Hop preference poll

[Tony]

Ive been going nuts using Galena and Nugget. Next is Simcoe and Warrior.

I think it comes down to trying all the different types you can, to learn about their uses, flavors, aroma and every aspect of them.

Still, through all the brews and recipes...I have to admit, my very favorite hops are actually Hallertau and Northern Brewer.

 

[Dude]

Ive been going nuts using Galena and Nugget. Next is Simcoe and Warrior.

I think it comes down to trying all the different types you can, to learn about their uses, flavors, aroma and every aspect of them.

Still, through all the brews and recipes...I have to admit, my very favorite hops are actually Hallertau and Northern Brewer.

Mine is Cascade by far. I'm trying to limit going over the top and buying all kinds until I get to know one really well, where I can easily place where it will fit in a recipe. Been going nuts with Willamette lately, LOVE that one.

I love being able to smell a beer and say, AHHHH....norhtern Brewer, or AHHHHH....Cascade. My family/friends look at me like I'm a Beer God.

 

[Genghis77]

I have an abandoned fruit orchard growing hops. Probably Williamette or Cascade. They grow right up low hanging branches and trunks, strangling the pear and plum trees. Haven't used the hops flowers though. Pretty hard to harvest these.

 

[Genghis77]

I think Blue Moon Belgian White has the best aroma of anything. Makes me wonder what hops?

 

[pigpen]

I plan on making an pale ale this weekend.Plan on stuffing some warrior hops in.Anybody familiar with this hop? 17alpha I want this to be an all out assault on your brain.

 

[Genghis77]

Warrior is a pretty recent hops. I just ordered a pound. Tomahawk is another and in the same AA league. I think these will go particularily well in IPA's and other strong hop brews.

 

[Boston]

Janx, isn't Humboldt County famous (infamous?) for a different kind of "hop?"
Anyway, I prefer plugs in the kettle and pellets for dryhopping. I never met a hop I didn't like, but Centennial & Cascade are my favorites.
Jeff

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Warrior is a pretty recent hops. I just ordered a pound. Tomahawk is another and in the same AA league. I think these will go particularily well in IPA's and other strong hop brews.

I used Warrior last year in a DFH Indian Nut Brown clone. It was definitely a hoppy beer...my Warriors were around 17%?

 

[Genghis77]

I think plug hops would be more popular except for the fact they are not nearly as readily available. I have read where 7 kilo compressed brick hops are available, mostly in Germany. 7 kilos would still ship well. I have located 200# bales, but the shipping is the real killer. Not to mention the bale would never fit in the frige.

 

[pigpen]

Id like to know what kind of machine presses hops to plugs. Would love to have one for my back yard hops.They take up too much room.Definetly need a seperate freezer. I like putting my hops in hop bags.Makes for a cleaner brew and easy clean up! Anyone think that you loose hop oils and aroma with a hop bag?

 

[cgravier]

all i know about plug machines is that when i first started brewing, in 99, there were only 2 machines that did it and they were in england, so they were not easy to get. im assuming things have changed however, because i am able to get just about evey kind of hops in plug form. i consider them whole, because unlike pellets not much is done to the hop as far as its integrety, they store in oxygen free bags that are ideal.
i mainly use pellets for bittering and plugs for late addition/kettle hops, which acts as a strainer when transfereing the wort.

 

[Fudd]

I just find pellets are very convient no hassles, no mess. But I don't even know what a plug is... Someone want to explain that?

 

[cgravier]

I just find pellets are very convient no hassles, no mess. But I don't even know what a plug is... Someone want to explain that?

a plug is kind of like in between whole and pellet hops. they are whole hops that are somehow condensed into small (1 inch or so diameter) 'plugs' that are 1/2 ounce by weight. i think they were invented for british breweries to throw in a couple into each barrel before sealing up the bung hole.
the advantages are that they store better, and are somewhat easier to handle than whole hops.(as soon as you put them into wort they break up and virtually become whole hops anyway) they are less processed than pellets, but they are processed, so i guess they are not considered 'whole'. but i never use whole hops, only pellets and plugs, which unless you have access to really fresh hops you cant beat them.

 

[Tony]

... i think they were invented for british breweries to throw in a couple into each barrel before sealing up the bung hole...

You know, from now on Im changing over to plugs for all my dry hopping. Im tired of stuffing 1 or 2 ounces of leaf into a carboy. I just racked an IPA to the secondary for dry hopping, and "wow" what a hassle that can be.

Thanks for the idea cgravier!

 

[flingdingo]

I usually use pellet hops for bittering and whole hops for the rest of the additions. I've found that using pellets in the beginning is easier on my kettle for some reason. The pellets foam up for a second, go down, I knock the dust off the sides of the kettle, and we're good. It seems to take a long time to get whole hops rolling in the boil, they want to clump up on the side for about ten minutes.

Also if I brew a hoppy beer, the whole hops want to overload my strainer when going into the primary.

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

I wanna change my vote to Whole!!! If you have a large enough area on your wort filter these are the shizzle. WAY easier to use than pellets and nicer aroma IMHO. You gotta have the right equipment, but once you do, they rock.

 

[buttugly]

All I have ever used is pellets but I'm looking forward to using whole hops. Just planted three each of Chinook and Cascade. They're growing like, well, weed(s). My question is next year when I have something to harvest, everyone talks about drying the hops. Couldn't you just put a batch up in the freezer and use them as needed?

 

[DragonTail]

You will actually have something to harvest this year. I planted 3 cascade last year and filled about 5 one gallon zip bags. You can freeze them after you have dried them. I plan on using the ones I have left to do and all cascade IPA.
Cheers,

 

[bjones5020]

How much hops is too much for an IPA?
I just put an IPA into a primary

Hop bill
Simcoe 4 oz
nugget 4 oz
warrior 4.5 oz
amarillo 2 oz

5 gal. OG 1.046

 

[Genghis77]

How much hops is too much for an IPA?
I just put an IPA into a primary

Hop bill
Simcoe 4 oz
nugget 4 oz
warrior 4.5 oz
amarillo 2 oz

5 gal. OG 1.046

The Simcoe and Warrior are very potent hops. I've used half those amounts and the bitterness was overwhelming. And I generally like lots of hops.

 

[D*Bo]

I decided this weekend I'm done with pellet hops unless I'm looking for something I can't find in whole or plug form in nitrogen barrier (after using plugs the weekend prior).

It is so much easier to wirlpool with plugs/whole hpos and drain the kettle than to whirlpoold and drain with pellets. So much moor beer lost without draining all that extra trub.

 

[JacktheKnife]

Ive been going nuts using Galena and Nugget. Next is Simcoe and Warrior.

I think it comes down to trying all the different types you can, to learn about their uses, flavors, aroma and every aspect of them.

Still, through all the brews and recipes...I have to admit, my very favorite hops are actually Hallertau and Northern Brewer.

Hey Tony,

It is x-mas morning and as I get 'woke up' and ready to go 'feed' ...
I am reading about hops.
Hmmm...
After 15 -16 years homebrewing the hop flavor is becoming very important.
I am getting to where I can actally taste the difference, finally.
Developing my mental 'hop taste' database, as it were.
And it is developing quite rapidly and completely.
Easily actually, as I know what to 'taste for' now.
I am drinking about the best ale I have ever produced.
And it is 'hopped' with the high alpha acid 'Warrior'.
And for taste and flavor:
Hallertau and Northern brewer.


J. Knife and 'Sandymay'

 

[david_42]

Pellets for bittering & flavor. Less bulk & more consistant.
Whole leaf for flavor, aroma & dry hopping.
Plugs: I know they exist, but I've never seen any.

And then there's Fresh Hop ales ...

 

[azmtnbiker]

I usually use pellet in a hop bag so it is easier to filter the wort when adding to the fermenter and they store really well. Now, I have a bigger brew pot that has a bazoka screen and I will be using whole hops so I don't clog the drain.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

I'm a whole leaf guy when I can get them. They do a good job of filtering out the break when I transfer from the boil kettle, and they just smell sooooo good when measuring/bagging them.

Tettnang have become my latest all-around favorite. I wanted to use Saaz or Spalt in a few of my brews, but Hops Direct was out of stock, so I substituted some Tettnang. Seems to be a decent, versatile hop. Slightly low on AA for bittering, but a little increase in the amount works just fine.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

I think Blue Moon Belgian White has the best aroma of anything. Makes me wonder what hops?

Coriander and orange dominate the aroma of this beer. The hops are probably a mild English variety - Goldings perhaps? I don't think the hops affect the aroma nearly as much as the spices in this particular brew. If you can, get your hands on a Hoegaarden - it puts Blue Moon to shame.

 

[korreng]

I would like to use whole hops but they are a bit difficult to find and store. So for convienence I'll stay with pellets

 

[joshpooh]

I have only used pellets mainly because they are easy to store and keep for a long time. I am thinking of growing some hops though, so they will probably be the first whole hops I use. I am about 90 miles from the closest homebrew supply store. So shelf life is a major consideration when purchasing ingredients. Mainly I use Northern Brewer, Goldings, and Fuggles. Using other strains occasionally. Love the aroma of Northern Brewer.

 

[Eye8oneu812]

Hi all,
I'm a big fan of pellet hops, since that's pretty much all I've used, and I find it very convenient for storage. That said, I'll list some varieties I've used, and my impression of them.

Fuggles-First one I ever used. Nice flavor, pretty mild, a great addition to a Porter.

Tettnang-Also rather mild, subtle is the best word. Not my favorite, I prefer something with a little more edge.

Simcoe-Now we're talking. This hop is amazing, plain and simple. I used it for bittering and aroma in an IPA type beer that I made, and it was fantastic. It does add a lot of bitterness, and has a sharp hop flavor, with a little citrus edge.

Amarillo-A milder version of Simcoe, I would say, with a little more citrus flavor. Awesome in pale ales and IPAs.

Cascade-The hop I've used the most. Great aroma, nice citrus flavor.

I've used other hops, but I don't feel like I can give a good honest critique of them, since they got blended in with other hops and I don't feel they featured prominently in my beers. These include Saaz and Hallertau, which certainly didn't do anything to harm my beer!

Cheers and happy homebrewing.

PS-I love hops.

 

[revrand65]

iv'e used whole hops and pellets ..i can say that it's easier to throw the whole hops in a bag and fish it out after the boil..and not have to mess with the crap at the bottom of the kettle.i'm getting ready to grow my own .2 weeks ago i ordered 9 rhizomes from michigan bulb..fuggle hops.. that should be here in april..ive got a 20 foot light pole next to my driveway that will be perfect for them.

 

[DeathBrewer]

I use whole and pellets, and they always make for good brew. I voted for pellets, however, as there are more options available and i seem to be able to find more consistency with the AA levels.

I used plugs recently. I ordered some from maltose.com and when they arrived I was like "wtf are these?"

now i know. Thanks, HBT!

 

[Ridge Runner]

I've only used pellets so far and they seem OK. Gonna try whole and plugs some time in the future. Curious to see the difference.

 

[Monster Mash]

Pellets in the boil and whole hops for dry hopping. So I use both.

 

[Chuggle1759]

I like whole hops better.They tend not to clog my funnel filter.I also believe fresh
is always better even though they are harder to find.

 

[cool brew]

Well, I live in Washington, and we have this town by the name of Moxee with has the most hops per capita than ANYWHERE else in the WOLRD. I need to take a trip over there for sure. Where do you get full hops? do most LHBS's have them. I have never seen em, but I have only been to 2 stores.

 

[Bearcat Brewmeister]

Leaf hops here since my brew kettle has a false bottom and the hops act as a natural filter.

A second second on Simcoe. Awesome hop, especially when combined with Amarillo in an IPA. Also I highly recommend Summit (kind of an orange/tangerine citrus flavor as opposed to the grapefruit of many of the C hops). Until I just found them in leaf form at Freshops, I was stuck using pellets.

Try doing an IPA getting all or almost all of you IBUs from late hop additions (one of the mags about a year ago had an article). My IPA only gets 18 of its 70 IBUs from full boil hops (Warrior). The rest come from massive flavor and aroma additions of Simcoe, Amarillo, Summit, and Cascade at 20, 10 and 5 minutes. It really amps up the flavor and aroma and makes it stand out at a contest where the judges may be getting sensory fatigue, especially if you are stuck late in the flight. Also, for dry hopping in the keg, I use 3 inch tea balls. Three of them hold about an ounce of leaf hops and they are stainless steel, so they are easy to clean and sanitize as compared to a muslin bag.

 

[maierca]

Not too sure what I like better yet. Just brewed my first batch combining leaf and pellets. From what I tasted at bottling it was a GREAT combo!!! Brewed Jeff Bagby's Hop Whompus with some minor adjustments....HOLY HOPS!!!

 

[IPA_33]

I love using whole, depending on how heavy I'm bittering they will consume a lot of water but the end product IMHO is second to none.

Being an IPA guy my fav's are:
Columbus and Cascade

I recently made a batch with
Columbus for Bittering and aroma and Amarillo Gold for flavor and aroma.

 

[seansbrew]

I prefer to use whole hops because they lend themselves well to my system. The false bottom in my brew kettle catches all the hops and creates a nice hot break filtering system. My favorite use of hops is when I brew my Imperial IPA. I use the three C's Centennial, Chinook, and Cascade (in that order). For this recipe I use a half pound of whole hops. If I have to use pellets I put them in bags, I don't want them in my fermenter.

 

[Brewsker]

I have never used anything but whole hops and I don't think would ever use anything else. There is nothing like pulling one out and snacking on it while you are brewing.
My favorite if I had to choose one would probably Cascade , but I have never found a hop that I didn't like!