Continued Hop Desensitization

[cheezydemon3]

Now I taste no bitterness in SNPA, a beer that I said was "too bitter" for me 8 years ago, lol.

My Latest IPA is waaaay too bitter for SWMBO, I couldn't understand why until that SNPA last night.

I have decided to go on a hop strike for 2-3 months.

I can't afford to have Ruination be my session beer.

 

[JefeTheVol]

Oh man, but how are you going to desensitize your limbic center of your brain. You see, you spoiled your brain and, now, its going to be an uphill battle from here on out. Your brain is gonna be like "this aint Pliny" with every sip, and you're gonna be like, "shut up brain and process the taste of this swill". Then your brain is gonna be all like "oh sheesh, ya'll, Im 'bout to get off the chain with this mo-fo".

All because you insisted on drinking the beautiful hoppiness. Its a downward spiral, the life of a hophead. May the IBU's be with you.
-Jefe-
-J

 

[mmonacel]

I hear ya. I used to love drinking DFH 60 minute until I got a case of 90 minute. There was no looking back... Now I drink almost exclusively IIPAs and anything below Hop Stoopid IBU levels is a "nice mild IPA". No... I... I... don't have a problem... [twitch, twitch]

 

[humann_brewing]

I think I am in this club too. Even with my own brew, I brewed a APA and could not taste the hops, I am considering it my cream ale

My trick for the summer will be to make a session IPA, about 1.045 gravity and 50 IBUs

 

[remilard]

I wish Pliny could be my session beer. Living in KC, thats a little impractical. If I lived in Santa Rosa though...

 

[Yooper]

I wish Pliny could be my session beer. Living in KC, thats a little impractical. If I lived in Santa Rosa though...

I agree! I used to be a confirmed malt lover. Until I discovered hops.

I don't think that I've ever had a beer that is "too hoppy" for me since then. My taste buds definitely expect hops. Pliny is my fave.

I can appreciate a good lager, and enjoy a good stout. But my heart cries out for hops!

 

[jmick]

I remember a time when SNPA was way too hoppy for me. What was I thinking?

Now I can't get enough Ruination or hopslam. Still waiting to get my hands on some Pliny though.

 

[Frank99]

Yeah, you're not alone.
I just had Pliny the Younger (yes, dry hopped 4 times!) and didn't bat an eye.
SNPA is still the "gold standard" of pale ales IMO, but it's something I have when I want a beer that's not too hoppy... I guess I would consider SNPA a gateway drug of sorts.

 

[mullenite]

Sounds like LTS.

http://www.russianriverbrewing.com/LTS/

Happens to the best of us.

 

[david_42]

Are hops the new cocaine? Story at 11.

 

[PanzerBanana]

IPAs got me to liking hops more. However I lean more toward APAs for the distinct fresh floral burst you get from the hops.

How much do you have to drink IPA and such to become desensitized?

I'm addicted to spicy food. I'll just eat fresh whole habaneros. So obviously for me something that most would consider "spicy" falls quite short of my expectations, but I can still tell the spice is there.

So how much are you drinkin' man? hehe

Moderation is good!

 

[cheezydemon3]

IPAs got me to liking hops more. However I lean more toward APAs for the distinct fresh floral burst you get from the hops.

How much do you have to drink IPA and such to become desensitized?

I'm addicted to spicy food. I'll just eat fresh whole habaneros. So obviously for me something that most would consider "spicy" falls quite short of my expectations, but I can still tell the spice is there.

So how much are you drinkin' man? hehe

Moderation is good!

1-2 a night I would say. Mostly IPA's.

I've been stepping up the hoppiness over the last 2 years.

I also take it really spicy as far as food. I wondered if the 2 might be related as I have stepped that up at the same rate.

Ever had a 7 POT? 3 times hotter than a hab. Too hot for me, truth be told, but I can't stop growing them!lol.

 

[PanzerBanana]

I guess that regular consumption would take the edge off of IPA's in general. lol

What's 7 POT? I'd try it though, probably give myself a couple days to get my system ready for it. The hottest I've had was what turned out to be a Caribbean Red. I just thought it was really ripe. I would have been fine but my system hadn't really been "primed" for something that hot suddenly.

Since then I've made sure to keep a steady flow of spicy things in my diet, even if it's not really all that spicy. For me particular pepper varieties, don't settle well. lol *ahem*

As far as a relation between beer and spicy food, I'm generally feeling pretty good after a single beer and a bunch of peppers. The alcohol and endorphins. lol

 

[artguy]

My spicy food tolerance leveled out years ago around Vindaloo-spicy, so I'm hoping my hop tolerance will level out too (still waiting though). Coincidentally, I was just thinking about this issue while happily drinking a SN Torpedo IPA, which less than a year ago seemed overly bitter to me, but now just feels like an easy-drinking ale with a pleasant hop-bite. Last week I had a Troeg's Hopback Amber, which had seemed wonderfully hoppy to me a while ago, and I was disappointed by its hop-mildness. I'm thinking I need to throw more over the top malty beers into the mix.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Spice tolerance definitely fades fast.

The 7 POT is from Trinidad and Tobago where the legend is that 1 7 POT pepper can be cut into 7 pieces and used to make 7 pots of very spicy stew.

 

[gtpro]

yeah I made the mistake of brewing a Nut Brown right on top of a 2 hearted clone, I always try to have the brown first otherwise the its just too mild tasting by comparison.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Salt is one sensetization that is easy to alter.

Spice also comes and goes quick.

I have not been completely hop free, but I am still at the point where, in my latest ESB, I tasted a tiny bit of hop bitterness......which tells me I WAAAAAAAAAAAAY overshot the IBU's if I taste any.

SNPA no bitterness, red hook ESB NO bitterness and a little sweet.....

It is helping me go all homebrew, I can't afford ruination every week and I can brew hop grenades fairly cheap.