Best Hops for Malty Beers?

[Blue-Frog]

I've read that hoppy and malty don't match well.
Are there hops that might (or do) match well with very malty beers?

What are the best combinations?

What are the worst?

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Saaz at a whopping IBU level of 40 is sure tasty in Pilsner Urquell. I'd consider that a malty beer.

Sterling has many of the characteristics of Saaz.

Mt. Hood tastes great in malty Great Lakes Eliot Ness at 35 IBU's (reduced to 27 IBU's for 2012 and beyond...).

 

[JonM]

I like a little bit of mild Continental hops (Saaz, Hallertau, Tetnanger, etc.) in malty beers. With an ESB, Kent Goldings or US Goldings are great.

But for the maltiest of them all like an Oktoberfest or Scottish Ale, I use no late additions at all

 

[Steveruch]

I've read that hoppy and malty don't match well.
Are there hops that might (or do) match well with very malty beers?

What are the best combinations?

What are the worst?

I have to disagree with your first statement, a hoppy malty beer can be quite good. (ESB, American barleywine), the key is balance.
Go with whatever hops you like.

 

[chickypad]

"Malty" is a pretty broad term and I'd have to agree with Steve. In addition to the styles mentioned above there are lots of examples of malty American-style pale ales, IPA's, ambers, etc. that carry big bold hops well. I think a better question would be what varieties would you choose for styles where you don't want the hops to be at the forefront. In that case like Jon mentioned any of the noble/noble-like hops or the different goldings varieties (EKG, US, Styrian) would be good choices. For American hops Liberty and Mt Hood would be in the noble-like group. Willamette is another one that I use a lot in porters, stouts, browns.

 

[filthyastronaut]

Big fan of Nugget in darker, malty styles like Brown Ales and Stouts. It's also not true that malt and hops don't go well together. In my opinion the best part of beer is the interplay of hops, malt and yeast in various combinations, including IPAs. I like to taste grains in an IPA, and I don't think that gets in the way of the hops.

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

Magnum
Kent Goldings
Hallertau Mittelfrueh

 

[JKaranka]

Pretty much any hops used in a sensible way to achieve the desired outcome. Again, I don't see 'malty' the opposite of 'hoppy'. You can have quite a few beers that are pretty malty and hoppy at the same time such as many of the American takes on British styles (APA, RIS). Classic more neutral hops are the noble hops mentioned above, and many others will do too: Perle, Challenger, Nugget, Mt Hood, etc. They won't detract from the malts if that is your main purpose.

 

[mattdee1]

I make a very malt-heavy amber ale that I dry hop with 1oz each Citra and Amarillo and I think they go together amazingly well.

 

[Homercidal]

While I think that it's quite nice to have a balanced beer, or a Hoppy/bitter beer, a "malty" style is sometimes the desire.

In this case I say go with something where the subdued flavor of the hops won't detract from the flavor of the malt. What hop this is depends on the particular beer style you are brewing, and your own personal taste. For example in a Scottish you might use a traditional hop like EKG or something. Or you might use Saaz in a lager to emulate the German/Czech flavors a lot of people expect, even though those flavors are sometimes very low.

In an amber you might use just a touch of any bittering hop, but not enough to really make it stand out. Maybe not a citrusy hop like Centennial, or one of the hops commonly used in an IPA.

Or maybe you would. It's a big world out there, and there is room for everyone in Beervana.

 

[Blue-Frog]

Thanks everyone for your input. Your ideas are hepfull.

I can't recall where I heard this, several times actually, but it was in regards very malty beer and certain hops that simply did not go well. Many of the comments here so far pointed to those that might not overpower the malty flavor~aroma but, to have a clearer picture... which hops do you think would work LEAST well in a malt bomb?

If I come across the ones I heard about I will post them, for clarity.
Perhaps it was the citrusy ones...

 

[12thHoleBrewer]

Citrusy would include Citra, Galaxy, and
Amarillo. Others can add to this list.

Cascade is a classic American hop, citrusy but less intense than those described above. Back when I started brewing (20 years ago), Cascade was candied red to be one of the more assertive hops for an IPA. Today, it's not so assertive compared to the newer hops but still pretty popular in many commercial examples.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Citrusy would include Citra, Galaxy, and
Amarillo. Others can add to this list.

Centennial. Much like Cascade to my taste buds, except that you use less of it.

 

[catdaddy66]

I would look to a lower alpha acid hop to get more maltiness. The noble hops are great examples, as are British varieties like fuggles and EKG. Some American varieties that meet that goal are Liberty and Mt Hood.

A good hop site search should give you plenty of options.

 

[strangegreenman]

Thanks everyone for your input. Your ideas are hepfull.

I can't recall where I heard this, several times actually, but it was in regards very malty beer and certain hops that simply did not go well. Many of the comments here so far pointed to those that might not overpower the malty flavor~aroma but, to have a clearer picture... which hops do you think would work LEAST well in a malt bomb?

If I come across the ones I heard about I will post them, for clarity.
Perhaps it was the citrusy ones...

For my two cents, I find malty beer results from the use of a low ratio of IBUs to Original Gravity (BU:GU ratio), the use of a yeast that expresses malt character rather than hop character (WLP002 and WLP005 come to mind), and the use of strongly flavored malts like munich and honey malt.

I don't think any hop disagrees with malty beer. If you want aromas that stay warm & spicy and complement the malt, try Fuggles, Styrian Goldings, Styrian Celeias at the end of the boil. If you want a noble-hops flavor, I like Spalt Spalter a lot. That said... I like fruity flavors interacting with malt, too. Bramling Cross has a very subtle orange marmelade and spice taste that I love on a bready malty Bitter.

Hope this helps~

 

[BaldApe]

I love Bramling Cross in an old ale.

 

[Beucepholis]

Practically every Imperial IPA has a metric Ass-ton of malt and a similar measure of hops. And they use every hop imaginable.

But then, is this a "malty" beer with lots of hops? Or a "hoppy" beer with lots of malt? The debate will rage on forever.

 

[skortjorkson]

Probably easier to say which hops don't go well with malty beers!

The only times it's been an issue for me has been with citrusy bittering hops in a more savory beer, like a brown ale. Grapefrut rind or bitter lemon flavors can really make a roasty ale taste like stomach acid!

Of course, they can also be used to make a beer driven by Munich malt taste like delicious orange juice... so it depends on the nature of your maltiness.

I know you were fishing for suggestions, though, so I'd say that I have enjoyed the Northern Brewer family of hops most for making ambers, porters, stouts, etc, even for minor late-boil additions. Magnum too!

 

[jmcquesten]

Magnum

 

[Blue-Frog]

I see Magnum popping up here frequently... I thought Magnum was a rather neutral hop that did not provide much aroma/flavor and was primarily a clean bittering hop. Is this why it is suggested? If so, then that might be a different issue (?) ; that of a lack of a bittering clash, rather than a flavor and aroma clash (???)

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

These people determined (by actually trying it no less) that Magnum would actually make a fairly decent Lager/Pilsner hop. They determined that it had easily recognizable floral and spicy/herbal properties (and pretty close to exclusively these properties) when used for flavor and aroma additions.

http://brulosophy.com/2017/02/02/the-hop-chronicles-magnum/

 

[mrdauber64]

If I'm going for a malty beer where I don't want the hops presence at all, like an oatmeal stout, I would go with a magnum or hop extract only at 60 min. This creates the bitterness to offset the sweetness to create a balance. You don't need a flavor and aroma addition of you don't want the hops presence in your beer.

I made a black IPA with has a good malt profile and I found that Columbus and Cascade work well. Also the traditional British hops like EKG or Fuggles work well in malty beers like ESB's and Red Ales. Then there are the Noble hops that work in malty German beers.

So it really depends what you want out of the beer. If you don't want the hops to be present in the beer because you are only after the malt, then don't add anything after 60 minutes. If you want a specific profile from the hops then choose something that is appropriate for the style you are brewing.

 

[jmcquesten]

These people determined (by actually trying it no less) that Magnum would actually make a fairly decent Lager/Pilsner hop. They determined that it had easily recognizable floral and spicy/herbal properties (and pretty close to exclusively these properties) when used for flavor and aroma additions.

http://brulosophy.com/2017/02/02/the-hop-chronicles-magnum/

Magnum does make a great lager bittering hop. Also good for belgians, wheat beers, or any beer that needs a clean neutral hop. It's a relatively high AA%, so it doesn't take much to get the light bitterness needed for those types of beers, which keeps things "cleaner". I even use it in ipas to get a (small) bittering addition before loading it up with late (expensive) flavor/aroma hops. I keep Magnum on hand and buy it by the lb.

 

[Brewbuzzard]

In order to stay in balance, malt needs hops. The more malt and alcohol a beer has the more hops it needs. You just adjust per the balance of the style. The guide lines are just that, guide lines.