Help with hops?

[ArizonaGoalie]

I've been brewing for a few years. Started with extract for a couple years, then moved onto all grain. I've got my brew day system dialed in and I LOVE creating recipes and brewing, just as much as drinking the final product.

I have a basic understanding of hops, and feel good about my ability to pick and choose specific hops to add late boil, flameout, and dry hop.

BUT I NEED SOME HELP understanding bittering better. When I create a recipe, I usually start by reviewing several online, then take what I like and formulate my version. But I see some of the exact same styles and recipes, especially with hoppy beer, where people use hops at 60 minutes, and some don't. Some skip 60 min and do a 30 min addition instead. And some use no bittering hops at all in their IPA/APA/Pale Ale.

Can someone explain bittering a little better to me (I understand why we need bittering hops) when it comes to why people skip them altogether or do a 30 min addition INSTEAD of 60? In simple terms? Most hop explanations online use a lot of big words that fly right over my beer drinking head.

Thanks in advance.

BTW - I'm brewing an all Amarillo IPA tonight, hence the spark for this thread. I know what I want to do with late additions and dry hopping, but stumped on a bittering addition.

 

[Jag75]

When it comes to bittering you can do a 60 min or a 30 min. Brewers that do a 30 min may use more then a 60 min addition.

My favorite bittering hop is Magnum . I always use it for certain styles . When I build a recipe I know how many ibu's I'm looking for so I adjust .

I pretty much don't do a 30 min hop addition. Some beers I don't even do 60 min bittering addition. Belgian wit i do a 20 , 15 and flameout. Hefeweizen I do a 60 min and thats it . So it really just comes down to what you like and want.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Simply put, any hop is a bittering hop if you boil it long enough. Bitter hops don't necessarily refer to the hop itself, but instead how long it is boiled. The longer they are boiled, the more bittering you will get from them.

That said, not all hops should be used as bittering hops. Low alpha acid hops will not bitter as much as their high alpha acid counterparts.

Alpha acid + time boiled = IBU