badun
Well-Known Member
A buddy and I were brainstorming way to add hop goodness to bad beer. Not necessarily bad beer, but beer that needs hops. Picture this: You're at a bar with your buddies and they order a pitcher of Bud Light. You don't want to be rude and decline the offer of free beer even if it does suck (assume that they offered to let you drink for free, you left your wallet at home, the bar only serves crap beer, etc.). So you whip 'x' out of your pocket and add it to your mug, which gives you at least a bit more flavor and aroma.
We're trying to figure out if it's possible to find 'x'. We started by adding hop pellets to empty tea bags. My friend did this with a fairly high alpha brew and couldn't tell a difference. I used a higher alpha bittering hop and a lower alpha pale ale. I tasted a hint more bitterness in the first sip, but nothing more than that. So we crossed using hop pellets off the list.
What about whole hops? I don't have any now but will later when my plants bear fruit. Hop oil? Essence? Lost cause? Other opinions?
We're trying to figure out if it's possible to find 'x'. We started by adding hop pellets to empty tea bags. My friend did this with a fairly high alpha brew and couldn't tell a difference. I used a higher alpha bittering hop and a lower alpha pale ale. I tasted a hint more bitterness in the first sip, but nothing more than that. So we crossed using hop pellets off the list.
What about whole hops? I don't have any now but will later when my plants bear fruit. Hop oil? Essence? Lost cause? Other opinions?