Simple vs. complex hop additions

[CHansen6]

I was hoping to get some opinions on hop additions, specifically for later hop additions. I've been getting more into formulating my own recipes and attempts for clones, and have been seeing a variety of opinions, methods, and usages.

Does adding multiple hop varieties at once tend to lend a good form of complexity? I could see it going both ways. Complexity can be good, but eventually you may just muddle the flavors and lose the distinctive characteristics of any one individual hop. For a beer that has say 4 hop varieties of hops used for late additions, do you think it would be best to blend them for several or all additions, or spread them out 1 or 2 at a time to help preserve individual character?

Just mostly looking for personal opinions on this matter. I may do a few experiments in the comings months with blended vs. segregated additions.

 

[DaveSeattle]

You are thinking along the right lines. There is no golden rule of mixing hops, except that you usually don't want to mix noble hops with other types. Mixing hop varieties definitely adds complexity, and as far as I've seen it's hard to overdo it. I'm sure it can be done though.

Jamil Z covered staggered editions in some detail on a Brew Strong episode. Staggering the additions does help preserve the character. The thinking is that when you add them all at once, some of them fall to the bottom and get covered by the rest of them. When you add fewer hops in each addition, this happens less, so you get a better character by staggering.