNOW its Citra, will I be less likely to try and figure out what I am tasting?
 
Has anyone tried chewing raw cones, or sucking on pellets? Just wondering if you can taste the difference.

I'm sure boiling with wort will add some character.
 
Has anyone tried chewing raw cones, or sucking on pellets? Just wondering if you can taste the difference.

I'm sure boiling with wort will add some character.

Well, I won't say if I did or didn't, because only a moron would actually eat a hop pellet because it smelled so good.

Let me just say that you can't taste the difference between varieties, due to the intense and immediate numbing of every tastebud you ever had due to the extreme and relentless bittering that makes you try to wash your tongue.

I mean, that's what I'd have to assume if I was a big enough ******* to eat a few pellets because they smelled so good. :drunk:
 
You could add your hop teas to a sample of a simple, but real beer that is either very lightly, or only bittered, or not hopped at all. It gives your testing hops a base to rest on.

I've tasted some home made hop teas, and although you can tell some aspects, the roughness overshadows a lot of the nuances. When added to a beer, they spring alive.

I've often spiked Yuengling Amber with a variety of hop teas to make them more interesting. But the Amber's Cascade retains its character well, so it not just the new hops you're tasting but her play with Cascade.
 
You could add your hop teas to a sample of a simple, but real beer that is either very lightly, or only bittered, or not hopped at all. It gives your testing hops a base to rest on.

I've tasted some home made hop teas, and although you can tell some aspects, the roughness overshadows a lot of the nuances. When added to a beer, they spring alive.

I've often spiked Yuengling Amber with a variety of hop teas to make them more interesting. But the Amber's Cascade retains its character well, so it not just the new hops you're tasting but her play with Cascade.

You know, that's a great idea! Use some bland yellow beer, open them, and pop a couple of pellets (different varieties) in them. Recap quickly.

That should give you some real indication of flavors of hops like citra, centennial, cascade, etc.
 
I remember seeing a video somewhere of a brewery testing hops with some bland yellow beer.

They just did 8oz pours, loosened up the pellets and put them in based on what I remember.

If I was going to do it & had money I'd buy a bunch of small french presses. 12 oz of Coors light, 5 pellets, steep for half an hour, press and test.
 
I think it was either in a Sierra Nevada or Anchor Brewing interview on the BN Session where they mention using Bud Light. They simply pop open the bottle insert a couple cones and cap it again to steep for some days like a dry hop.

I'm not sure how well it would work with pellets, but an easy trial would prove if you need to strain it later or not.
 
Well, I won't say if I did or didn't, because only a moron would actually eat a hop pellet because it smelled so good.

Call me a moron will ya yooper :mug: This hopping an especially bland beer is a great idea! Now I know what to do with my Sunday.
 
You know, that's a great idea! Use some bland yellow beer, open them, and pop a couple of pellets (different varieties) in them. Recap quickly.

That should give you some real indication of flavors of hops like citra, centennial, cascade, etc.
There was a thread about exactly that a few months ago. I do not recall seeing any results.
 
I remember reading something (can't remember exactly, but an article, blog, or post) that described putting a few hop pellets into a bottle of Bud Light (all obviously single-hopped), recapping (with a new cap), and letting them sit for a few days. And then pouring through cheesecloth at serving to filter the hop particles. I haven't done this yet, but I'd really like to at some point.

A couple years ago, Mikkeler did a series that used the same base beer to create a bunch of different single-hopped brews. Three of us tasted through 19 different brews (in two sessions). We started with the lowest alpha-acid hop and worked our way up. We took notes on each beer. It was the most educational experience I've ever had with beer. I refer back to those notes when I craft a new recipe.

I'm interested to see what you come up with as well as the results!
 
Do the hop pellets need to steep? I was hoping to bring a pocketful of hops to the inlaws the next time they try to feed me Mich Ultra :D
 
For our club we all brewed the same pale ale (i.e. we all used the same recipe as far as malts, temps, time, etc.) and then each person used only one type of hop. Everybody used the same amount at 30 min and at flame-out, we just adjusted the 60 min amount so that everyone ended up with the same IBUs. Everyone brought the beer for the meeting and it turned out great. Maybe not the way you guys want to do it, but it worked for us.
 
I just have to say this forum is incredible... and so timely too.

So about a month ago, I was at a party and bumped into a guy who also brews his own beer. Needless to say he and talked the entire event lol. One of the ideas we talked about was that I should do a taste test series for hops. What he explained to me was just like the one you guys are talking about here. I got all excited to do this, then went down and got a whole workup of many of the nobles, and few mainstays that I wanted to familiarize myself with. The goal was to just grab a twelver of BudLight and put these hops to work for a few days, then sit back and enjoy the experiment. Now that I have read this thread - I now realize that I held onto my mom's gallon sized old french coffee press up in my attic! what a great idea - thanks guys! Watch for the thread on the results...
 
Did this about a year ago. Probably the best use Bud Lite can be put to. My son and I tasted in 3 days. The tasting was a blast and really educational, AB should be dry hopping with Centennial. A couple observations; I'll probably do it again but leave the beer on the hops for a week, the hops serve as a nucleation site for the CO2 (we had a couple gushers ), and like bertusbrewery, blending was the most educating/fun.
As a sidebar when I was in the store buying the beer the AB rep was checking their stock levels and I got into a discussion about what I was doing. He felt it was the best use he'd heard of for ButtLite.
 
Well, I won't say if I did or didn't, because only a moron would actually eat a hop pellet because it smelled so good.

Let me just say that you can't taste the difference between varieties, due to the intense and immediate numbing of every tastebud you ever had due to the extreme and relentless bittering that makes you try to wash your tongue.

I mean, that's what I'd have to assume if I was a big enough ******* to eat a few pellets because they smelled so good. :drunk:

If it were to have happened, and I'm not saying it did, could it have happened with Amirillo?

I really don't see why it would be so hard to have different members of the club brew the same single hop recipe, but using different hop varieties. Call me crazy, (I've been accused of it enough times), but I don't care what hops taste like in Bud Light or herbal tea, I only care what they taste like when they are brewed in a beer. I'm sure the water and DME experiments would be a pretty good representation of the different varieties, but can you really reproduce the way they actually taste in a beer?
 
How big is your brew club and who has the biggest equipment? If you really want to get a true single hop beer, find the brewer with the largest system and mash a pale in the morning. Everyone takes home a few gallons and does a single hop. Bring a case to the meeting and you should have a nice variety of beer and one for everyone to take home. Just a thought. I am doing a single hop series right now with New Zealand hops. Just a nice pale ale recipe and switching up the hop each week. I don't mind the "work" because I get an actual beer that profiles the hop. And several bottles to see about potency and how long the hop profile lasts.

I've done this with almost all well-known hops over the past few years.
 
The EKG was really grassy / earthy. The centennial was just, well, hard to describe. It didnt taste like any of the great centennial beers out there!
 
I have done this with pretty cool results. However, it did not address the kettle impact, just the dry hopping impact. My procedure follows:

1. Use a lighter beer (mild in flavor, especially mild in hop flavor). Make sure the beer is fresh - NO OXIDATION present! Bigger bottles are better.
2. Chill the beer as low as possible without freezing... 32dF is safe. This is to keep carbonation and reduce oxidation
3. Calculate the equivalent to 3 lbs./bbl... high dry hopping rate but not excessive.
4. Remove only a few ounces gently from the bottle (may not need to do this).
5. Gently add the hops avoiding as much nucleation (fizzing) as possible.
6. Immediately add cold beer back to fill the bottle completely to force out any O2.
7. Immediately recap the bottle. Mix gently.
8. Let sit at 50 - 32 dF for ~ five days.
9. Use cheese cloth (if desired) to keep hops from entering the glass. Easire to taste this way.
10. Taste and take good notes!

I found this to be most useful for aroma testing but it is interesting to learn about the body and bittering contribution.

Cheers.
 
I have done this with pretty cool results. However, it did not address the kettle impact, just the dry hopping impact. My procedure follows:

1. Use a lighter beer (mild in flavor, especially mild in hop flavor). Make sure the beer is fresh - NO OXIDATION present! Bigger bottles are better.
2. Chill the beer as low as possible without freezing... 32dF is safe. This is to keep carbonation and reduce oxidation
3. Calculate the equivalent to 3 lbs./bbl... high dry hopping rate but not excessive.
4. Remove only a few ounces gently from the bottle (may not need to do this).
5. Gently add the hops avoiding as much nucleation (fizzing) as possible.
6. Immediately add cold beer back to fill the bottle completely to force out any O2.
7. Immediately recap the bottle. Mix gently.
8. Let sit at 50 - 32 dF for ~ five days.
9. Use cheese cloth (if desired) to keep hops from entering the glass. Easire to taste this way.
10. Taste and take good notes!

I found this to be most useful for aroma testing but it is interesting to learn about the body and bittering contribution.

Cheers.

This worked like a charm, thank you!
It took me forever to find the time to get this done but over the holidays I finally did.
I got to taste 19 different hops and learned tons... definitely a must do for anyone!
 
I have recently been thinking about doing something like this as well. My plan was going to be:

- Mash enough to make 4-5 gallons of beer.
- Separate into 4 1 gallon batches (1 batch of 2 gallons)
- 1 gallon would be just sweet wort.
- 1 gallon would have finishing hops only (5 min or 15 min)
- 1 gallon with only bittering hops
- 2 gallons of both sweet and bittering

I would then ferment each separately and taste when finished. My thought is that it would provide a good flavor profile from bittering and finishing. It would also give you the final combined flavors. Not sure if it is the best strategy or not, it's certainly not the fastest method.
 

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