LovetheHops
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is there any difference between measuring pellet vs whole hops? I have 4 oz of whole hops and it looks like a heck of a lot more hop goodness than 4 0z of pellets.
pellet vs whole hop implentation
- Thread starter LovetheHops
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Well, it's about the same in strength. You'd only use about 10% more by weight of whole hops than of the pellets. Not a huge difference at all, really. Remember that the pellets are basically ground up whole hops then compressed. So, they are slightly stronger than the whole hops.
Bob
Well-Known Member
+1. Hops pellets are nothing more than whole flowers that have been chopped into tiny bits and compressed under vast pressure into pellet form. That makes pellets much more dense than whole flowers. Brewers like pellets because they stay fresher longer - less surface to contact air - are easier to store and handle - smaller package - and have more "bang for the buck" than whole flowers. When pellets are added to wort, they come apart, giving the boiling wort greater access to the lupulin glands and the alpha acids which impart bitterness. That accounts for the 10% greater utilization Yooper mentioned.
Some brewers believe, however, that the flavor and aroma imparted by pelletized hops is inferior to that of whole hops. I don't get that, myself, and there's no science to back it up. Perhaps something happens in the pelletization process that 'bruises' the flavor and aroma compounds. I dunno.
I prefer at least some of my kettle hops to be whole flower, to act as a filter bed for trub. I don't like transferring all sorts of glop and gunk into my fermenter, and whole-flower hops make a lovely filter bed when they settle out at the end of the boil. The last beer I brewed used all whole-flower hops, and the wort going into the fermenter was almost perfectly bright.
There you are; more trivia than you asked for.
Cheers!
Bob
Some brewers believe, however, that the flavor and aroma imparted by pelletized hops is inferior to that of whole hops. I don't get that, myself, and there's no science to back it up. Perhaps something happens in the pelletization process that 'bruises' the flavor and aroma compounds. I dunno.
I prefer at least some of my kettle hops to be whole flower, to act as a filter bed for trub. I don't like transferring all sorts of glop and gunk into my fermenter, and whole-flower hops make a lovely filter bed when they settle out at the end of the boil. The last beer I brewed used all whole-flower hops, and the wort going into the fermenter was almost perfectly bright.
There you are; more trivia than you asked for.
Cheers!
Bob
