Hop preference poll

[brewmaster27]

As for myself, I've only made a few batches of beer. But my experience with Chinook hops was that they imparted a good aroma and citrusy (?) taste to my Christmas Ale, but boy are they potent (10-14% AA)! The CA I made with them must have been a billion IBUs. If I used them sparingly I'm sure they would have been ok.

 

[Genghis77]

I keep a supply of between 10-15 different types of hops, mainly in pellet form. But generally have three types of whole hops for finish and dry hopping.

 

[cgravier]

i use both plugs and pellets. i use pellets for bittering, and i like to add at least 1 ounce of finish plugs to the wort, its my version of a poor-mans hop back cuz. i strain my wort through the whole hops into the fermentor, i feel this reducers my trub in the primary. i also feel, probably mistakenly, that plug, or whole hops in the last 5 or 0 minutes of the boil will give off a better aroma/flavor than pellets. i do dry-hop however with pellets, and i cant see putting 3 oz. of plugs into my secondary can be as easy as with pellets.

 

[habanero]

I try to use whole (flower) hops whenever possible. I lose a bit of bittering potential that way, but I've found the overall end result is superior to pellets. This especially holds true for flavor and aroma. Even my local homebrew store (LHBS) switched a lot of their kits from pellet to whole for aroma and flavoring.

The biggest drawback I've found is dealing with the massive amounts in "big" beers like imperial IPAs. Instead of dry hopping in the secondary carboy, I've found it quite a bit easier to put my dry hops in a bag and dunk the bag in the keg. I leave it there until the keg runs dry. It makes for an awesome IIPA!

Tom

 

[Walker]

I'm not voting here because I prefer different things at different times.

Pellets are small and keep well.

Whole flowers seem more 'natural' to me and are easier to handle in the pot, but take up more storage space and don't keep as well as pellets, too.

Plugs are whole/flowers pressed into a disc (and they open up as soon as you get them wet). that solves the space problem with whole/flowers, but DAMN those plugs are EXPENSIVE compares to the other two.

-walker

 

[Truble]

I've only used pellet thus far, but I've used a bunch of different types: Cascade, Nugget, Fuggles, Centennial, Chinook, Kent Goldings. I like a hoppy brew, so I am not stingy.

 

[cgravier]

I've found it quite a bit easier to put my dry hops in a bag and dunk the bag in the keg. I leave it there until the keg runs dry. It makes for an awesome IIPA!

Tom[/QUOTE]

the advantages of having a keg! i believe that plugs were invented just for that purpose, just before plugging up the cask they would throw a few plugs in. i cant imagine a better way to get fresh hop aroma...

 

[pigpen]

This will be my second year using my home grown hops.How awsome! Cascade,fuggle,tettnang,and wilamette. Definetly need a seperate freezer. The flavor and aroma are unmatched by pellets,or plugs.I still use them though! They dont yield alot the first year but i had enough to let my bro use some for a few batches.Looking forward to this years harvest.Super easy to grow.Boy do they grow fast. Anyone out there growing hops? Sure would like to hear from you.

 

[cgravier]

Boy do they grow fast. Anyone out there growing hops? Sure would like to hear from you.

when i lived in cali a friend got some rhizomes and planted them to see what would happen. we had three kinds, english, german and american and sure enough the american ones grew the best. they grew fast too, as much as an inch a day! we got a few buds off but not much more than an ounce.i cant remember using any, i think we ate them and he put some in his pillow and had really weird dreams...

 

[Dude]

Anyone ever used Glacier?

I ordered a pound today from Hopsdirect. Seems like (from the descriptions I've read) it will be a nice smooth flavoring hop--which might go decent in a future APA......

Also got a pound of Phoenix. Never used those either--can't wait!!!

 

[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.