First timer confused about hops!

I am getting ready to make my first brew and I am a little confused by the recipe I picked up from Brewer's Lair. The hops in particular. It calls for Continental style hops and lists several different hops (Saaz, Hallertauer, Tettnanger & Spaly-5% AA, pellet). I am not sure if I am supposed to use all these different hops in the recipe or just pick one type. From what I have researched up to this point I know that several different hops are used at different times during boiling for flavor, bitternes and aroma from what I gather. The recipe does not specify this. I will provide a link at the bottom of this page so you can view the recipe for yourselves. I could use some advice ASAP. I can't stop thinking about that first taste and it is all I can to keep from rushing into this because I don't want to screw up my first brew. Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated. Link posted below.

Brewer's Lair: Recipes: Lair Abbey Ale No. 46

That recipe just says to pick one of those hops, all Continental Europe hops, at around 5% Alpha Acid.

Higher or lower AA% will change the "bitter" IBUs if you stick with that hop schedule.

Welcome to HBT!

The recipe calls for three hop additions, 1.75 oz at 60 minutes, 1.75 oz at 15 minutes, and 0.75 oz at 5 minutes. Pick a continental style hop for each of those. For example, you could do 1.75 oz Saaz at 60 min, 1.75 oz Hallertauer at 15 min, and 0.75 oz Tett at 5 min. See?

If it were me, I'd probably go with Saaz for all three additions, but that's just me (I like Saaz).

Be advised, you are going to get a lot of different opinions here. Selecting the type and amount of hops is not an exact science, its more personal preference. That said, my opinion is that is alot of hops, 4.25 ozs., for that type beer. I think you would be fine with about 3 oz. The Saaz, Hallertauer, Tettnanger, and Spalt are all more for aroma than bittering. If it were my beer, I would throw in 1-1.5 oz of Northern Brewer at 60 min for bittering. Sorry, I know it doesn't help to throw another variety of hop at you. For simplicity on your first brew, you could just pick 3 from the list they gave, get 1 oz of each, then pick one for the 60 min addition, one for the 15 and one for the 5. You could also just pick 2 and use more of one versus the other. Like I said, no exact science unless you trying to make an exact clone of something. Search the web for some sites that give descriptions of the flavor from each of those hops, then decide what you think you would like best. Good luck, welcome to HBT.

Thank you for the quick responses. That's what I was thinking but just wasn't sure. BeerThoven, That's funny you say that about the Saaz because thats the only one that was They didn't have. I am going to check another store tomorrow though. What flavors will I get out of the other ones if I can't find the Saaz? More bitter or less bitter?

selliott97 said:

More bitter or less bitter?

Click to expand...

A hop's bittering potential is, more or less, reflected by the percent alpha acids (AA%). Hallertau, Tettnang, Spalt, and Saaz are all considered noble hops. Their flavors are subtly different but all will be refined and "spicy." Domestic substitutes, like Liberty, Mt. Hood, and Vanguard, are daughters of the noble hop varieties. They are slightly different from Continental hops more because of terroir than genetics -- I found Liberty to be very lemony, for instance.