Does Anyone Else Dislike Hops?

CornyKegs 728
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On brew day, Ill stick my nose in the bag of hop pellets and inhale a couple times to enjoy all that hoppy goodness... my girlfriend thinks im nuts...
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+1 to that (both the smelling, and the girlfriend that thinks i'm nuts for it)

I really wasnt the biggest hoppy beer fan either at first... I dont know, i guess it just grew on me.

There is just something clean, and refreshing about an IPA that is sooooo nice after a hard days work.
 
maxam said:
yes, but they are still around because people realized how awesome they are. You could say the same about pickles, bbq, any cured meat anything that's been fermented, cured, preserved or dried.
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Same for porters, bitters/pale ales, old ales, and so many more brew styles.

I see hops usage a lot like guns... :eek: :D
Some people hate them, without ever really trying them.
Some people love them in excess.
Some people realize that they are necessary, but best in moderation.

I see hop bombs like car bombs... To be avoided if you don't want to get hurt.

I tried DFH 60 minute IPA last weekend... One taste was all I could manage.
 
The taste of hops is starting to grow on me. I prefer english-style IPAs to American IPAs and I prefer stouts and other malty beers to a hoppy beer but they ARE growing on me.

I remember my first craft beer was a double ipa and I almost died. I've graduated since then!
 
not a hop head here,But I love trying different beers with different levels of hoppiness although there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH IPA'S,they are my least favorite.
 
I don't brew anymore, but still drink it.

I go through phases. Kind of like being a pregnant beer drinker. Sometimes I get an IPA kick, and other times I don't drink them for awhile. Right now in the winter, I tend to like more darker ales like porters, stouts, and browns. Right now, I'm not too excited about IPA's but in a few months, will probably be craving them again.
 
I love me a big sweet malty beer. Barley wines, quads, stouts, etc. BUT I do try to drink some kind of pale ale at least once every few weeks just to get my palate more experienced. Remember how when you were a little kid certain foods tasted disgusting, but then when you went back years later and tried them they suddenly tasted good? It's because you can't really categorize the flavor until you've experienced it a ton of times. The more experience you get, often the more you'll start to like it, or at least the more sense you'll be able to make of it.

So if you aren't a fan, at least try a low IBU pale ale every now and then, who knows, maybe one day your tastes will change.

Oh, hops still smell like old gym socks filled with Romano cheese to me. But they make my beers taste yummy so I digress.
 
bruin_ale said:
What are these "over hopped beers" you speak of? No such thing.. might as well be talking about the toothfairy and unicorns.
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Ruination, HopSlam, Hop Devil, Pliney... Need I go on? I'm actually a fan of IPAs. I'm not a fan of a beer where any one flavor is pretty much the only one. Good beer is always about balance.

Somebody was talking about balance being perception... To a certain extent, maybe. But I remember an Ed Wort comment once that Ruination is a fine beer, but you can't taste anything else for hours afterwards. That is NOT balance folks.

Hops good. Overkill just because, no thanks.
 
As you age you realize women are probably right 95% of the time. Never admit it though.
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Oh boy, something to look forward to. I'm already starting to realize this to some extent...

P.S. I never said i WASN'T nuts.
 
cimirie said:
Ruination, HopSlam, Hop Devil, Pliney... Need I go on? I'm actually a fan of IPAs. I'm not a fan of a beer where any one flavor is pretty much the only one. Good beer is always about balance.

Somebody was talking about balance being perception... To a certain extent, maybe. But I remember an Ed Wort comment once that Ruination is a fine beer, but you can't taste anything else for hours afterwards. That is NOT balance folks.

Hops good. Overkill just because, no thanks.
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That's like... you're opinion man :)
And actually I find Pliney to be fairly well balanced, especially when compared to Ruination.
Totally disagree on the "Good beer is always about balance". In some cases it is, in some cases it's not. Hop bombs can be good, they aren't about balance. Therefore, good beer is not ALWAYS about balance.
 
As a kid, I absolutely loved unsweetened ruby red grapefruit juice... it was my favorite. Still is, actually :). No surprise I loved big hoppy American IPAs from early on. I understand why it's a difficult taste for many people to acquire, but in my experience, most of the best stuff in life is.

But I also love hugely malty Belgians, sours, and beers at all sorts of extremes.

I have a weird issue with roasted malts though. I just can't seem to get into them. Even Irish reds are generally a bit much for me, let alone stouts. What's weird is I love stronger coffees, particularly espresso, and when it comes to chocolate, nothing for me beats 90% cocoa dark chocolate.

But I'm not really satisfied with that. I want to be able to enjoy the best that all styles have to offer. And anybody who is hugely into something like craft beer should know that tastes can be acquired with a bit of effort and that it's usually very rewarding to do so. So rather than just ignore what I don't like right now, I'm going to try and bridge the gap with stuff like a chocolate sweet stout I'll be brewing very soon, using chocolate malt and special hull-less roasted malts to push myself that much closer to being able to enjoy something like a dry or oatmeal stout.
 
My gal digs IPA's but isn't so big on APA's or other beers where the character and essence of fresh hops comes through.

I'm the opposite, I like bold distinct flavors. I just tried Hopslam and it's amazing. But it's not a beer I would even regularly drink during the season. You need to enjoy beer like that in moderation so you'll always appreciate what it is. lol
 
DirtyJersey said:
For many years now, it seems the "cool crowd" has leaned towards IPA's, double IPA's, and other highly hopped beers. I've tried everything under the sun, and I just don't like hoppy beer. In fact, when brewing at home, I don't necessarily care for the smell of fresh hops. (I don't dislike the smell, but it's not overly-appealing to me)

I guess I'm in the minority, but I just don't like hops. Give me a big malty beer with low level hops, and I'm good.

Anyone with me?
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I don't like any of the citrus flavoured hops, IMHO they're just nasty. More of them for those who like them I guess; I just don't like grapefruit flavoured beer, but I do like grapefruit, go figure. I do like hops like Perle & Goldings, I use some whole hops & on brew day will often chew on Goldings like gum, until they become too bitter & I have to spit 'em out. I love the fresh hop aroma too. I love the malty brews like stouts, scotch ales & doppelbocks, but IPA's, ESB's & anything with those citrus hops have no place in my fridge. For me it's all about balance, though I think malt should be forward for a great brew. That's my 2 cents worth. Regards, GF.
 
The beer that I brew and enjoy the most are low hop beers. I love the smell of dried hops, but I don't love the bitterness in my beer. A little is okay, but not a ton.

NRS
 
I love me some hops! Not in excessive excess though, balance is the key I try to obtain in my beers.
 
cimirie said:
Somebody was talking about balance being perception... To a certain extent, maybe. But I remember an Ed Wort comment once that Ruination is a fine beer, but you can't taste anything else for hours afterwards. That is NOT balance folks.
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Humm...I don't know. I just had a Ruination and an Arogant Bastard tonight. Ruination is the only good beer from Stone IMO. Bastard is pretty pedestrian and way overhyped by Stone themselves. Ruination is good for an IPA, but way too overpriced for what it is. I don't think their beers are very flavorful. I like IPAs and full stouts the most. I can also appreciate nice malty ales, and a few full bodied lagers. I tried a couple of the reserve stouts from Stone, and they were probably the least flavorful imperial ales I've ever had. So my palate sees Ruination as being balanced, because it does have a hop presence, while not having a complex malt backbone. The other Stone beers just seem over the place, and I'd rather spend less for better beers. I've had another IPA and am now finishing off with a glass of my own coffee oatmeal stout: they're still tasting just as I thought/like about them.
 
While we're talking about Stone. I LOVE Runiation, but it's so expensive. Though one time I found it out at a local restaurant and it was typical $5 restaurant price. That was a bargain! Considering I could have paid the same for a Sam Adams...

I have only had it once or twice, but I also really like the Stone RIS. Good price and good quality. Though I agree, I don't get the big deal about Arrogant Bastard.
 
ksbrain said:
While we're talking about Stone. I LOVE Runiation, but it's so expensive. Though one time I found it out at a local restaurant and it was typical $5 restaurant price. That was a bargain! Considering I could have paid the same for a Sam Adams...

I have only had it once or twice, but I also really like the Stone RIS. Good price and good quality. Though I agree, I don't get the big deal about Arrogant Bastard.
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The cost of some of these craft brew bombers really shows you the economy of homebrewing. I made a batch of ruination clone a few years ago, it turned out very similar and the total cost wasn't all that much more than any IPA I've made - every pint felt like I was saving $5 :)
 
I used to hate hoppy beers, usually making fun of them in one way or another. Then a friend made me try SNPA (I know it's just an APA) which I really liked, but it took me some time to admit it. Then I started drinking increasingly hoppy beers, to the point where Torpedo seems less hoppy now than SNPA used to seem.

I wouldn't worry what the "cool crowd" is doing, if you don't like hoppy beers more power to you, at least you tried them and know you don't like them. But, from personal experience, I wouldn't make any comments like "I'll never understand why people drink that crap!" as it will come back to bite you in the butt if you ever do start liking them! ;)

On the subject of "balance" it's a concept I don't really think is tangible. Is a Hefe balanced? I don't think I've ever had one where malt or hops was anything more than a faint suggestion.

In addition, as someone else said, everyone's opinion of balanced differs as does their tastes. There was a polish porter I had (can't remember the name) that literally tasted like it had zero hops whatsoever, it was like drinking corn syrup. Not my cup of tea, but there must be someone out there that drinks the stuff if they keep selling it. If every beer was balanced, wouldn't that throw a lot of the beer styles out the window? The way I see it, a lot of beer styles are defined by tipping the balance in one direction or another.
 
hooodafukcares...make/drink what you like. I love hoppy beers, brown beers, red beers and b-loads...nothin like an IPA and a green owl.....hmmmmmm

I just brewed my 3rd beer...1st was a IIPA, second was a Pale ale and 3rd was an IPA. The first one was good, but a hop-bomb. 2nd was AMAZING...great balance and perfect hop utilization. 3rd looks good and smells right so far. All I know is I can't brew fast enough. All my friends and family keep bummin my goddamn beers!!! (must be doin sumthin right)

carry on
 
Soulfeather said:
All I know is I can't brew fast enough. All my friends and family keep bummin my goddamn beers!!! (must be doin sumthin right)
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Either that, or they have really low standards... :D :tank:

Most likely, they've never had really good beer before, so they just can't get enough of it once they've found a source/supplier...

As for not being able to brew fast enough, I'm working on brewing every two weekends. That gives me time to still do other things, but also brew enough (I hope)...

I brewed my 7th batch this past weekend. I did three extract brews, one partial mash (more like all-grain with a little DME added :D) and now I've gotten three full all-grain batches under mah belly...

Biggest hurdle, is establishing your pipeline. I'm using the 2-4 week primary fermentation, with no secondary (except when needing to rack off of flavor elements, onto others)... I do have an old ale aging on some oak, which should be for the next few weeks.

The way I see it, if you brew every other weekend, using the 2-4 week in primary model, you'll need a few primary fermenters in order to get into a decent cycle... For example:
Week 0: brew batch 1
Week 2: brew batch 2, check on batch 1
Week 4: brew batch 3, bottle batch 1, check batch 2
Week 6: brew batch 4, bottle batch 2, check batch 3

Once you hit your stride, you should be brewing, and bottling/kegging a batch every two weeks/weekends... Hopefully, you'll be able to keep the friends and family at bay enough so that you can also enjoy some of what you're making... One way to get them to slow down could be to get them to pitch in on ingredients to make replacements for what they drink... Not sure if that would be considered 'bootlegging' or not... Or you could get them to purchase the hardware so you can start making 10 gallon batches, so that they can have some, but so can you... :D

It's all about balance...

Personally, I'm making stuff more for me... If I have a few friends over, I might offer them some, if I have enough left to share that is. :drunk: Or have them try it to provide feedback on the brew. Looking forward to seeing how people react to my first BarleyWine on 2/12/11 at a family gathering/party we're having... Sucker is about 10% ABV... :drunk:
 
IPA Haters of the world UNITE! :tank: I found my brethren! I don't get IPAs, I am also starting to get frustrated with beers that are not IPAs but are over hopped just because they think that is what we want out in the masses. Uggggg, whatever. Porter, stout, etc, etc, malty happy people over here!

Orlando
 
robtotten said:
I'd rather drink Busch Light than Stone Ruination, although that's an extreme example.
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BLASPHEMY!


I'm just kidding though. If you're not into hops I would imagine ruination tasting like gasoline flavored sink cleaner so the comparison is understandable. I used be staunchly in the anti-hops camp as well. I hated IPA's and anything remotely hoppy, but then out of the blue I decided to buy a sixer of Modus Hoperandi. Some switch must have flipped in my head because that was the beginning of my love for the hops. What's nice though is I still have my appreciation for the the stouts, brown ales, and porters.
 
Dumb question, but can hops with a high alpha acid % eat away at the enamel on your teeth? I would imagine some of the strong hopbombs out there would eventually fake a toll on your grill (teeth). Granted, it would probably take several years for any decaying, but I swear I read this somewhere.
 
DirtyJersey said:
Dumb question, but can hops with a high alpha acid % eat away at the enamel on your teeth? I would imagine some of the strong hopbombs out there would eventually fake a toll on your grill (teeth). Granted, it would probably take several years for any decaying, but I swear I read this somewhere.
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I'd imagine it just depends largely on the resulting pH of the beer. Ill take a reading of my Pliny clone before bottling (although carbonation contributes a bit more acidity on top of that, it's not going to make a substantial difference) and try to see how it measures up to dental information regarding acidity in foods.

If you're that concerned, you can always drink your beer through a straw :p
 
oteixeira said:
I am also starting to get frustrated with beers that are not IPAs but are over hopped just because they think that is what we want out in the masses.
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That, I think, is my biggest pet peeve. You nailed it. I like IPAs, but not I'm not huge, over the top IPAs. BUT if I'm sitting down with a Hopslam, shame on me for expecting different than the name implies. I pretty much know what I'm getting into.

If I've got a brown ale in front of me, however, there better be some malt presence and balance, not a mouth full of hops.
 
I made an IPA when I first started brewing. I didn't have any real idea what an IPA really was. Myself nor any of my friends could figure out what was wrong with the beer. I stayed away from them for a long time and then got turned back onto them by accident. I was at a bar and I asked the bartender for a Sweetwater 420, (extra pale ale). I guess they misunderstood or were out because what I got was sweetwater IPA. All I could talk about was how great the beer was. I went to the store and bought a bunch of 420 but I couldn't figure out why it didn't taste the same, I concluded that it was because it was in a bottle so I would have to get it from the tap to get the great taste. Next time I was at the bar I ordered another 420 and they told me they were out of it but had IPA, so I took that and when I tasted it everything came together. After having tried many different IPA's in the last year or so I would say that sweetwater's IPA isn't too extreme on the scale, but it definately got me back interested in brewing with hops! What sucks is that brewing hoppy beer isn't cheap!
 
I'm a malty beer fan myself (and happy to find I'm not alone). Never cared for the hoppier stuff. One thing I've noticed recently is that most of the liquor stores around me seem to carry *only* hoppy micro beers. I'll find a brand I like but all they'll have is the IPA when the same brewery makes a brown or something.

It's getting more and more difficult to try new malty beers! Makes me wonder if the customer base is tending towards hoppier beers because they like them, or if they're under the impression that good beer has to be hoppy!
 
Prior to HB'ing, I hate, hate, hated IPA's. Was a big malty beer guy, still very much am. Since HB'ing, my palate for hops has definitely improved. I have even had a few heavily hopped brews that I found to be refreshing. However, I have yet been able to talk myself into brewing an IPA. So I clearly havent found enough love for them to have 5 gallons on hand. It really is just a matter of prefrence (personal and historical)
 
I used to be ruined on IPA's. My first was Two-Hearted lets say four years ago when I was just 21 and trying to get into craft beer. I couldn't even finish half of a 12oz bottle. So that made me think I hated all IPA's for a few years. Then I started giving them a try once my palate was a little more evolved and now I like most of them, and love Two-Hearted, Hopslam, Hop-Stoopid and such. With that said I still would rather have a stout, porter, brown, or anything with more malt taste.
 
i never got into the ipa craze. i don't like a beer that all i can taste is hops (i know not all of them are like this). its not the bitterness that gets me, its the flavors. and i think its more dislike of specific hops than hops as a whole. hopefully ill pin point the ones i dont like one day and be able to avoid them. the english varieties are usually more my style. bitter enough to balence, but mild on the flavor so i can taste that delicious malt. however recently i drank a noble pils and loved it. i tasted mostly hops, very little malt flavor, but it was actually good. maybe the OP would be able to find a variety or two that they actually like. the negatives for me are the piney, grapefruity, resiny flavors. it seems like im trying to swallow a hot pine cone. but i have found that hops are good for what they do, and desireable in the amounts called for. i'm pretty open minded as far as trying new beers and not saying,"oh im gonna hate this because its an ipa." but i have found that there are not many ipa's that i like.
 
I have found that many of my friends who love IPA's just don't have a good appreciation for other styles of beer, mostly because all they ever order are IPAs!

And you have to admit, IPAs, while great, are kind of a hipster thing right now, so a lot of young people (i.e. my generation) are just "hopping" on the band wagon!
 
Ernst-Haeckel said:
... a lot of young people (i.e. my generation) are just "hopping" on the band wagon!
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I can't believe it took that long in this thread for somebody to go there!!! LOL
 
Sorry to revive a year old thread, but I thought my taste buds must be retarded before reading this thread. My first few brews I thought, "what did I do wrong"?! Looking back at my brew logs, I basically realized I just don't like hops. LOVE the smell of 'em when I'm brewing, LOVE the smell of them in my beer, but I don't know if I'll ever be putting any in for bittering again. Last beer I brewed I only used .5oz, so maybe that'll be good. I'm sure my palate for them will evolve over time, but I'm just glad to see I'm not alone!
 
No you're not alone. It's become quite the fad in homebrewing and craft brewing to see how much hop bitterness can be crammed into a glass of beer, and that's fine, but there certianly seems to be a lot of marketing hype going along with the fad that can lead those of us that aren't fans of this sort of thing to wonder what's wrong with us?

The great thing about beer is that there's a beer for every taste. I believe that there's no such thing as "bad" beer (unless of course it's spoiled or otherwise defective because of processing, packaging, serving or storage problems). A beer is 'good" if it fits one's particular preferences and purposes and those vary from person to person and from moment to moment.
 

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