Identifying Good Hop Combinations

[JCasey1992]

Hello everybody!

This may be a weird question but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask. I have been creating my own recipes for a few batches now and have created some tasty brews along the way. I have learned a fair amount about grains and yeast but am still a little lost when it comes to hops.

When developing a hop schedule, what do you consider when deciding on the best hop combinations? I know a lot of it comes down to experimentation but how do you get the general idea that a given combo would work well or not? Like I said, I know that I'm going to need to experiment but I also want to be certain that I'm not creating a combo that will lead to something completely undrinkable.

Hopefully that made sense. Let me know if you need clarification. Thanks in advance.

Cheers!
Casey

 

[IslandLizard]

Use good commercial beers you enjoyed as a guide. Often the hops used are listed or can be found in reviews or clone recipes. Also check proven recipes posted in our recipe section in the styles you enjoy. But feel free to experiment too.

You'll find that IPAs often use a selection of the same set of "IPA" hops, with perhaps an odd one in there you never heard of before, like Denali.

To learn a hop's specific aroma and flavor you need to taste them. To get an idea, add a few hop pellets to a bottled Kolsch (or any other neutral, low hopped, low flavor beer) as a dry hop. You need to work fast, and an extra set of hands. Crack cap, add pellets, recap quickly, invert a few times. Let sit for a few days at room temps, inverting bottle a few times each day. Refrigerate and pour out through a fine sieve. These are great projects for clubs or BJCP courses.

For most beers, not just IPAs, hop schedules are very similar. Use one or more of each, or none.
Bittering - 90', 60', 30'
Late boil - 10', 5', 0' and/or
Whirlpool/Hop stand - 1x or 2x at different temps

Then hop forward beers will enjoy a dry hop (or 2).

 

[pinchegil]

I find this method helpful https://www.maltosefalcons.com/tech/hop-tea-proper-way

 

[goldenknotslim]

I could never get dry hopping in finished beer bottles to work.
Tried 6 different hops in Lonestar lager, all tasted nearly identical cucumber/melon with varying amounts of onion. Galaxy was the worst, so it was not an accurate method for me.

I look at the basic descriptions, fruity/spicy/floral/earthy/herbal Go with similar combinations for reinforced flavor. Or pick 2-3 so that each of the basic terms are present for well rounded complex flavor.

Start simple if you want to build a mental library of what each hop brings to the table. Intensities at a la important. Some pack a punch while others require twice the amount for the same intensity.