Role of bittering hops in flavor

[sgillespie]

I'm trying to find as much information on hops as I can. The main thing that seems unclear to me is the role bittering hops has on flavor. Does it really matter which hops you use for bittering as long as it bitters? Or might you achieve a different flavor profile by using different bittering hops?

 

[Zamial]

I'm trying to find as much information on hops as I can. The main thing that seems unclear to me is the role bittering hops has on flavor. Does it really matter which hops you use for bittering as long as it bitters?Yes, this will add to the IBU's of the beer (International Bitterness Units). The higher the IBU's the more bitter the beer.

Or might you achieve a different flavor profile by using different bittering hops? Yes the different hops will add different flavors to the beer.

Hope this helps...

 

[CrustyBrau]

Let's add to the question. I would like to understand the effect of hops added early as apposed to those added late. We know that hops added early provide the most bittering effect, and that very late added hops provide the most aroma, but what about in between? I don't understand the effect of the boil on the flavor of the hops.

 

[Zamial]

Let's add to the question. I would like to understand the effect of hops added early as apposed to those added late. We know that hops added early provide the most bittering effect, and that very late added hops provide the most aroma, but what about in between? I don't understand the effect of the boil on the flavor of the hops.

I am NOT an expert but I think it goes a little something like:

Bittering, flavor and aroma. The middle additions will add more hop flavor than it will add bitterness. Like the aroma will add a stronger smell than bitterness/flavor.

NOTE: almost all flavor and aroma additions will fade with time. aroma normally going away 1st. This is why freshness on an IPA is very important.

 

[sgillespie]

Bittering, flavor and aroma. The middle additions will add more hop flavor than it will add bitterness. Like the aroma will add a stronger smell than bitterness/flavor.

This is consistent with what i've read so far. Most common bittering times are 60 min, flavoring - 30 min, and aroma - 5-15 min

i'm mostly interested in boiling times of 60 min (at least at the moment). I understand that the primary purpose is bittering. I've heard of some people only using Galena for bittering and saving the good stuff for later. Is this practical/advisable?

 

[sgillespie]

Also, what do people mean when they say things like "sharp" and "clean" bittering?

 

[Zamial]

Flavor profiles in hops will vary by strain and when you add them. I have not really heard of anyone using 1 hops to bitter every beer they make. (I do not disbelieve this, just never heard of it before.)

When people say things like "clean" it is just that, a clean bitter, nothing else added. Same for "citrusy" or "earthy" or "piney". they will impart a specific character to the beer.

Say I wanted to make a sweet stout, I would use a "clean or earthy" hops as to not conflict with the beers flavors but to complement them. I would not think a sweet stout would not do well with a "punch in the jaw/nose" from a large citrusy hops like an IPA would. (Some will disagree here but I am talking about recreating a specific style...) Also since I am going for a sweet and malty beer I would not want high IBU's.

IBU's and AA% are related in hops, the higher the AA% the higher the IBU's in the beer per oz of hops.

So, let's look at that stout we can use: Glacier,Fuggles or any other clean low AA%/IBU hops and we will be fine OR we can use a small amount of higher aa% hops like.25oz of warrior and it will be a cleanly bittered stout but with low IBU's as it should be.

Hope this helps ya!

 

[Yooper]

This is consistent with what i've read so far. Most common bittering times are 60 min, flavoring - 30 min, and aroma - 5-15 min

i'm mostly interested in boiling times of 60 min (at least at the moment). I understand that the primary purpose is bittering. I've heard of some people only using Galena for bittering and saving the good stuff for later. Is this practical/advisable?

Well, I've never heard that flavor hops are at 30 minutes before. In my opinion, that's not so. 20 minutes- 10 minutes, usually about 20 or 15 minutes, are my preferred times for flavor hops. At 30 minutes, you don't get much flavor, just bittering. But you don't get the "full" bittering that you'd get at 60 minutes. The reason 60 minutes is pretty standard for bittering is because that's the most economical way to do it. You can get a bit more bittering out of hops at 75 minutes or 90 minutes, but it's usually not a cost savings if you add the fuel for boiling long. And it's a very small amount of extra bittering anyway.

You can bitter with whatever hops you like. When hops were very cheap, more people bittered with lower AA hops. However, many people have found that since the bittering hops that are most neutral don't cause any harshness or flavor issues, a higher AAU hop variety, like galena or magnum, can be used without detriment to the beer.

Also, what do people mean when they say things like "sharp" and "clean" bittering?

Well, some hops are higher in cohumulone than others. Higher cohumulone hops have a "harsher" bite to them and to me taste sharp. A clean bittering doesn't have that harsh bite. Here's a little info from the wiki on this: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Cohumulone#Cohumulone I've read several books and articles with this info, and I don't pretend to fully understand it. There are many compounds in hops, even though we usually talk about alpha acids. The other compounds in them contribute to the characteristics of the hops, too.

 

[sgillespie]

Yes, thanks for the help. This is all very good information

 

[jmo88]

Also, what do people mean when they say things like "sharp" and "clean" bittering?

This has to do with cohumulone levels and residual flavors left over from the bittering hops, respectively. Hops like chinook tend to still have a flavor after 60 minutes of boiling and tend to have a sharper bitter because of the higher levels of cohumulone. A hop like Magnum and Simcoe have low cohumulone levels and tend to be "cleaner" and not as "sharp". One could bitter to the same IBU level on two different beers, and bitter one with a high and one with a low cohumulone hop, and the low cohumulone would taste cleaner and not as sharp, despite the same IBU levels.

 

[Hermit]

I'll have to disagree with the common conceptions on this one. A few of my beers had an after flavor that I was trying to track down. I got the same taste from a Samuel Smith imperial stout. Then it occurred to me. I was using Magnum to bitter most of my brews thinking that I wasn't adding flavor, just bittering. Just like there are different flavors of 'sweet' I'm now convinced there are different flavors of 'bitter'.

 

[BrookdaleBrew]

There is a lot of disinformation being spewed in this thread. I would listen to YooperBrew.

 

[MajorTom]

I think this chart gives a pretty good picture of how it works as far as boil times affecting bitterness, flavor and aroma. I'm not sure who the author is. As far as how bittering hops affects the flavor profile, I'm not that knowledgeable about that.

 

[kornbread]

I performed an experiment a year or so ago using a 4 gallons of wort split into four 1 gallon batches. All four had a single 60 min.) hop addition with four different hops. I adjusted the amount of each hop, according to its AA%, to get roughly the same level of IBU's. I split a pack of dry yeast among all four gallons and fermented them all side by side.

There is definitely a different flavor from each hop! Each beer had it's own individual character.

I noticed that some hops contribute a more "harsh" bitterness than others.

I've read somewhere that using larger amounts of low alpha hops, as opposed to smaller amounts of high alpha hops, to get to the same level of IBUs will give a "smother" bitterness. I haven't experimented with this theory yet.

I've also heard it said that "aroma" hops will also contribute somewhat to the overall bitterness of the beer.

 

[prosper]

I performed an experiment a year or so ago using a 4 gallons of wort split into four 1 gallon batches. All four had a single 60 min.) hop addition with four different hops. I adjusted the amount of each hop, according to its AA%, to get roughly the same level of IBU's. I split a pack of dry yeast among all four gallons and fermented them all side by side.

There is definitely a different flavor from each hop! Each beer had it's own individual character.

I noticed that some hops contribute a more "harsh" bitterness than others.

I've read somewhere that using larger amounts of low alpha hops, as opposed to smaller amounts of high alpha hops, to get to the same level of IBUs will give a "smother" bitterness. I haven't experimented with this theory yet.

I've also heard it said that "aroma" hops will also contribute somewhat to the overall bitterness of the beer.

There's the answer: play with your beer! Test it out for yourself.

I have also noticed that, even at 60 minutes, hops do contribute different flavours to beer, though it's more subtle than with later additions.

 

[rayg]

I think this chart gives a pretty good picture of how it works as far as boil times affecting bitterness, flavor and aroma. I'm not sure who the author is. As far as how bittering hops affects the flavor profile, I'm not that knowledgeable about that.

I don't know what this chart is supposed to be a plot of but
the aroma/flavor part doesn't make sense. Both should be
exponentially decreasing, aroma from time 0, flavor a few minutes
later because you need time to dissolve the components.

Part of the flavor/aroma component is simply evaporating
with the steam:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_distillation

part of it is changing chemically. The flavor/aroma components
are mostly terpenoids which contain multiple double bonds, which
add water across the bond in aqueous acidic media, for example
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caryophyllene
Now add an "H" to one end of one of the double bonds, and an
"OH" to the other to get the idea.

There has to be some flavor component left after a 60 min
boil. You can see the difference by making a beer with
one 60 min hop addition only, with light malt extract and
no adjuncts, doing 3 batches with 3 different hop varieties.

Ray

 

[prosper]

that chart is just graphically illustrating the concept - someone's preconception or perception of how it works. It's not actually based on *measurements* of aroma/flavour components