Hop Desensitized?(hop Tolerance)

[cheezydemon3]

A little concerned.

I had had NOTHING to drink or eat, just came home and cracked open a redhook ESB.


NO DETECTABLE BITTERNESS....none.

I have Been drinking fairly bitter beers of late.

Can you develop a tolerance that easily??

It's not like I was chugging a Ruination 5 minutes before. I hadn't had a beer in 48 hours. (hadn't had a ruination in months)

 

[bubbachunk]

I feel the exact same way.

 

[Houblon]

Redhook ESB is modeled after the premium Extra Special Bitters found in English pubs. Brewed since 1987, this full-bodied amber ale is Redhook's signature brew with its toasted malt flavor and pleasant finishing sweetness. Its eminently drinkable style has established Redhook ESB as a benchmark brew in the amber ale category.


Style: Amber

ABV: 5.8%

Malts: Pale, Caramel, Carapils

Hops: Alchemy, Willamette, Centennial, Crystal

Color SRM: 13

Bitterness Units: 28.0 IBU

Original Gravity: 13.75 degrees plato

Calories / 12 oz.: 183.3

 

[northernlad]

Last night I had a bartender tell me the Amber he had on tap was SUPER hoppy so if I liked hops it was good. So I tried it. Super hoppy? Really? I thought it was very well balanced and hardly hoppy at all. He was a knucklehead or I have burned off all my hop taste buds.
Although I don't know if i have ever felt RH ESB was very hoppy.

 

[david_42]

Taste buds do die when abused. Fortunately, they regenerate.

Just drink Bud Lite for 6-8 months.

 

[FxdGrMind]

Quote: Just drink Bud Lite for 6-8 months

A fate worse than death for a Homebrewer......

 

[cheezydemon3]

Redhook ESB is modeled after the premium Extra Special Bitters found in English pubs. Brewed since 1987, this full-bodied amber ale is Redhook's signature brew with its toasted malt flavor and pleasant finishing sweetness. Its eminently drinkable style has established Redhook ESB as a benchmark brew in the amber ale category.


Style: Amber

ABV: 5.8%

Malts: Pale, Caramel, Carapils

Hops: Alchemy, Willamette, Centennial, Crystal

Color SRM: 13

Bitterness Units: 28.0 IBU

Original Gravity: 13.75 degrees plato

Calories / 12 oz.: 183.3

I could taste the 28 IBU's 6 months ago, now I can't. I appreciate the specs, but what is your point?

Taste buds do die when abused. Fortunately, they regenerate.

Just drink Bud Lite for 6-8 months.

Lol, I experienced a similar tolerance with hot peppers. Rather than eat bell peppers for 6 months, I just got hotter peppers.

 

[slouch]

Taste buds do die when abused. Fortunately, they regenerate.

Just drink Bud Lite for 6-8 months.

You could do that or you could mix up your bittering agents. I have a very nice floral brew that I bitter with wormwood instead of hops. The bitter profile of wormwood is somewhat like the bitter quality of grapefruit. Very refreshing on a hot day. You could brew now and it would be ready for early summer.

 

[Bobby_M]

It's called lupulin threshold shift. Embrace it and have some Stone IPA.

 

[cheezydemon3]

It's called lupulin threshold shift. Embrace it and have some Stone IPA.

Indeed my good brother, the "ruination" I refer to in the OP is the step beyond that one.

I enjoy the Stone brews, as well as Red Hook's Longhammer (a fine IPA for the $) but I miss enjoying the ESB. Now it tastes like a wonderful blond................(beer)

 

[Houblon]

I could taste the 28 IBU's 6 months ago, now I can't. I appreciate the specs, but what is your point?
:

My point was its not meant to be bitter and as other posted its just your tastebuds have adjusted. Just drink budlite for a year to allow your tastebuds to adjust :cross:

 

[Revvy]

It's called lupulin threshold shift. Embrace it and have some Stone IPA.

Giggle.

 

[Reelale]

You could do that or you could mix up your bittering agents. I have a very nice floral brew that I bitter with wormwood instead of hops. The bitter profile of wormwood is somewhat like the bitter quality of grapefruit. Very refreshing on a hot day. You could brew now and it would be ready for early summer.

hmmmmm.....absinthe beer

 

[ChshreCat]

I found that after drinking Arrogant Bastard clone on a nightly basis, other beers just didn't have the hops they did. It's kinda sad.

Then, after drinking my saison on a nightly basis, I found my hop taste came back pretty quick.

 

[Houblon]

Giggle.

Dang you beat to posting the same pic

 

[cheezydemon3]

I had thought my first 25 gallon brew would be a RH ESB clone (for my haus session brew https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/extract-easier-trash-can-brew-153904/)

Now, methinks the same recipe, double the hops!

 

[calpyro]

A little concerned.

I had had NOTHING to drink or eat, just came home and cracked open a redhook ESB.


NO DETECTABLE BITTERNESS....none.

I have Been drinking fairly bitter beers of late.

Can you develop a tolerance that easily??

It's not like I was chugging a Ruination 5 minutes before. I hadn't had a beer in 48 hours. (hadn't had a ruination in months)

Here in Sonoma, we are planning a group therapy session for all people suffering from the feared Luplin Threshold Shift. The session starts at 11:00 AM on February 5th @ 725 4th Street Santa Rosa, CA 95404.
See your there. http://russianriverbrewing.com/wordpress/?p=119

 

[cheezydemon3]

My point was its not meant to be bitter and as other posted its just your tastebuds have adjusted. Just drink budlite for a year to allow your tastebuds to adjust :cross:

my reply was too harsh! Thanks for the reply.

I had thought my first 25 gallon brew would be a RH ESB clone (for my haus session brew https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/extract-easier-trash-can-brew-153904/)

Now, methinks the same recipe, double the hops!

HOLY PHUCK!!!! THIS GUY IS DOING A 25 GALLON TRASH CAN BREW??!? I MEAN....oh....wait.......why is noone impressed by this?

Here in Sonoma, we are planning a group therapy session for all people suffering from the feared Luplin Threshold Shift. The session starts at 11:00 AM on February 5th @ 725 4th Street Santa Rosa, CA 95404.
See your there. http://russianriverbrewing.com/wordpress/?p=119

I am on expedia now....See you there.....does this mean.......there's hope?"

 

[calpyro]

my reply was too harsh! Thanks for the reply.



HOLY PHUCK!!!! THIS GUY IS DOING A 25 GALLON TRASH CAN BREW??!? I MEAN....oh....wait.......why is noone impressed by this?



I am on expedia now....See you there.....does this mean.......there's hope?"

Once you had the Younger therapy, there is no turning back. ESB just won't cut it.

 

[cheezydemon3]

....I'm just talking haus session brew here.......should it be a hop bomb?.....


In addition to being keeping bacteria out,(somebody quote this) additional hops may just keep the BMC crowd at bay.

 

[waldoar15]

I drink/brew quite a bit of IPA. But every once in a while I have to get away from the hops and drink something else for a while before I can enjoy them again.

 

[Houblon]

I drink/brew quite a bit of IPA. But every once in a while I have to get away from the hops and drink something else for a while before I can enjoy them again.

Thats where sour Belgain beers come in to wash the tongue clean of hop oils - try Cantillon Iris.

 

[zodeseeker]

On the Redhook ESB it say Extra Special Beer. Nothing at all about being bitter. I think they have taken the acronym and bastardized it for their own use.

 

[Handle]

I'm experiencing the shift myself. I remember when I first tried Highland Gaelic, a local American Amber. I thought it was too bitter. Needless to say, I couldn't see how anyone would drink the disgustingly bitter IPAs.

Now I'm really getting IPAs. I ordered a Highland Gaelic the other night and was shocked when I couldn't find a trace of hop bitterness in the beer. It was a delicious beer, and I definitely have come to appreciate it a lot more, but it's funny that I used to regard this very sweet beer as bitter.

I've got a friend who is starting to get into craft beer, and he hasn't developed a taste for IPAs. I keep telling him it will come.

 

[Handle]

On the Redhook ESB it say Extra Special Beer. Nothing at all about being bitter. I think they have taken the acronym and bastardized it for their own use.

Um, it is indeed an Extra Special Bitter. This beer is hardly bitter when compared with an IPA or even a pale ale, but back in the day it was called such when compared with less hoppy beers (like porters or stouts).

Redhook didn't make the style up, you know.

 

[cheezydemon3]

On the Redhook ESB it say Extra Special Beer. Nothing at all about being bitter. I think they have taken the acronym and bastardized it for their own use.

Um, it is indeed an Extra Special Bitter. This beer is hardly bitter when compared with an IPA or even a pale ale, but back in the day it was called such when compared with less hoppy beers (like porters or stouts).

Redhook didn't make the style up, you know.

I was pretty sure it was an ES Bitter. Thanks for the attention to detail zodeseeker, but again, I TASTED BITTERNESS 6 MONTHS AGO, NOW I don't.(not yelling, I am too lazy on this laptop that has no right click)

It was a point of reference, not a discussion of that specific beer.

 

[Brewinator]

Yeah, Stone IPA is perfect with 18 drops of hop oil. :cross:

It's called lupulin threshold shift. Embrace it and have some Stone IPA.

 

[cheezydemon3]

SWMOBO theorizes that my lupulin threshold shift is also raising my salt threshold.......

Possible?

 

[david_42]

Possibly. Taste sensors are scattered all over the tongue (not patterned as we were all taught) and burnout of one type of receptor could reduce transmission of other signals.

 

[Saccharomyces]

I remember my first double IPA experience, it was DFH 90. So bitter I couldn't finish the bottle. A few years later, and I can down a Ruination without thinking much about it, and DFH 90 now seems like a malty double IPA to me. I'm sure if I gave up hops for awhile my lupulin sensitivity would return, but I prefer being able to enjoy both malty and hoppy beers.

 

[cheezydemon3]

I remember my first double IPA experience, it was DFH 90. So bitter I couldn't finish the bottle. A few years later, and I can down a Ruination without thinking much about it, and DFH 90 now seems like a malty double IPA to me. I'm sure if I gave up hops for awhile my lupulin sensitivity would return, but I prefer being able to enjoy both malty and hoppy beers.

I find the same pleasure with hot peppers.

The legendary 7POT pepper was untasteable and left me nearly throwing up 3 years ago.

Now, with a great deal of tolerance, I can enjoy and comment on the flavor, even though it is still an off the map face melter.

The salt de-sensetization is not cool! More salt is bad for you.

 

[cheezydemon3]

OK. On the Wagon.

My last brew was a slightly caramelly amber that left me disappointed. Fairly one dimensional.

I asked SWMBO for a critique last night after she said she liked it.

"It's almost a sierra nevada clone", she said........

PHUCK ME.

I make a decent brew and can't enjoy it.

The only benefit, is that I can easilly disect hoppy beers to taste the underlying ingredients.

No BEER for a month.

 

[Hang Glider]

No BEER for a month.

Cheezy - that's harsh. I'm in the same boat - Love the hops and bitterness - but now when I drink a standard IPA - the bitterness doesn't get me - now I notice is how fresh the dry-hop is (or not)...

(I also recommend a Bell's HopSlam - 10%, similar in taste, profile to a Ruination)

But - I've just moved over to porters for a while. I'm NOT giving up drinking!

 

[cheezydemon3]

HG.

I also overdo hot peppers, coffee, and strong flavors in general (sometimes meaning SALTY). I am going to try no coffee, beer or added spice or salt for a month.

 

[robtotten]

I could taste the 28 IBU's 6 months ago, now I can't. I appreciate the specs, but what is your point?



Lol, I experienced a similar tolerance with hot peppers. Rather than eat bell peppers for 6 months, I just got hotter peppers.

Same here. I used to think Sri Racha was hot as all hell, now I use that **** like ketchup and go straight to the fermented chili garlic paste if I want something spicy.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Same here. I used to think Sri Racha was hot as all hell, now I use that **** like ketchup and go straight to the fermented chili garlic paste if I want something spicy.

Recipe? Fermented garlic chili paste! WOW!

My goto is just salt, vinegar, and enough 7 POT powder to make it super thick. It burns holes in my tongue, but I can't do without it!

 

[Brewinator]

HG.

I also overdo hot peppers, coffee, and strong flavors in general (sometimes meaning SALTY). I am going to try no coffee, beer or added spice or salt for a month.

Ha ha, I was just thinking the exact thing today. I have some of the hottest red sauce imaginable, but now I can drink it like Gatorade on a hot day.

Just dropped double the recommended amount of Cascade hop extract into a couple of Stone IPA's last night. Have a little grain with your hops.

Oh well, at least our tolerance problem isn't with heroin...

 

[elproducto]

I feel the same way.. hops have ruined me. I have a beautiful batch of BM's Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale, that my non-hophead friends are loving. All I keep thinking is.. it's tasty, but just not hoppy enough!

 

[Brewinator]

I feel the same way.. hops have ruined me. I have a beautiful batch of BM's Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale, that my non-hophead friends are loving. All I keep thinking is.. it's tasty, but just not hoppy enough!

The one type of tolerance I have lost with age is my alcohol tolerance, which has dropped considerably. I've always had bad hangovers, but now I get them from a couple of 22's of double IPA. :cross:

I've decided I'm going to start brewing lower alcohol IPAs, like in the 5-6% range, so I can get my hop fix without the next-morning headaches, plus less calories.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Ha ha, I was just thinking the exact thing today. I have some of the hottest red sauce imaginable, but now I can drink it like Gatorade on a hot day.

Just dropped double the recommended amount of Cascade hop extract into a couple of Stone IPA's last night. Have a little grain with your hops.

Oh well, at least our tolerance problem isn't with heroin...

Agreed, it could be worse, and if everyone I love sucked down ruination like it was nothing, it wouldn't be a problem.

I just hate not being able to intelligently discuss commercial beer or even my own brews. No one is tasting what I am.

The one type of tolerance I have lost with age is my alcohol tolerance, which has dropped considerably. I've always had bad hangovers, but now I get them from a couple of 22's of double IPA. :cross:

I've decided I'm going to start brewing lower alcohol IPAs, like in the 5-6% range, so I can get my hop fix without the next-morning headaches, plus less calories.

I have gone almost entirely to low ABV beers. I like to be able to have 3-4 without being drunk.

Hangover?????

My homebrew NEVER gives me a hangover. The times I get just retarded and wake up a little drunk, I am definitely a little slow the next day, but never a headache.

DAY 2 OF NO BEER. (god help me)