Why Bitter With Willamette?

[SamInNJ]

I've seen a few recipes with lower AA hope used for bittering. I've come to assume that a 60 minute addition isn't contributing noticeable flavor so you should use a high AA low cohumulone hop for that purpose.

I'm curious why certain hope are being used in these cases. I tried Yoopers oatmeal stout recipe this past weekend and it called for Willamette at 60 as the only addition. I stuck in with it as she knows far more than i do but don't get the why yet.

 

[Yooper]

All hops don't taste the same. Sure, in bittering you may not have some of the qualities that you'd have if you used them late, but many hops "carry over" in the final product.

Some brewers do use a "clean", neutral bittering hop for some beers especially things like IPAs where you load up on late hops. But some hop varieties have a higher cohumulone content and hence a harsher or more pronounced bitterness, while some have a resiny flavor or some may have a dank flavor.

Some hops have a distinct "American" citrus flavor, while others have "English" flavors, while others may be "clean".

 

[passedpawn]

I've seen a few recipes with lower AA hope used for bittering. I've come to assume that a 60 minute addition isn't contributing noticeable flavor so you should use a high AA low cohumulone hop for that purpose.

I'm curious why certain hope are being used in these cases. I tried Yoopers oatmeal stout recipe this past weekend and it called for Willamette at 60 as the only addition. I stuck in with it as she knows far more than i do but don't get the why yet.

Yooper's oatmeal stout is based on Jamil Zainescheff's oatmeal stout, which uses east kent goldings for bittering. I'd guess that Jamil used that hop to keep with some local ingredient ethic (meh). Willamette is a lot cheaper than EKG, so I'm 100% for the substitution of willamette for the EKG ( willamette is a fuggles derivative, and fuggles is an english hop). But feel free to use any hop for bittering that you're sure won't leave a citrus (centennial) or piney (chinook) flavor in the beer. For a high-AA hop that I use for everything, Magnum.

 

[SamInNJ]

Thanks for explaining!