Adding bittering hops

[Jason1112]

Hi guys first time posting here. Ok here goes do I need to add bittering hops to a lite beer if I don't want to, or do u have to add some bittering hops?

 

[Sailingeric]

You will want to add some hops to beer, or else it is not beer. Sounds like you want to you go lower IBU so you will want to use a lesser amount of a lower alpha acid hop. Get a recipe builder program like Beersmith or Brewers Friend (which is online and free for the first few recipes) .

 

[Jason1112]

Thankyou for your help. I have been brewing recipes from Mrbeer. Now I want to create my own recipe. I was goin to add 1oz willamette hops for flavor an about half oz willamette at end of boil. Just wasnt sure if I needed any bittering hops

 

[Stillraining]

shoot for around 12 IBU's

 

[neverfadeaway86]

1 oz Williamette at 20 min left in boil will give you about 12 IBU , no need to do a 60 min addition if you are wanting low bitterness

 

[dstockwell]

Thankyou for your help. I have been brewing recipes from Mrbeer. Now I want to create my own recipe. I was goin to add 1oz willamette hops for flavor an about half oz willamette at end of boil. Just wasnt sure if I needed any bittering hops

You don't need to use hops only designed for bittering, but you will get bitterness from your hops depending on when you add them. You need to use a recipe program to figure out the IBU's, just adding hops on the fly not knowing what they will do is not a good idea.

For example a 5G batch with 1 oz Willamette @ 60 is 19 IBU's (based on brewers friend). That same 1 ox boiled @ 45 will yield 17 IBU's. and so on.

So you really need to use some sort of recipe program.

 

[eadavis80]

I used .5 ounce of cluster in a wheat for 60 minutes for about 10 IBU's.

 

[GHBWNY]

Hi guys first time posting here. Ok here goes do I need to add bittering hops to a lite beer if I don't want to, or do u have to add some bittering hops?

If it's light re: ABV, hops have no effect. If it's lighter flavor/less bitterness, then using a low-IBU hop in the boil will do the trick. You need some hop essence to balance the sweetness of the malt. Otherwise, you'll end up with a beer-flavored soda.

 

[Jim311]

Yeah but a lot of people associate "light" beer with low hop bitterness also. Guess it just depends on what he's trying to achieve. Maybe he wants low bitterness and low alcohol. I recommend a glass of water if that's the case

 

[ericbw]

I think the best light beer is still full and rounded in flavor. That's achieved with a balance of malt, bitterness, flavor, and aroma hops.

You get better bitterness from 60 minute additions, so a small charge there is good, along with 30 and 0 additions.

When I've done 20 minutes only, I felt like it lacked depth.

Many light beers use only 60 minute hops, but I think it's better when there's 3 additions.

 

[Jason1112]

Thankyou for all the advice. I am goin for lower ibu that's all, I will use a lower ibu hop and do 3 additions at 60min boil

 

[Sailingeric]

Thankyou for all the advice. I am goin for lower ibu that's all, I will use a lower ibu hop and do 3 additions at 60min boil

The thing with hops, the longer the boil, higher the IBU but lower flavor, less boil time, less IBU but more flavor. If you want some hop flavor, you start adding hops closer to the end of the boil. When I make a lower IBU add hops for the full boil- 60 minutes, and when I get near the end, I give it a little flavor hop to balance it out. My last beer I made is 25 IBU and 21 of it came from my .75 oz of Willamette at 60 mintues and with 15 minutes left I tossed in .75 oz of Crystal hops but only got 4 ibu but will have a lot of the hop flavor. It might seem hard to understand at first but it will quickly click.

 

[ericbw]

Thankyou for all the advice. I am goin for lower ibu that's all, I will use a lower ibu hop and do 3 additions at 60min boil

To be clear: do an addition at 60 minutes, one at 30, one at zero.

 

[ericbw]

The thing with hops, the longer the boil, higher the IBU but lower flavor, less boil time, less IBU but more flavor. If you want some hop flavor, you start adding hops closer to the end of the boil. When I make a lower IBU add hops for the full boil- 60 minutes, and when I get near the end, I give it a little flavor hop to balance it out. My last beer I made is 25 IBU and 21 of it came from my .75 oz of Willamette at 60 mintues and with 15 minutes left I tossed in .75 oz of Crystal hops but only got 4 ibu but will have a lot of the hop flavor. It might seem hard to understand at first but it will quickly click.

That's a good way to do it.