Pellet or Whole leaf hops when the recipe doesn't tell?

[tr08]

Hello, I just tasted my beer after it finished conditioning in bottles. It was too hoppy for me like I drank a bowl of hop soup. The hop flavor was so extreme that I couldn't finish it.

So, if the recipe doesn't state which type of hops to be used, what is the default hop type to use in homebrewing?

Thank you in advance
:rockin:

 

[PADave]

Either can be used, pellet hops are generally what homebrewers use in most cases. Pellet hops are slightly more efficient than whole leaf. What kind of beer did you brew? What was the hop schedule?

 

[Jtk78]

How fresh was the beer? Meaning hold long ago did you package it? Hop sharpness usually mellow out over time.

 

[IslandLizard]

Hops come in many, many varieties. They add flavor, aroma, and when boiled or heated >170F, bitterness. There's no default hop. Some give strong bitterness and/or flavor, others yield mellow flavors and aroma. It's the balance among them that makes a good tasting beer of the kind you want, being it a Pilsner, a NE IPA, or any other style.

Where did you find the recipe? Usually it specifies the hop varieties to use as well as the weight, % of Alpha Acid, IBUs it should yield, and the timing schedule when to add them to the kettle or fermentor (dry hops).

How to Brew.

 

[IslandLizard]

Just reread the title of your thread...
If you indeed added a "pallet" of hops, yeah, it would be too much!

 

[tr08]

Just reread the title of your thread...
If you indeed added a "pallet" of hops, yeah, it would be too much!

I meant "pellet". typo.

 

[tr08]

Either can be used, pellet hops are generally what homebrewers use in most cases. Pellet hops are slightly more efficient than whole leaf. What kind of beer did you brew? What was the hop schedule?

it's Hefweizen.
I checked the recipe again and just realized I put extra hops in the boil more than the recipe told.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Bingo!

 

[IslandLizard]

it's Hefweizen.
I checked the recipe again and just realized I put extra hops in the boil more than the recipe told.

There's your answer!

Each beer style has specific hops. That doesn't mean you can't alter them, if it's better suited to your taste. For example, a Simcoe Hefe would be interesting to say the least, and when using Simcoe with restraint (very little) it won't be too bitter or too hoppy, just a very different taste and flavor. And no, it won't meet the style guide but you may win a prize somewhere.