Question about hops in secondary.

[Symbiote]

Has anyone tried hopping only in secondary?

 

[Yooper]

Well, no I haven't. The hops are used in the boil for bittering, to counteract the sweetness of the malt. If you don't boil the hops, the hops oils don't isomerize and give you any bitterness.

An unhopped beer would be a gruit.

 

[Symbiote]

Gotcha.

 

[Chuck_Swillery]

Well, no I haven't. The hops are used in the boil for bittering, to counteract the sweetness of the malt. If you don't boil the hops, the hops oils don't isomerize and give you any bitterness.

An unhopped beer would be a gruit.

+1 that. Basically, it takes heat and time to change those oils into what we sense as bitterness. Less than 30 minutes in a boil drastically reduces the amount of isomerization and therefore perceived bitterness. If you hopped only in the secondary you'd probably end up with some great hop flavor but no/minimal bitterness to balance out your beer.

 

[Symbiote]

O.k., so the hops work in two different ways.

Is it common to use the same type hops for both primary and secondary?

 

[storunner13]

Using the same variety of hop is commonly used. Some people enjoy a SMaSH beer with uses only one malt grain, and one hop. That way the specific characters of the malt and the hop come through. Then again, many people combine different varieties for a balanced hop flavor and aroma.

As for dry-hopping in the secondary, it's usually the practice to use the same kinds of hops that went into the aroma additions (<10 minutes) of the boil. That way you elevate the same aromas.

 

[Symbiote]

Cool. Thanks for the tip.